1. And it came to pass after this, that Dovid inquired of Hashem, saying, Shall I go up into any of the towns of Yehudah? And Hashem said unto him, Go up. And Dovid said, To where shall I go up? And he said, Unto Chevron.
2. So Dovid went up there, and his two nashim also, Achinoam the Yizre'elit, and Avigal eshet Nabal the Carmeli.
3. And his anashim that were with him did Dovid bring up, every ish with his household; and they dwelt in the towns of Chevron.
4. And anshei Yehudah came, and there they anointed Dovid Melech over Bais Yehudah. And they told Dovid, saying, The Anshei Yavesh-Gilead were they that buried Sha'ul.
5. And Dovid sent malachim unto the Anshei Yavesh-Gilead, and said unto them, Berukhim atem of Hashem, that ye have showed this chesed unto adoneichem, even unto Sha'ul, burying him.
6. And now Hashem show chesed and emes unto you; and I also will repay you this tovah, because ye have done this thing.
7. Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, be ye bnei chayil; for adoneichem Sha'ul is dead, and also the Bais Yehudah have anointed me Melech over them.
8. But Avner ben Ner, Sar Tzava of Sha'ul, took Ishboshet Ben Sha'ul, and brought him over to Machanayim;
9. And made him melech over Gil`ad, and over the Ashuri, and over Yizre'el, and over Ephrayim, and over Binyamin, and over all Yisroel.
10. Ishboshet ben Sha'ul was forty shanah when he began to reign over Yisroel, and reigned two shanim. But Bais Yehudah followed Dovid.
11. And the time that Dovid was Melech in Chevron over Bais Yehudah was shivah shanah and shishah chodashim.