2 Samuel 2

¹ Some time later David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" The LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" He said, "To Hebron."

² So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

³ David also brought up the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.

⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,

⁵ David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this kindness to your lord Saul and buried him.

⁶ Now may the LORD show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will treat you well, because you did this thing.

⁷ Now then, let your hands be strong and be brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

⁸ But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

⁹ He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

¹⁰ Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

¹¹ The length of time 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 Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹³ Joab son of Zeruiah and David's servants also went out, and they met at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool and the other on the opposite side.

¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men get up and fight it out in front of us." Joab said, "Let them get up."

¹⁵ So they got up and were counted out: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David's servants.

¹⁶ Each one grabbed his opponent by the head and drove his sword into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place at Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim.

¹⁷ The battle that day was extremely fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's servants.

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle.

¹⁹ Asahel chased Abner, not turning to the right or the left as he pursued him.

²⁰ Abner looked back and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is."

²¹ Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right or your left, grab one of the young men, and take his gear." But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

²² Again Abner said to Asahel, "Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

²³ But he refused to stop, so Abner struck him in the belly with the butt of his spear, and the spear came out his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stood still.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai chased Abner, and as the sun was setting they came to the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ The Benjamites rallied behind Abner, formed a single band, and took their stand on the top of a hill.

²⁶ Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you know it will end in bitterness? How long before you tell your men to stop chasing their brothers?"

²⁷ Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would not have given up the chase of their brothers until morning."

²⁸ So Joab blew the ram's horn, and all the men halted. They no longer chased Israel, and they fought no more.

²⁹ Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan, went through the whole Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Then Joab came back from chasing Abner and gathered all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's servants were missing.

³¹ But David's servants had struck down three hundred and sixty of the Benjamites and Abner's men, who died.

³² They carried Asahel away and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.