3 and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah.When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,
5 he sent them this message: “May the lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.
6 May the lord be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.
7 Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.”
8 But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.
9 There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.