1 A nd 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.'

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

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

3 a nd his men who with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell 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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.

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

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 a nd 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.'

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 A nd 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,

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

9 a nd 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.

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

10 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.

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

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

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

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

13 A nd 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.

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

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

15 A nd they rise and pass over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth 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 A nd 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,

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 a nd the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before 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 A nd 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,

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

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

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

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

21 A nd 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.

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 nd 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?'

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.

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

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

26 a nd 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?'

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

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 A nd 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.

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 nd 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.

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 A nd 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;

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

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

32 A nd 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.

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.