Kings II 2
1 And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he said, To Chebron.
After this, David enquired 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 And David went up there to Chebron, [he] and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.
David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.
4 And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
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 And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be you of the Lord, because you have wrought this mercy towards your lord, even towards Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
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 And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because you have done this.
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 And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
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 But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem
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 and made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Jebosthe, Saul's son [was] forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.
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 And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.
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 And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”
15 And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
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 And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
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 And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.
The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.
18 And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20 And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asael himself? and he said, I am.
Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”
21 And Abenner said to him, Turn you to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for yourself on one of the young men, and take to yourself his armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armour.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
22 And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from me, lest I strike you to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab?
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 And what does this mean? return to Joab your brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still.
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 And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of Gai, by the desert way of Gabaon.
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 And the children of Benjamin who followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill.
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
26 And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? know you not that it will be bitter at last? How long then will you refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?
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 And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
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 And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.
So Joab blew the shofar; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more.
29 And Abenner and his men departed at evening, [and went] all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent [country], and they come to the camp.
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 Abenner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asael.
Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing.
31 And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred and sixty men died.
32 And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.
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.
