2 Samuel 2
1 It happened after this, that David inquired of YHWH, saying, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" YHWH said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" He said, "To Hebron."
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.
2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
And David went up there to Chebron, [he] and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
3 and the men who were with him, everyone with his household. And they lived in Hebron.
and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that the men of Jabesh Gilead buried Saul,
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.
5 then he sent messengers to the lords of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by YHWH, since you showed loyalty towards your lord, Saul, and have buried him.
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 toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
6 Now may YHWH show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.
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.
7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
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.
8 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
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
9 and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Geshurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
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.
10 Ishbaal, 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.
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.
11 And the time that David ruled in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
13 Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, 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.
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.
14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." Joab said, "Let them arise."
And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then they arose and went over by number: twelve of the sons of Benjamin of Ishbaal the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
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.
16 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 was called Field of Blades, which is in Gibeon.
And they seized every one the head of his neighbor with his hand, and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbor, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
17 The battle was very severe that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild gazelle.
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.
19 Asahel pursued after Abner, and as he went he did not turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I."
And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asael himself? and he said, I am.
21 Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor." But Asahel would not stop from pursuing him.
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 armor: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
22 Abner said again to Asahel, "Stop pursuing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?"
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?
23 But he refused to stop. 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. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stopped there.
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.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and 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.
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.
25 The sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and formed a single group, and stood on the top of a hill.
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.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you ask the people to stop pursuing their brothers?"
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?
27 Joab said, "As YHWH lives, if you had not spoken, surely the people would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning."
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.
28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stopped, and no longer chased after Israel, and they no longer fought.
And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.
29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and marched the whole morning, and came to Mahanaim.
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.
30 Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
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.
31 But the servants of David had struck of the people of Benjamin, from the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men who died.
And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
32 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.
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.
