2 Samuel

Later, David asked the LORD, 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' the LORD said to him, 'Go up.' David asked, 'Where shall I go?' and the LORD said, 'To Hebron.'

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

David also brought the men who were with him, each with his household, and they lived in the towns around Hebron.

Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David that it was the men of Jabesh-gilead who had buried Saul.

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, 'May the LORD bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your lord by burying him.'

'May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I also will reward you for this good deed.'

'Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.'

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

He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

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

The time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-boshes son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s servants also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down, one on one side of the pool and one on the other.

Abner said to Joab, 'Let some of the young men stand up and compete before us.' Joab said, 'Let them stand up.'

So they stood up and were counted off, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-boshes son of Saul, and twelve for David’s servants.

Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath-hazzurim.

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

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fast-footed as a wild gazelle.

Asahel chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him.

Abner looked behind him and asked, 'Is that you, Asahel?' He answered, 'It is.'

Abner said to him, 'Turn aside to your right or to your left; catch one of the young men and take his equipment for yourself.' But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

Abner warned Asahel again, 'Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I then look your brother Joab in the face?'

But he refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

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

The men of Benjamin gathered behind Abner and formed a single group, taking their stand on top of a hill.

Then Abner called out to Joab, 'Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realise that this will end in bitterness? How long before you tell the people to stop chasing their brothers?'

Joab answered, 'As surely as God lives, if you hadn't spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit until morning.'

So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stopped; they no longer pursued Israel nor fought any more.

Abner and his men marched through the plain all that night; they crossed the Jordan, went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

Joab returned from chasing Abner and gathered all the people. Nineteen of David’s servants were missing besides Asahel.

But David’s servants had killed three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin and Abner's men.

They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night, reaching Hebron at daybreak.