2S 2:1And after this David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron.
2S 2:2So David went up there, as well as his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
2S 2:3And David brought up his men who were with him, each man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
2S 2:4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, It is the men of Jabesh-gilead who have buried Saul.
2S 2:5And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, Blessed are you of Jehovah, because you have shown this kindness to your master, to Saul, and buried him.
2S 2:6And now may Jehovah show kindness and faithfulness to you; and I also will repay you for this good, because you have done this thing.
2S 2:7And now may your hands be strong, and you be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.
2S 2:8But Abner the son of Ner, the captain of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
2S 2:9And he made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.
2S 2:10Ish-bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. However the house of Judah followed David.
2S 2:11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
2S 2:12And Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul went forth from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
2S 2:13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went forth and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, these on the one side of the pool and those on the other side of the pool.
2S 2:14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men arise and compete before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
2S 2:15And they arose and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
2S 2:16And each seized his opponent by the head, and his sword went into his opponent’s side; and they fell down together. And that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.
2S 2:17And the battle was very severe that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were routed before the servants of David.
2S 2:18And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot, like one of the gazelles which are in the field.
2S 2:19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and as he went, he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from behind Abner.
2S 2:20Then Abner looked behind him and said, Is that you, Asahel? And he said, It is I.
2S 2:21And Abner said to him, Turn away to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his armor for yourself. But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
2S 2:22And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to Joab your brother?
2S 2:23But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the end of his spear; and the spear came out behind him. And he fell down there and died in that place. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
2S 2:24But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner. And as the sun went down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
2S 2:25And the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and they stood on the top of a hill.
2S 2:26And Abner called out to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? Then how long shall it be before you command the people to return from following their brothers?
2S 2:27And Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, then surely the people would have gone up each one from following his brother in the morning only.
2S 2:28And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stood still; and they pursued after Israel no more, neither did they fight anymore.
2S 2:29And Abner and his men walked all that night through the Arabah. And they crossed over the Jordan and went through all the Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
2S 2:30And Joab returned from following Abner. And he gathered all the people together, and among David’s servants there were nineteen men missing plus Asahel.
2S 2:31And the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin and among Abner’s men three hundred and sixty men, who died.
2S 2:32And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all night, and the day dawned on them at Hebron.
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