“1 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, Whither shall I go up? And he said,
Unto Hebron. 2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam
the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 3 And his men
that [were] with him did David bring up, every man with his household:
and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and
there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told
David, saying, [That] the men of Jabeshgilead [were they] that buried
Saul. 5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said
unto them, Blessed [be] ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this
kindness unto your lord, [even] unto Saul, and have buried him. 6 And
now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite
you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 7 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 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth
the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 And made him king
over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim,
and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son [was]
forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two
years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David
was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six
months. 12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the
son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of
Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together 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 And Abner said to Joab,
Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them
arise. 15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin,
which [pertained] to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the
servants of David. 16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head,
and [thrust] his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together:
wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon.
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and
the men of Israel, before the servants of David.”
“18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe. 19 And Asahel
pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to
the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him, and
said, [Art] thou Asahel? And he answered, I [am]. 21 And Abner said to
him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold
on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not
turn aside from following of him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel,
Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the
ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? 23
Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder 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 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and
the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that [lieth]
before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.”
“25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after
Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill. 26 Then
Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest
thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it
be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
27 And Joab said, [As] God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then
in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his
brother. 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and
pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 29 And Abner
and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over
Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. 30 And
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 smitten of Benjamin, and of
Abner’s men, [so that] three hundred and threescore men died. 32 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 break of day.” (2 Samuel 2:1-32 AV)
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