2 Samuel 2
1 Sometime after this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes, do it,” the Lord replied. “Which one should I go to?” David asked. “Go to Hebron,” said the Lord.
After this, Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go vp into any of the cities of Iudah? And the Lord sayd vnto him, Goe vp. And Dauid sayd Whither shall I goe? Hee then answered, Vnto Hebron.
2 So David moved there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
So Dauid went vp thither, and his two wiues also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite.
3 He also brought the men who were with him, along with their families, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
And Dauid brought vp the men that were with him, euery man with his houshold, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king of the people of Judah. When David found out that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,
Then the men of Iudah came, and there they anoynted Dauid King ouer the house of Iudah. And they tolde Dauid, saying, that the men of Iabesh Gilead buried Saul.
5 he sent messengers to them, saying, “May the Lord bless you, because you demonstrated your loyal love to Saul your master, and you buried him properly.
And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men of Iabesh Gilead, and said vnto them, Blessed are ye of the Lord, that yee haue shewed such kindenes vnto your lord Saul, that you haue buried him.
6 Now may the Lord show you loyal love and trustworthiness, and I will also be good to you because of what you did for Saul.
Therefore now the Lord shewe mercie and trueth vnto you: and I will recompence you this benefite, because ye haue done this thing.
7 So be strong and be brave, for even though Saul your master is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
Therefore nowe let your handes be strong, and be you valiant: albeit your master Saul bee dead, yet neuerthelesse the house of Iudah hath anoynted me King ouer them.
8 However, Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbosheth, son of Saul, to Mahanaim.
But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,
9 There he set up Ishbosheth as king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, in fact over all Israel.
And made him King ouer Gilead, and ouer the Ashurites, and ouer Izreel, and ouer Ephraim, and ouer Beniamin, and ouer al Israel.
10 Ishbosheth, son of Saul, was forty when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. However, the people of Judah were on David's side.
Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne was fourtie yeere olde when he began to reigne ouer Israel, and reigned two yeere: but the house of Iudah followed Dauid.
11 David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
(And the time which Dauid reigned in Hebron ouer the house of Iudah, was seuen yeere and sixe moneths)
12 One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men set off and met them at the pool of Gibeon, where they all sat down, facing each other across the pool.
And Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah, and the seruants of Dauid went out and met one another by the poole of Gibeon: and they sate downe, the one on the one side of the poole, and the other on the otherside of the poole.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Why not let's have some of the men fight in hand to hand combat before us.” “Fine,” Joab agreed.
Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise.
15 So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
Then there arose and went ouer twelue of Beniamin by number, which perteined to Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and twelue of the seruants of Dauid.
16 Each man grabbed his opponent's head and drove his sword into his opponent's side so that they all fell down dead together. That's why this place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sword-edges.
And euery one caught his fellowe by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellowes side, so they fell downe together: wherefore ye place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17 The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
And the battel was exceeding sore that same day: for Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruants of Dauid.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like a gazelle racing across the open countryside.
And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as light on foote as a wilde roe.
19 He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
And Asahel followed after Abner, and in going he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from Abner.
20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Go and fight somebody else and take his weapons for yourself!” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
Then Abner said, Turne thee either to the right hande, or to the left, and take one of the yong men, and take thee his weapons: and Asahel would not depart from him.
22 Abner warned Asahel again. “Stop chasing me!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to kill you? How could I ever face your brother Joab?”
And Abner saide to Asahel, Depart from me: wherefore shoulde I smite thee to the grounde? howe then shoulde I be able to holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother?
23 But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him, so Abner drove the handle of his spear into his belly. It came out the back, and he fell down dead right there. Everyone who passed by stopped at the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
And when he woulde not depart, Abner with the hinder ende of the speare smote him vnder the fift ryb, that the speare came out behind him: and he fell downe there, and dyed in his place. And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell downe and dyed, stoode still.
24 But Joab and Abishai set off to chase after Abner. By the time the sun went down they had got as far as the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
Ioab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sunne went downe, when they were come to the hill Ammah, that lieth before Giah, by the way of the wildernesse of Gibeon.
25 Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin rallied to him there, forming a tight group around him standing at the top of the hill.
And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, and were on an heape and stoode on the top of an hill.
26 Abner shouted to Joab: “Do we have to keep killing each other forever? Don't you realize that if we go on it'll only get worse? How long are you going to wait before you order your men to stop chasing their brothers?”
Then Abner called to Ioab, and said, Shall the sworde deuoure for euer? knowest thou not, that it will be bitternesse in the latter ende? howe long then shall it be, or thou bid the people returne from following their brethren?
27 “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not said anything, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until the morning.”
And Ioab sayde, As God liueth, if thou haddest not spoken, surely euen in the morning the people had departed euery one backe from his brother.
28 Joab blew the horn so all the men stopped—they didn't continue chasing or fighting the Israelites.
So Ioab blew a trumpet, and all the people stoode still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 All through the night Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and continued all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plaine, and went ouer Iorden, and past through all Bithron till they came to Mahanaim.
30 When Joab got back from chasing Abner, he gathered all the men together. Nineteen of David's men were missing in addition to Asahel.
Ioab also returned backe from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruants nineteene men and Asahel.
31 However, they had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin.
But the seruants of Dauid had smitten of Beniamin, and of Abners men, so that three hundreth and threescore men dyed.
32 They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then they marched all through the night and reached Hebron at dawn.
And they tooke vp Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem: and Ioab and his men went all night, and when they came to Hebron, the day arose.
