²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn^(A) the kingdom^(B) of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.^(C)

⁹ May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised^(A) him on oath

¹⁰ and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”^(A)

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant^(A) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed^(B) David king over Israel.

Others Join David at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron^(A) to turn^(B) Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:^(C)