1 And it came to pass after this|strong="H0310", that David|strong="H1732" enquired|strong="H7592" of the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w*, saying|strong="H0559", Shall I go up|strong="H5927" into any|strong="H0259" of the cities|strong="H5892" of Judah|strong="H3063"? And the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* said|strong="H0559" unto him, Go up|strong="H5927". And David|strong="H1732" said|strong="H0559", Whither shall I go up|strong="H5927"? And he said|strong="H0559", Unto Hebron|strong="H2275".
2 So David|strong="H1732" went up|strong="H5927" thither, and his two|strong="H8147" wives|strong="H0802" also, Ahinoam|strong="H0293" the Jezreelitess|strong="H3159", and Abigail|strong="H0026" Nabal’s|strong="H5037" wife|strong="H0802" the Carmelite|strong="H3761".
3 And his men|strong="H0582" that were with him did David|strong="H1732" bring up|strong="H5927", every man|strong="H0376" with his household|strong="H1004": and they dwelt|strong="H3427" in the cities|strong="H5892" of Hebron|strong="H2275".
4 And the men|strong="H0582" of Judah|strong="H3063" came|strong="H0935", and there they anointed|strong="H4886" David|strong="H1732" king|strong="H4428" over the house|strong="H1004" of Judah|strong="H3063". And they told|strong="H5046" David|strong="H1732", saying|strong="H0559", That the men|strong="H0582" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003" were they that buried|strong="H6912" Saul|strong="H7586".
5 And David|strong="H1732" sent|strong="H7971" messengers|strong="H4397" unto the men|strong="H0582" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003", and said|strong="H0559" unto them, Blessed|strong="H1288" be ye of the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w*, that ye have shewed|strong="H6213" this kindness|strong="H2617" unto your lord|strong="H0113", even unto Saul|strong="H7586", and have buried|strong="H6912" him.
6 And now the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* shew|strong="H6213" kindness|strong="H2617" and truth|strong="H0571" unto you: and I also will requite|strong="H6213" you this kindness|strong="H2896", because ye have done|strong="H6213" this thing|strong="H1697".
7 Therefore now let your hands|strong="H3027" be strengthened|strong="H2388", and be ye valiant|strong="H1121": for your master|strong="H0113" Saul|strong="H7586" is dead|strong="H4191", and also the house|strong="H1004" of Judah|strong="H3063" have anointed|strong="H4886" me king|strong="H4428" over them.
8 But Abner|strong="H0074" the son|strong="H1121" of Ner|strong="H5369", captain|strong="H8269" of Saul’s|strong="H7586" host|strong="H6635", took|strong="H3947" Ish-bosheth|strong="H0378" the son|strong="H1121" of Saul|strong="H7586", and brought him over|strong="H5674" to Mahanaim|strong="H4266";
9 And made him king|strong="H4427" over Gilead|strong="H1568", and over the Ashurites|strong="H0805", and over Jezreel|strong="H3157", and over Ephraim|strong="H0669", and over Benjamin|strong="H1144", and over all Israel|strong="H3478".
10 Ish-bosheth|strong="H0378" Saul’s|strong="H7586" son|strong="H1121" was forty|strong="H0705" years|strong="H8141" old|strong="H1121" when he began to reign|strong="H4427" over Israel|strong="H3478", and reigned|strong="H4427" two|strong="H8147" years|strong="H8141". But the house|strong="H1004" of Judah|strong="H3063" followed|strong="H0310" David|strong="H1732".
11 And the time|strong="H4557" that David|strong="H1732" was king|strong="H4428" in Hebron|strong="H2275" over the house|strong="H1004" of Judah|strong="H3063" was seven|strong="H7651" years|strong="H8141" and six|strong="H8337" months|strong="H2320".
12 And Abner|strong="H0074" the son|strong="H1121" of Ner|strong="H5369", and the servants|strong="H5650" of Ish-bosheth|strong="H0378" the son|strong="H1121" of Saul|strong="H7586", went out|strong="H3318" from Mahanaim|strong="H4266" to Gibeon|strong="H1391".
13 And Joab|strong="H3097" the son|strong="H1121" of Zeruiah|strong="H6870", and the servants|strong="H5650" of David|strong="H1732", went out|strong="H3318", and met|strong="H6298" together|strong="H3162" by the pool|strong="H1295" of Gibeon|strong="H1391": and they sat down|strong="H3427", the one on the one side of the pool|strong="H1295", and the other on the other side of the pool|strong="H1295".
14 And Abner|strong="H0074" said|strong="H0559" to Joab|strong="H3097", Let the young men|strong="H5288" now arise|strong="H6965", and play|strong="H7832" before|strong="H6440" us. And Joab|strong="H3097" said|strong="H0559", Let them arise|strong="H6965".
15 Then there arose|strong="H6965" and went over|strong="H5674" by number|strong="H4557" twelve|strong="H8147" of Benjamin|strong="H1144", which pertained to Ish-bosheth|strong="H0378" the son|strong="H1121" of Saul|strong="H7586", and twelve|strong="H8147" of the servants|strong="H5650" of David|strong="H1732".
16 And they caught|strong="H2388" every one|strong="H0376" his fellow|strong="H7453" by the head|strong="H7218", and thrust his sword|strong="H2719" in his fellow’s|strong="H7453" side|strong="H6654"; so they fell down|strong="H5307" together|strong="H3162": wherefore that place|strong="H4725" was called|strong="H7121" Helkath-hazzurim|strong="H2521", which is in Gibeon|strong="H1391".
17 And there was a very|strong="H3966" sore|strong="H7186" battle|strong="H4421" that day|strong="H3117"; and Abner|strong="H0074" was beaten|strong="H5062", and the men|strong="H0582" of Israel|strong="H3478", before|strong="H6440" the servants|strong="H5650" of David|strong="H1732".
