2Sam 2
1
And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of YHWH, saying, Shall I go up
into any of the cities of Judah? And YHWH said to him, Go up. And David said, Where
shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.
2
So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail
the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3
And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and
they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4
And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
5
And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed be
you of YHWH, that you have showed this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have
buried him.
6
And now YHWH show lovingkindness and truth to you: and I also will requite you this
kindness, because you have done this thing.
7
Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be you 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 host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of
Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9
and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over
Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10
Ish-bosheth, 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
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years
and six months.
12
And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out
from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13
And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, 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
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray you, arise and play before us. And
Joab said, Let them arise.
15
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth
the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow`s
side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,
which is in Gibeon.
17
And the battle was very sore that day: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel,
before the servants of David.
18
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel
was as light of foot as a wild roe.
19
And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to
the left from following Abner.
20
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? And he answered, It is
I.
21
And Abner said to him, Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay
you hold on one of the young men, and take you his armor. But Asahel would not turn
aside from following him.
22
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn you aside from following me: wherefore should
I smite you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?
23
Nevertheless he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the
spear smote him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down
there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the
place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come
to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25
And 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 for ever? know you not
that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, before you
bid the people return from following their brethren?
27
And Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the
people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.
28
So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel
no more, neither fought they any more.
29
And 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
And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together,
there lacked of David`s servants nineteen men and Asahel.
31
But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner`s men, [so that] three
hundred and threescore men died.
32
And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulcher of his father, which was
in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day brake upon them at
Hebron.