2 Samuel 2
1 And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying: 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' And the LORD said unto him: 'Go up.' And David said: 'Whither shall I go up?' And He said: 'Unto Hebron.'
After this David asked Yahweh and said, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” Yahweh replied to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which city should I go?” Yahweh replied, “To Hebron.”
2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
So David went up with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail from Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
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.
David brought the men who were with him, who each brought his family, to the cities of Hebron, where they began to live.
4 And the men of Judah came, and they there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying: 'The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.'
Then men from Judah came and anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead have buried Saul.”
5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them: 'Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shown this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, “You are blessed by Yahweh, since you have showed this loyalty to your master Saul and have buried him.
6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
Now may Yahweh show you covenantal loyalty and faithfulness. I also will show you this goodness because you have done this thing.
7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.'
Now then, let your hands be strong; be courageous for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has 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;
But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him 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.
He made Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, 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.
Ishbosheth son of Saul, 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.
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.
Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out; and they met together by the pool of Gibeon, and sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. There they sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other on the other side.
14 And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.'
Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” Then Joab said, “Let them arise.”
15 Then they arose and passed over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
Then the young men got up and gathered together, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve from 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.
Each man seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into the side of his opponent, and they fell down together. Therefore that place was called “Helkath Hazzurim,” or “Field of Swords,” 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.
The battle was very severe that day and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated 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 one of the roes that are in the field.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was swift in his feet like a wild gazelle.
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Asahel closely pursued Abner and followed him without turning away in any direction.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said: 'Is it thou, Asahel?' And he answered: 'It is I.'
Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.”
21 And Abner said to him: 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour.' But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn aside.
22 And Abner said again to Asahel: 'Turn thee aside from following me; wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?'
So Abner said again to Asahel, “Stop pursuing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I hold up my face to Joab, your brother?”
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the groin, 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.
But Asahel refused to turn aside, and so Abner stabbed him in the body with the blunt end of his spear, so that the spear came out the other side. Asahel fell down and died there. So it came about that anyone who arrived at the place where Asahel fell down and died, he stopped and 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 lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is near Giah by the road to 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.
The men of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and stood on the top of the hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said: 'Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?'
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know it will be bitter in the end? How long will it be before you tell your men to stop pursuing their brothers?”
27 And Joab said: 'As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then only after the morning the people had gone away, every one from following his brother.'
Joab replied, “Just as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have pursued their brothers until the morning!”
28 So Joab blew the horn, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
So Joab blew the trumpet, and all his men stopped and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.
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.
Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all the next morning, and then reached 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.
Joab returned from pursuing Abner. He assembled all his men, from whom were missing Asahel and nineteen of David's soldiers.
31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, even of Abner's men — three hundred and threescore men died.
But the men of David had killed 360 men of Benjamin with Abner.
32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
Then they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men traveled all night, and the day dawned on them at Hebron.
