1 A fter this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where should I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.”

¶ And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

2 S o David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

3 D avid brought up his men who were with him, each one with those of his family. They lived in the cities of Hebron.

And David brought up his men that were with him, each one with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 T hen the men of Judah came and there they chose David to be king over the family of Judah. They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabeshgilead buried Saul.

5 S o David sent men with news to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, “May the Lord bring good to you. Because you have shown kindness to your king Saul, and have buried him.

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead and said unto them, Blessed shall ye be of the LORD that ye have showed this mercy unto your lord, even unto Saul and have buried him.

6 N ow may the Lord show loving-kindness and truth to you. And I will do good to you, because you have done this.

And now the LORD show mercy and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness because ye have done this thing.

7 S o now let your hands be strong. Have strength of heart. For your king Saul is dead. And those of the family of Judah have chosen me to be their king.” Ish-bosheth Is Made King over Israel

Therefore, now let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

8 B ut Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim.

¶ But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim

9 H e made him king of Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

and made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.

10 S aul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king of Israel. He was king for two years. But the family of Judah followed David.

Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel and reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.

11 D avid was king in Hebron over the family of Judah for seven years and six months. War between Israel and Judah

And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12 N ow Abner the son of Ner went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth.

And Abner, the son of Ner, and the slaves of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 A nd Zeruiah’s son Joab and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side.

And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.

14 T hen Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men get up and have a test of strength in front of us.” And Joab said, “Let them get up.”

And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

15 S o they stood up and went over by number. There were twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David.

16 E ach one of them took hold of the head of the one fighting against him, and put his sword into the other’s side. So they fell down together. That is why that place was called field of swords, which is in Gibeon.

And each one caught his fellow by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together; therefore, that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17 T he battle was very bad that day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.

And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David.

18 N ow the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a wild deer.

¶ And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

19 A nd Asahel ran after Abner. He did not turn to the right or the left from following him.

And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20 T hen Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”

Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes.

21 S o Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or left. Take hold of one of the young men, and take for yourself what belongs to him.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.

Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him.

22 A bner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I make you fall? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother?

23 B ut he would not turn aside. So Abner hit him in the stomach with the end of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.

Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there and died in the same place. And it came to pass that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

24 B ut Joab and Abishai went after Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the way of the desert of Gibeon.

But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 T he sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one army. They stood on the top of a hill.

¶ And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill.

26 A bner called to Joab and said, “Should the sword destroy forever? Do you not know that it will be bad in the end? How long will you keep from telling the people to stop following their brothers?”

Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren?

27 J oab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, for sure the people would have stopped going after their brothers in the morning.”

And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers.

28 S o Joab sounded the horn, and all the people stopped and went after Israel no longer. And they did not fight any more.

So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more.

29 A bner and his men went all night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

30 J oab returned from following Abner, and gathered all the people together. Added to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing.

Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s slaves nineteen men and Asahel.

31 B ut the servants of David had killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died.

But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died.

32 T hey picked up Asahel and buried him in his father’s grave in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron early the next morning.

And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at the break of day.