1 A fter this, David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. David said, To which shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron.

And it cometh to pass afterwards, that David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?' and Jehovah saith unto him, `Go up.' And David saith, `Whither do I go up?' and He saith, `To Hebron.'

2 S o David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

And David goeth up thither, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite;

3 A nd David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household, and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron.

and his men who with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the cities of Hebron.

4 A nd the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.

And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, `The men of Jabesh-Gilead they who buried Saul.'

5 A nd David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, May the Lord bless you because you showed kindness and loyalty to Saul your king and buried him.

And David sendeth messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and saith unto them, `Blessed ye of Jehovah, in that ye have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that ye bury him.

6 A nd now may the Lord show loving-kindness and faithfulness to you. I also will do well by you because you have done this.

`And, now, Jehovah doth with you kindness and truth, and also, I do with you this good because ye have done this thing;

7 S o now, let your hands be strengthened and be valiant, for your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.

and now, are your hands strong, and be ye for sons of valour, for your lord Saul. dead, and also -- me have the house of Judah anointed for king over them.'

8 N ow Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth him to pass over to Mahanaim,

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

and causeth him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurite, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over Israel -- all of it.

10 I sh-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began his two-year reign over Israel. But the house of Judah followed David.

A son of forty years, Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, in his reigning over Israel, and two years he hath reigned, only the house of Judah have been after David.

11 A nd David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years and six months.

And the number of the days that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years and six months.

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

And Abner son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 J oab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out also; and the two groups met by the pool of Gibeon, seating themselves with one group on either side of the pool.

And Joab son of Zeruiah, and servants of David, have gone out, and they meet by the pool of Gibeon together, and sit down, these by the pool on this, and these by the pool on that.

14 A nd Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and have a contest before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.'

15 T hen there arose and went over by number—twelve of Benjamin who were with Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

And they rise and pass over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 A nd each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side; so they all fell together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Knives, which is at Gibeon.

And they lay hold, each on the head of his companion, and his sword in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and calleth that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which in Gibeon,

17 A very fierce battle followed, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

18 T hree sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe or antelope.

And there are there three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel light on his feet, as one of the roes which in the field,

19 A sahel pursued Abner, and as he ran he turned not to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

And Asahel pursueth after Abner, and hath not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after Abner.

20 T hen Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? He answered, I am.

And Abner looketh behind him, and saith, `Art thou he -- Asahel?' and he saith, `I.'

21 A bner said to him, Turn aside to your right or left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

And Abner saith to him, `Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of the youths, and take to thee his armour;' and Asahel hath not been willing to turn aside from after him.

22 A nd Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I be able to face Joab your brother?

And Abner addeth again, saying unto Asahel, `Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the earth? and how do I lift up my face unto Joab thy brother?'

23 A sahel refused to turn aside; so Abner with the rear end of his spear smote him through the abdomen, and he fell and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stood still.

And he refuseth to turn aside, and Abner smiteth him with the hinder part of the spear unto the fifth, and the spear cometh out from behind him, and he falleth there, and dieth under it; and it cometh to pass, every one who hath come unto the place where Asahel hath fallen and dieth -- they stand still.

24 B ut Joab and Abishai pursued Abner; the sun was going down as they came to the hill of Ammah, before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

And Joab and Abishai pursue after Abner, and the sun hath gone in, and they have come in unto the height of Ammah, which on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 A nd the Benjamites gathered together behind Abner and became one troop and took their stand on the top of a hill.

And the sons of Benjamin gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the top of a certain height,

26 T hen Abner called to Joab, Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that bitterness will be the result? How long will it be then before you bid the people to stop pursuing their brethren?

and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, `For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?'

27 J oab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have stopped pursuing their brethren in the morning.

And Joab saith, `God liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the people gone up each from after his brother.'

28 S o Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more.

And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and all the people stand still, and pursue no more after Israel, nor have they added any more to fight.

29 A bner and his men went all night through the Arabah, crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

And Abner and his men have gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on all Bithron, and come in to Mahanaim.

30 J oab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.

And Joab hath turned back from after Abner, and gathereth all the people, and there are lacking of the servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel;

31 B ut the servants of David had slain of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men.

and the servants of David have smitten of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men -- they died.

32 A nd they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron at daybreak.

And they lift up Asahel, and bury him in the burying-place of his father, which in Beth-Lehem, and they go all the night -- Joab and his men -- and it is light to them in Hebron.