18 And there were three|strong="H7969" sons|strong="H1121" of Zeruiah|strong="H6870" there, Joab|strong="H3097", and Abishai|strong="H0052", and Asahel|strong="H6214": and Asahel|strong="H6214" was as light|strong="H7031" of foot|strong="H7272" as a|strong="H0259" wild|strong="H7704" roe|strong="H6643".
19 And Asahel|strong="H6214" pursued|strong="H7291" after|strong="H0310" Abner|strong="H0074"; and in going|strong="H3212" he turned|strong="H5186" not to the right hand|strong="H3225" nor to the left|strong="H8040" from following|strong="H0310" Abner|strong="H0074".
20 Then Abner|strong="H0074" looked|strong="H6437" behind|strong="H0310" him, and said|strong="H0559", Art thou Asahel|strong="H6214"? And he answered|strong="H0559", I am.
21 And Abner|strong="H0074" said|strong="H0559" to him, Turn thee aside|strong="H5186" to thy right hand|strong="H3225" or to thy left|strong="H8040", and lay thee hold|strong="H0270" on one|strong="H0259" of the young men|strong="H5288", and take|strong="H3947" thee his armour|strong="H2488". But Asahel|strong="H6214" would|strong="H0014" not turn aside|strong="H5493" from following|strong="H0310" of him.
22 And Abner|strong="H0074" said|strong="H0559" again|strong="H3254" to Asahel|strong="H6214", Turn thee aside|strong="H5493" from following|strong="H0310" me: wherefore should I smite|strong="H5221" thee to the ground|strong="H0776"? how then should I hold up|strong="H5375" my face|strong="H6440" to Joab|strong="H3097" thy brother|strong="H0251"?
23 Howbeit he refused|strong="H3985" to turn aside|strong="H5493": wherefore Abner|strong="H0074" with the hinder end|strong="H0310" of the spear|strong="H2595" smote|strong="H5221" him under|strong="H0413" the fifth|strong="H2570" rib, that the spear|strong="H2595" came out|strong="H3318" behind|strong="H0310" him; and he fell down|strong="H5307" there, and died|strong="H4191" in the same place|strong="H8478": and it came to pass, that as many as came|strong="H0935" to the place|strong="H4725" where Asahel|strong="H6214" fell down|strong="H5307" and died|strong="H4191" stood still|strong="H5975".
24 Joab|strong="H3097" also and Abishai|strong="H0052" pursued|strong="H7291" after|strong="H0310" Abner|strong="H0074": and the sun|strong="H8121" went down|strong="H0935" when they were come|strong="H0935" to the hill|strong="H1389" of Ammah|strong="H0522", that lieth before|strong="H6440" Giah|strong="H1520" by the way|strong="H1870" of the wilderness|strong="H4057" of Gibeon|strong="H1391".
25 And the children|strong="H1121" of Benjamin|strong="H1144" gathered themselves together|strong="H6908" after|strong="H0310" Abner|strong="H0074", and became one|strong="H0259" troop|strong="H0092", and stood|strong="H5975" on the top|strong="H7218" of an hill|strong="H1389".
26 Then Abner|strong="H0074" called|strong="H7121" to Joab|strong="H3097", and said|strong="H0559", Shall the sword|strong="H2719" devour|strong="H0398" for ever|strong="H5331"? knowest|strong="H3045" thou not that it will be bitterness|strong="H4751" in the latter end|strong="H0314"? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid|strong="H0559" the people|strong="H5971" return|strong="H7725" from following|strong="H0310" their brethren|strong="H0251"?
27 And Joab|strong="H3097" said|strong="H0559", As God|strong="H0430" liveth|strong="H2416", unless|strong="H3884" thou hadst spoken|strong="H1696", surely then in the morning|strong="H1242" the people|strong="H5971" had gone up|strong="H5927" every one|strong="H0376" from following|strong="H0310" his brother|strong="H0251".
28 So Joab|strong="H3097" blew|strong="H8628" a trumpet|strong="H7782", and all the people|strong="H5971" stood still|strong="H5975", and pursued|strong="H7291" after|strong="H0310" Israel|strong="H3478" no more, neither fought|strong="H3898" they any more|strong="H3254".
29 And Abner|strong="H0074" and his men|strong="H0582" walked|strong="H1980" all that night|strong="H3915" through the plain|strong="H6160", and passed over|strong="H5674" Jordan|strong="H3383", and went through|strong="H3212" all Bithron|strong="H1338", and they came|strong="H0935" to Mahanaim|strong="H4266".
30 And Joab|strong="H3097" returned|strong="H7725" from following|strong="H0310" Abner|strong="H0074": and when he had gathered|strong="H6908" all the people|strong="H5971" together|strong="H6908", there lacked|strong="H6485" of David’s|strong="H1732" servants|strong="H5650" nineteen|strong="H8672" men|strong="H0376" and Asahel|strong="H6214".
31 But the servants|strong="H5650" of David|strong="H1732" had smitten|strong="H5221" of Benjamin|strong="H1144", and of Abner’s|strong="H0074" men|strong="H0582", so that three|strong="H7969" hundred|strong="H3967" and threescore|strong="H8346" men|strong="H0376" died|strong="H4191".
32 And they took up|strong="H5375" Asahel|strong="H6214", and buried|strong="H6912" him in the sepulchre|strong="H6913" of his father|strong="H0001", which was in Beth-lehem|strong="H1035". And Joab|strong="H3097" and his men|strong="H0582" went|strong="H3212" all night|strong="H3915", and they came to Hebron|strong="H2275" at break of day|strong="H0215".