em,
and bring them under. Now when the elders and rulers heard this, and
understood that Abner was come over to those sentiments about the public
affairs which they were of before, they changed their measures, and came
in to David. When these men had agreed to Abner's proposal, he called
together the tribe of Benjamin, for all of that tribe were the guards of
Ishbosheth's body, and he spake to them to the same purpose. And when
he saw that they did not in the least oppose what he said, but resigned
themselves up to his opinion, he took about twenty of his friends and
came to David, in order to receive himself security upon oath from him;
for we may justly esteem those things to be firmer which every one of us
do by ourselves, than those which we do by another. He also gave him
an account of what he had said to the rulers, and to the whole tribe of
Benjamin; and when David had received him in a courteous manner, and
had treated him with great hospitality for many days, Abner, when he was
dismissed, desired him to bring the multitude with him, that he might
deliver up the government to him, when David himself was present, and a
spectator of what was done.

5. When David had sent Abner away, Joab, the of his army, came
immediately to Hebron; he had understood that Abner had been with David,
and had parted with him a little before under leagues and agreements
that the government should be delivered up to David, he feared lest
David should place Abner, who had assisted him to gain the kingdom, in
the first rank of dignity, especially since he was a shrewd man in other
respects, in understanding affairs, and in managing them artfully, as
proper seasons should require, and that he should himself be put lower,
and be deprived of the command of the army; so he took a knavish and a
wicked course. In the first place, he endeavored to calumniate Abner to
the king, exhorting him to have a care of him, and not to give attention
to what he had engaged to do for him, because all he did tended to
confirm the government to Saul's son; that he came to him deceitfully
and with guile, and was gone away in hopes of gaining his purpose by
this management: but when he could not thus persuade David, nor saw
him at all exasperated, he betook himself to a project bolder than the
former:--he determined to kill Abner; and in order thereto, he sent some
messengers after him, to whom he gave in charge, that when they should
overtake him they should r