1And it came to pass after this310, that David1732 enquired7592 of the LORD3068, saying559, Shall I go up5927 into any259 of the cities5892 of Judah3063? And the LORD3068 said559 unto him, Go up5927. And David1732 said559, Whither shall I go up5927? And he said559, Unto Hebron2275.
2So David1732 went up5927 thither, and his two8147 wives802 also, Ahinoam293 the Jezreelitess3159, and Abigail26 Nabal's5037 wife802 the Carmelite3761.
3And his men582 that were with him did David1732 bring up5927, every man376 with his household1004: and they dwelt3427 in the cities5892 of Hebron2275.
4And the men582 of Judah3063 came935, and there they anointed4886 David1732 king4428 over the house1004 of Judah3063. And they told5046 David1732, saying559, That the men582 of Jabeshgilead3003 1568 were they that buried6912 Saul7586.
5And David1732 sent7971 messengers4397 unto the men582 of Jabeshgilead3003 1568, and said559 unto them, Blessed1288 be ye of the LORD3068, that ye have shewed6213 this kindness2617 unto your lord113, even unto Saul7586, and have buried6912 him.
6And now the LORD3068 shew6213 kindness2617 and truth571 unto you: and I also will requite6213 you this kindness2896, because ye have done6213 this thing1697.
7Therefore now let your hands3027 be strengthened2388, and be ye valiant1121 2428: for your master113 Saul7586 is dead4191, and also the house1004 of Judah3063 have anointed4886 me king4428 over them.
8But Abner74 the son1121 of Ner5369, captain8269 of Saul's7586 host6635, took3947 Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul7586, and brought him over5674 to Mahanaim4266;
9And made him king4427 over Gilead1568, and over the Ashurites805, and over Jezreel3157, and over Ephraim669, and over Benjamin1144, and over all Israel3478.
10Ishbosheth378 Saul's7586 son1121 was forty705 years8141 old1121 when he began to reign4427 over Israel3478, and reigned4427 two8147 years8141. But the house1004 of Judah3063 followed310 David1732.
11And the time4557 3117 that David1732 was king4428 in Hebron2275 over the house1004 of Judah3063 was seven7651 years8141 and six8337 months2320.
12And Abner74 the son1121 of Ner5369, and the servants5650 of Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul7586, went out3318 from Mahanaim4266 to Gibeon1391.
13And Joab3097 the son1121 of Zeruiah6870, and the servants5650 of David1732, went out3318, and met6298 together3162 by the pool1295 of Gibeon1391: and they sat down3427, the one on the one side of the pool1295, and the other on the other side of the pool1295.
14And Abner74 said559 to Joab3097, Let the young men5288 now arise6965, and play7832 before6440 us. And Joab3097 said559, Let them arise6965.
15Then there arose6965 and went over5674 by number4557 twelve8147 6240 of Benjamin1144, which pertained to Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul7586, and twelve8147 6240 of the servants5650 of David1732.
16And they caught2388 every one376 his fellow7453 by the head7218, and thrust his sword2719 in his fellow's7453 side6654; so they fell down5307 together3162: wherefore that place4725 was called7121 Helkathhazzurim2521, which is in Gibeon1391.
17And there was a very3966 sore7186 battle4421 that day3117; and Abner74 was beaten5062, and the men582 of Israel3478, before6440 the servants5650 of David1732.
18And there were three7969 sons1121 of Zeruiah6870 there, Joab3097, and Abishai52, and Asahel6214: and Asahel6214 was as light7031 of foot7272 as a259 wild7704 roe6643.
19And Asahel6214 pursued7291 after310 Abner74; and in going3212 he turned5186 not to the right hand3225 nor to the left8040 from following310 Abner74.
20Then Abner74 looked6437 behind310 him, and said559, Art thou Asahel6214? And he answered559, I am.
21And Abner74 said559 to him, Turn thee aside5186 to thy right hand3225 or to thy left8040, and lay thee hold270 on one259 of the young men5288, and take3947 thee his armour2488. But Asahel6214 would14 not turn aside5493 from following310 of him.
22And Abner74 said559 again3254 to Asahel6214, Turn thee aside5493 from following310 me: wherefore should I smite5221 thee to the ground776? how then should I hold up5375 my face6440 to Joab3097 thy brother251?
23Howbeit he refused3985 to turn aside5493: wherefore Abner74 with the hinder end310 of the spear2595 smote5221 him under413 the fifth2570 rib, that the spear2595 came out3318 behind310 him; and he fell down5307 there, and died4191 in the same place8478: and it came to pass, that as many as came935 to the place4725 where Asahel6214 fell down5307 and died4191 stood still5975.
24Joab3097 also and Abishai52 pursued7291 after310 Abner74: and the sun8121 went down935 when they were come935 to the hill1389 of Ammah522, that lieth before6440 Giah1520 by the way1870 of the wilderness4057 of Gibeon1391.
25And the children1121 of Benjamin1144 gathered themselves together6908 after310 Abner74, and became one259 troop92, and stood5975 on the top7218 of an hill1389.
26Then Abner74 called7121 to Joab3097, and said559, Shall the sword2719 devour398 for ever5331? knowest3045 thou not that it will be bitterness4751 in the latter end314? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid559 the people5971 return7725 from following310 their brethren251?
27And Joab3097 said559, As God430 liveth2416, unless3884 thou hadst spoken1696, surely then in the morning1242 the people5971 had gone up5927 every one376 from following310 his brother251.
28So Joab3097 blew8628 a trumpet7782, and all the people5971 stood still5975, and pursued7291 after310 Israel3478 no more, neither fought3898 they any more3254.
29And Abner74 and his men582 walked1980 all that night3915 through the plain6160, and passed over5674 Jordan3383, and went through3212 all Bithron1338, and they came935 to Mahanaim4266.
30And Joab3097 returned7725 from following310 Abner74: and when he had gathered6908 all the people5971 together6908, there lacked6485 of David's1732 servants5650 nineteen8672 6240 men376 and Asahel6214.
31But the servants5650 of David1732 had smitten5221 of Benjamin1144, and of Abner's74 men582, so that three7969 hundred3967 and threescore8346 men376 died4191.
32And they took up5375 Asahel6214, and buried6912 him in the sepulchre6913 of his father1, which was in Bethlehem1035. And Joab3097 and his men582 went3212 all night3915, and they came to Hebron2275 at break of day215.