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 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 of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife 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 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 his men who with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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

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 B ut Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth 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 H e made him king of 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 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.

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 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 the days that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is 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 son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, 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 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 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 saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.'

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.

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 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 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 T he battle was very bad that day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by 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 N ow the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a wild deer.

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

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, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”

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

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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

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?”

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, for sure the people would have stopped going after their brothers 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 sounded the horn, and all the people stopped and went after Israel no longer. And they did not 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. They crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, 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 following Abner, and gathered all the people together. Added to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing.

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 killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died.

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