2
1 After
this, David
inquired of the
LORD, saying, “Shall
I go up
into any of
the cities of
Judah?”
The LORD said
to him, “Go
up.”
David said, “Where
shall I go
up?”
He said, “To
Hebron.”
2 So
David went up
there with his
two wives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail
the wife of Nabal
the Carmelite.
3 David
brought up his men
who were with
him, every man
with his household.
They lived in
the cities of
Hebron.
4 The men
of Judah came,
and there they
anointed David
king over the
house of Judah.
They told David,
“The men of Jabesh
Gilead were those
who buried Saul.”
5 David
sent messengers to
the men of
Jabesh Gilead,
and said to them,
“Blessed are you
by the LORD,
that you have
shown this
kindness to your
lord, even to
Saul, and have
buried him.
6 Now
may the LORD
show loving
kindness and truth
to you. I
also will reward
you for this
kindness, because
you have done
this thing.
7 Now
therefore let your
hands be strong,
and be valiant;
for Saul your lord
is dead, and
also the house
of Judah have
anointed me king
over them.”
8 Now Abner
the son of
Ner, captain of
Saul’s army, had
taken Ishbosheth the
son of Saul
and brought him
over to Mahanaim.
9 He
made him king
over Gilead, over
the Ashurites, over
Jezreel, over Ephraim,
over Benjamin, and
over all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth,
Saul’s son,
was forty years
old when he
began to reign
over Israel, and
he reigned two
years. But the
house of Judah
followed David.
11 The
time that David
was king in
Hebron over the
house of Judah
was seven years
and six months.
12 Abner the
son of Ner,
and the servants
of Ishbosheth the
son of Saul,
went out from
Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Joab
the son of
Zeruiah and David’s
servants went out,
and met them
by the pool
of Gibeon; and
they sat down,
the one on
the one side
of the pool
and the other
on the other
side of the
pool.
14 Abner said
to Joab, “Please
let the young
men arise
and compete before
us!”
Joab said, “Let
them arise!”
15 Then
they arose and
went over by
number: twelve for
Benjamin and
for Ishbosheth the
son of Saul,
and twelve of
David’s servants.
16 They
each caught his
opponent by the
head and thrust
his sword in
his fellow’s side;
so they fell
down together. Therefore
that place in
Gibeon was
called Helkath Hazzurim.
17 The
battle was very
severe that day;
and Abner was
beaten, and the
men of Israel,
before David’s
servants.
18 The
three sons of
Zeruiah were there:
Joab, Abishai, and
Asahel. Asahel was
as light of
foot as a
wild gazelle.
19 Asahel
pursued Abner. He didn’t
turn to the
right hand or
to the left
from following Abner.
20 Then Abner
looked behind him
and said, “Is that
you, Asahel?”
He answered, “It
is.”
21 Abner said
to him, “Turn
away to your
right hand or
to your left,
and grab one of
the young men,
and take
his armor.” But
Asahel would not
turn away
from following him.
22 Abner said
again to Asahel,
“Turn away
from following me.
Why should I
strike you to
the ground? How
then could I
look Joab
your brother in
the face?”
23 However, he
refused to turn
away. Therefore Abner
with the back
end of the
spear struck him
in the body,
so that the
spear came out
behind him; and
he fell down
there and died
in the same place.
As many as came
to the place
where Asahel fell
down and died
stood still.
24 But
Joab and Abishai
pursued Abner. The
sun went down
when they had come
to the hill
of Ammah, that lies
before Giah by
the way of
the wilderness of
Gibeon.
25 The
children of
Benjamin gathered
themselves together
after Abner and
became one band,
and stood on
the top of
a hill.
26 Then Abner
called to Joab,
and said, “Shall
the sword devour
forever? Don’t you
know that it
will be bitterness
in the latter end?
How long will
it be then,
before you ask the
people to return
from following their brothers?”
27 Joab
said, “As God
lives, if you
had not spoken,
surely then in
the morning the
people would have
gone away, and
not each followed
his brother.”
28 So
Joab blew the
trumpet; and all
the people stood
still and pursued
Israel no more,
and they fought
no more.
29 Abner and
his men went
all that night
through the Arabah;
and they passed
over the Jordan,
and went through
all Bithron, and
came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab
returned from following Abner;
and when he
had gathered all
the people
together, nineteen
men of David’s
and Asahel were
missing.
31 But
David’s servants
had struck
Benjamin Abner’s men
so that three
hundred sixty men
died.
32 They
took up Asahel
and buried him
in the tomb
of his father,
which was in
Bethlehem. Joab
and his men
went all night,
and the day broke
on them at
Hebron.