2 Samuel 2
1 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.
Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.
2 So Dauid went vp thither, and his two wiues also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite.
So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
3 And Dauid brought vp the men that were with him, euery man with his houshold, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.
4 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.
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 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.
So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.
6 Therefore now the Lord shewe mercie and trueth vnto you: and I will recompence you this benefite, because ye haue done this thing.
Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.
7 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.
Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”
8 But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,
Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,
9 And made him King ouer Gilead, and ouer the Ashurites, and ouer Izreel, and ouer Ephraim, and ouer Beniamin, and ouer al Israel.
and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
10 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.
Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.
11 (And the time which Dauid reigned in Hebron ouer the house of Iudah, was seuen yeere and sixe moneths)
And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.
One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 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.
So Joab son of Zeruiah, along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two camps took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
14 Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise.
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
15 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.
So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.
16 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.
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.
17 And the battel was exceeding sore that same day: for Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruants of Dauid.
The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
18 And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as light on foote as a wilde roe.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
19 And Asahel followed after Abner, and in going he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from Abner.
and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.
And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.
21 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.
So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
22 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?
Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
23 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.
But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
24 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.
But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, and were on an heape and stoode on the top of an hill.
The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.
26 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?
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”
27 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.
“As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”
28 So Ioab blew a trumpet, and all the people stoode still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight.
29 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.
And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.
30 Ioab also returned backe from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruants nineteene men and Asahel.
When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,
31 But the seruants of Dauid had smitten of Beniamin, and of Abners men, so that three hundreth and threescore men dyed.
but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner.
32 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.
Later, they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.
