2 Samuel 2
1 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.”
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 with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail from Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
And David went up there to Chebron, [he] and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
3 David brought the men who were with him, who each brought his family, to the cities of Hebron, where they began to live.
and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.
4 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.”
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 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.
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 towards your lord, even towards Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
6 Now may Yahweh show you covenantal loyalty and faithfulness. I also will show you this goodness 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 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.”
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 But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him 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 He made Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, 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 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.
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 The time that David was king 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 son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth 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 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.
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 arise and compete before us.” Then 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 the young men got up and gathered together, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve from 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 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.
And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbour, 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. Asahel was swift in his feet like 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 closely pursued Abner and followed him without turning away in any direction.
And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
20 Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that 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 or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn aside.
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 armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
22 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?”
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 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.
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 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.
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 men of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and stood on the top of the 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, “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?”
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 replied, “Just as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have pursued 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 his men stopped and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.
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 traveled all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all the next morning, and then reached 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. He assembled all his men, from whom were missing Asahel and nineteen of David's soldiers.
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 men of David had killed 360 men of Benjamin with Abner.
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 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.
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.
