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.'

Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “ To 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, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

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 who were with him, each with his household; and they lived 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.'

Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who 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.

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “ May you be blessed of the Lord because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, 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;

Now may the Lord show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you 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.'

Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

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, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth 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.

He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even 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.

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 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.

The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Civil War

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

Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.

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 servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one 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.'

Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest 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.

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 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,

Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, 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.

That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants 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,

Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field.

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

Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or 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, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”

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.

So Abner said to him, “ Turn 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 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?'

Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”

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.

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

The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain 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 forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?”

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.'

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 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 trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore.

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.

Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and 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;

Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing.

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 servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and 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 his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.