1 Then it came about afterwards that A1 Sam 23:2, 4, 9-12David inquired of the Loʀᴅ, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Loʀᴅ said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “BJosh 14:13; 1 Sam 30:31To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and A1 Sam 25:42, 43his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the 1Lit wifewidow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And A1 Sam 30:9; 1 Chr 12:1David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came and there A1 Sam 16:13; 2 Sam 5:3, 5anointed David king over the house of Judah.

And they told David, saying, “It was B1 Sam 31:11-13the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “A1 Sam 23:21; Ps 115:15May you be blessed of the Loʀᴅ because you have 1Lit doneshown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6  “Now AEx 34:6; 2 Tim 1:16may the Loʀᴅ 1Lit doshow lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will 1Lit doshow this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. 7  “Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be 1Lit sons of valorvaliant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

8 But A1 Sam 14:50Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken 1I.e. man of shame; cf 1 Chr 8:33, EshbaalIsh-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to BGen 32:2; 2 Sam 17:24Mahanaim. 9 He made him king over AJosh 22:9Gilead, over the BJudg 1:32Ashurites, over C1 Sam 29:1Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 A2 Sam 5:5The 1Lit number of daystime that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12 Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to AJosh 10:12; 18:25Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. 13 And A2 Sam 8:16; 1 Chr 2:16; 11:6Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met 1Lit them togetherthem by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, 2Lit theseone on the one side of the pool and 2Lit thesethe other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and 1Lit make sportA2 Sam 2:16, 17hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 Each one of them seized his 1Lit fellowopponent by the head and thrust his sword in his 2Lit fellow’sopponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called 3I.e. the field of sword-edgesHelkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 That day the battle was very severe, and A2 Sam 3:1Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18 Now A1 Chr 2:16the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was B1 Chr 12:8; Hab 3:19as 1Lit light in his feetswift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19 Asahel pursued Abner and did not 1Lit turn to go toturn to the right or to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 So Abner said to him, “1Lit Turn for yourselfTurn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22 Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn 1Lit aside for yourselfaside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? A2 Sam 3:27How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where A2 Sam 20:12Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you 1Lit not tell the peoplerefrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?” 27 Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, A2 Sam 3:1nor did they continue to fight anymore. 29 Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to A2 Sam 2:8Mahanaim.

30 Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, 1Lit nineteen mennineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. 31 But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him AGen 47:29, 30; Judg 8:32in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day 1Lit lighted on themdawned at Hebron.