2 Samuel 2
1 And it comes to pass afterward, that David inquires of YHWH, saying, “Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And YHWH says to him, “Go up.” And David says, “To where do I go up?” And He says, “To Hebron.”
And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
2 And David goes up there, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite;
Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3 and David has brought up his men who [are] with him—a man and his household—and they dwell in the cities of Hebron.
And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
4 And the men of Judah come, and anoint David there for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, “The men of Jabesh-Gilead [are] they who buried Saul.”
And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
5 And David sends messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead and says to them, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, in that you have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that you bury him.
Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
6 And now YHWH does kindness and truth with you, and I also do this good with you because you have done this thing;
And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
7 and now your hands are strong, and be for sons of valor, for your lord Saul [is] dead, and the house of Judah has also anointed me for king over them.”
Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
8 And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul has, has taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causes him to pass over to Mahanaim,
Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
9 and causes him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurite, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over Israel—all of it.
And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul [is] a son of forty years in his reigning over Israel, and he has reigned [for] two years; only the house of Judah has been after David.
Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
11 And the number of the days that David has been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years and six months.
And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner son of Ner goes out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
13 And Joab son of Zeruiah, and servants of David, have gone out, and they meet by the pool of Gibeon together, and sit down, these by the pool on this [side], and these by the pool on that [side].
Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
14 And Abner says to Joab, “Now let the youths rise and they play before us”; and Joab says, “Let them rise.”
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
15 And they rise and pass over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
16 And they each lay hold on the head of his companion, and his sword [is] in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and [one] calls that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon,
And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
17 and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is struck, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
18 And there are three sons of Zeruiah there: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel [is] light on his feet, as one of the roes which [are] in the field,
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
19 and Asahel pursues after Abner, and has not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after Abner.
And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
20 And Abner looks behind him and says, “Are you he—Asahel?” And he says, “I [am].”
And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
21 And Abner says to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the youths for yourself, and take his armor for yourself”; and Asahel has not been willing to turn aside from after him.
And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
22 And Abner adds again, saying to Asahel, “Turn aside from after me, why do I strike you to the earth? And how do I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”
And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
23 And he refuses to turn aside, and Abner strikes him with the back part of the spear to the fifth [rib], and the spear comes out from behind him, and he falls there, and dies under it; and it comes to pass, everyone who has come to the place where Asahel has fallen and dies—they stand still.
But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
24 And Joab and Abishai pursue after Abner, and the sun has gone in, and they have come to the height of Ammah, which [is] on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
25 And the sons of Benjamin gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the top of a certain height,
And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
26 and Abner calls to Joab and says, “Does the sword consume forever? Have you not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? And until when do you not say to the people to turn back from after their brothers?”
And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27 And Joab says, “God lives! For unless you had spoken, surely then from the morning each of the people had gone up from after his brother.”
And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
28 And Joab blows with a horn, and all the people stand still, and no longer pursue after Israel, nor have they added to fight anymore.
Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
29 And Abner and his men have gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on [through] all Bithron, and come to Mahanaim.
Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
30 And Joab has turned back from after Abner, and gathers all the people, and there are lacking of the servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel;
But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
31 and the servants of David have struck of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men—they died.
But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
32 And they lift up Asahel, and bury him in the burying-place of his father, which [is] in Beth-Lehem, and they go all the night—Joab and his men—and [dawn’s light] shines on them in Hebron.
And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.
