2 Samuel 2

1Afterward David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" Yahweh said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" He said, "To Hebron."

2David went up there, along with his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

3David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4The men of Judah came there and anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul.

5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "Blessed are you by Yahweh because you did this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and buried him."

6Now may Yahweh treat you with kindness and faithfulness. I also will treat you well for this good that you have done in this matter.

7Now therefore take courage and be valiant men, for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has also anointed me king over them.

8Abner son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him across to Mahanaim.

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

10Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.

11The number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul set out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13Joab son of Zeruiah and David's servants went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon together, and they sat down, these on one side of the pool and these on the other side.

14Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and play before us.” Joab said, “Let them arise.”

15They arose and crossed over twelve in number for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

16Each seized his fellow by the head and thrust his sword alongside his fellow's side, so they fell together; therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17The battle grew fiercely intense that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before David's servants.

18Three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; Asahel was swift on his feet like one of the gazelles in the field.

19Asahel chased Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from behind Abner.

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

21Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or your left, seize one of the young men, and take his armor," but Asahel was unwilling to turn aside from following him.

22Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from pursuing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face Joab your brother?"

23He refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him with the rear of the spear into the fifth rib; the spear came out behind him, and he fell there and died right there on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell there and died stood still.

24Joab and Abishai pursued Abner until the sun set as they reached the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah along the road through the wilderness of Gibeon.

25The sons of Benjamin gathered after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of one hill.

26Abner called to Joab and said, "Will the sword devour forever? Don't you know that it will be bitterness in the end? How long before you tell the people to return from following their brothers?"

27Joab answered, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, then by morning the people would have gone up, each man from following his brother."

28Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people halted, no longer pursuing Israel or continuing to fight.

29Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah, crossed the Jordan, went through all Bithron, and reached Mahanaim.

30When Joab returned from pursuing Abner and gathered all the people, nineteen men and Asahel were missing from David's servants.

31David's servants had struck three hundred sixty men from Benjamin and Abner's men, who died.

32They carried Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men traveled all night, and dawn broke upon them at Hebron.