1 It happened after this, that David inquired of Yahweh, saying,
Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? Yahweh said to him, Go up.
David said, Where shall I go up? He said, To Hebron. 2 So David went up
there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife
of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 His men who were with him did David bring up,
every man with his household: and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house
of Judah. They told David, saying, The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who
buried Saul. 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said
to them, Blessed be you of Yahweh, that you have shown this
kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him. 6 Now Yahweh
show loving kindness and truth to you: and I also will requite you this
kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your
hands be strong, and be you valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and
also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. 8 Now Abner the
son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul,
and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over Gilead, and
over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin,
and over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when
he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of
Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the
house of Judah was seven years and six months. 12 Abner the son of Ner,
and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to
Gibeon. 13 Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out,
and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one
side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Abner
said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Joab said,
Let them arise. 15 Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for
Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of
David. 16 They caught everyone his fellow by the head, and thrust
his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: therefore that
place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 The battle was
very severe that day: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the
servants of David. 18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and
Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he didn’t turn to the right
hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind
him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? He answered, It is I. 21 Abner said to
him, Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay you hold on
one of the young men, and take you his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside
from following him. 22 Abner said again to Asahel, Turn you aside from
following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold
up my face to Joab your brother? 23 However he refused to turn aside:
therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear struck him in the body, so
that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the
same place: and it happened, that as many as came to the place where Asahel
fell down and died stood still. 24 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 The children
of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band,
and stood on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said,
“Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in
the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you bid the people return
from following their brothers?” 27 Joab said, As God lives, if you had not
spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed
everyone his brother. 28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people
stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they
passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the
people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.
31 But the servants of David had struck of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men,
so that three hundred sixty men died. 32 They took up Asahel, and
buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his
men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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