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 asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one 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.
2 So David went up with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail from Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Achino'am the Yizre'elitess, and Abigayil, Nabal's wife, 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 his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
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 then came the men of Judah, and they anointed there David as king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Yabesh-gil'ad were those that 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 thereupon sent messengers unto the men of Yabesh-gil'ad, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have done this kindness unto your Lord, unto Saul, and have buried him.
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 with you in kindness and truth: and as for me also, I will requite you this good deed, because ye have done this thing.
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 strengthened, and be ye valiant men; for your lord Saul is dead; and also me have the house of Judah anointed as 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 Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of the army of Saul, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Machanayim;
9 He made Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel.
And made him king over Gil'ad, and over the Ashurites, and over Yizre'el, 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.
Forty years old was Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, when he became king over Israel, and two years he reigned. But the house of Judah followed David.
11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was 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 there went out Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, from Machanayim to Gib'on.
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 Zeruyah and the servants of David also went out, and they met together by the pool of Gib'on: and they sat down, these on the one side of the pool, and the others on the other side of the pool.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” Then Joab said, “Let them arise.”
And Abner said to Joab, Do let the young men rise up and play before us. And Joab said, They may rise up.
15 Then the young men got up and gathered together, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve from servants of David.
Then they rose up and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth 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 grasped every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; and they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Chelkath-hazzurim, which is by Gib'on.
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 exceedingly fierce on that day; and Abner with the men of Israel was beaten, 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 at that place three sons of Zeruyah, Joab, and Abishai, and 'Asahel: and 'Asahel was as fleet of foot as any roe in the field.
19 Asahel closely pursued Abner and followed him without turning away in any direction.
And 'Asahel pursued after Abner; and he turned not in going to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20 Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.”
And Abner turned round and said, Art thou 'Asahel? And he answered, 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 Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold for thyself on one of the young men, and take thyself his armor. But 'Asahel would not turn aside 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 Abner repeated again to say unto 'Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? and how should I then lift up my face to Joab thy brother?
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.
But he refused to turn aside; and Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear under the fifth rib, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died on the spot: and it came to pass, that all who came to the place where 'Asahel had fallen down and died remained standing 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.
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giach on the way to the wilderness of Gib'on.
25 The men of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and stood on the top of the hill.
And the children of Benjamin assembled themselves together behind Abner, and formed one solid body, and posted themselves on the top of a certain 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 Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall for everlasting the sword devour? knowest thou not that it will be bitter in the end? and how long shall it be, ere thou wilt bid the people to return from pursuing their 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 God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then already in the morning would the people have gone away every one from pursuing his brother.
28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all his men stopped and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.
So Joab blew the cornet, and all the people remained standing still, and pursued no more after Israel, and they continued no more to fight.
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 Abner and his men walked through the plain all that night, and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Machanayim.
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 pursuing Abner; and he gathered all the people together; and there were missed of David's servants nineteen men and 'Asahel.
31 But the men of David had killed 360 men of Benjamin with Abner.
But the servants of David had smitten [many] of Benjamin, and of Abner's men: three hundred and sixty men died.
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 took up 'Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lechem. And Joab and his men went all that night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
