²⁶ Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the ^[a]spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord”—

¹¹ And ^(A)the ^[a]time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah ^(A)seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

¹⁴ So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, ^(A)just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!”

⁴¹ Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and ^(A)brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?”

⁴² So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is ^(B)a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”

⁴³ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ^(C)ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?”

Yet ^(D)the words of the men of Judah were ^[a]fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.