2 Samuel 2

1And it came to pass after this, that DavidH1732 inquired of Jehovah, sayingH559, Shall I goH5927 up into any of the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063? And Jehovah saidH559 unto him, GoH5927 up. And DavidH1732 saidH559, Whither shall I goH5927 up? And he saidH559, Unto HebronH2275. 2So DavidH1732 wentH5927 up thither, and his twoH8147 wivesH802 alsoH1571, AhinoamH293 the Jezreelitess, and AbigailH26 the wifeH802 of NabalH5037 the CarmeliteH3761. 3And his menH376 that were with him did DavidH1732 bringH5927 up, every manH376 with his householdH1004: and they dweltH3427 in the citiesH5892 of HebronH2275. 4And the menH376 of JudahH3063 cameH935, and there they anointedH4886 DavidH1732 kingH4428 over the houseH1004 of JudahH3063.

And they toldH5046 DavidH1732, sayingH559, The menH376 of Jabesh-gilead were they that buriedH6912 SaulH7586. 5And DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 unto the menH376 of Jabesh-gilead, and saidH559 unto them, BlessedH1288 be ye of Jehovah, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto SaulH7586, and have buriedH6912 him. 6And nowH6258 Jehovah show lovingkindness and truthH571 unto you: and I alsoH1571 will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thingH1697. 7NowH6258 thereforeH6258 let your handsH3027 beH1961 strongH2388, and beH1961 ye valiant; for SaulH7586 your lordH113 is deadH4191, and alsoH1571 the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 have anointedH4886 me kingH4428 over them.

8Now AbnerH74 the sonH1121 of NerH5369, captain of Saul’s hostH6635, had takenH3947 Ish-boshethH378 the sonH1121 of SaulH7586, and brought him over to MahanaimH4266; 9and he made him kingH4427 over GileadH1568, and over the Ashurites, and over JezreelH3157, and over EphraimH669, and over BenjaminH1144, and over all IsraelH3478. 10Ish-boshethH378, Saul’s sonH1121, wasH1961 fortyH705 yearsH8141 old when he began to reignH4427 over IsraelH3478, and he reignedH4427 twoH8147 yearsH8141. But the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 followed DavidH1732. 11And the time that DavidH1732 wasH1961 kingH4428 in HebronH2275 over the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 wasH1961 sevenH7651 yearsH8141 and sixH8337 monthsH2320.

12And AbnerH74 the sonH1121 of NerH5369, and the servantsH5650 of Ish-boshethH378 the sonH1121 of SaulH7586, wentH3318 out from MahanaimH4266 to GibeonH1391. 13And JoabH3097 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870, and the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732, wentH3318 out, and metH6298 them by the poolH1295 of GibeonH1391; and they satH3427 downH3427, the oneH2088 on the oneH2088 side of the poolH1295, and the other on the other side of the poolH1295. 14And AbnerH74 saidH559 to JoabH3097, Let the youngH5288 menH5288, I pray thee, ariseH6965 and playH7832 before us. And JoabH3097 saidH559, Let them ariseH6965. 15Then they aroseH6965 and went over by numberH4557: twelve for BenjaminH1144, and for Ish-boshethH378 the sonH1121 of SaulH7586, and twelve of the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732. 16And they caught every oneH376 his fellow by the headH7218, and thrust his swordH2719 in his fellow’s sideH6654; so they fellH5307 downH5307 togetherH3162: wherefore that placeH4725 was calledH7121 Helkath-hazzurim, which is in GibeonH1391. 17And the battleH4421 wasH1961 veryH3966 sore that dayH3117; and AbnerH74 wasH1961 beaten, and the menH376 of IsraelH3478, before the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732.

18And the threeH7969 sonsH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 were there, JoabH3097, and AbishaiH52, and AsahelH6214: and AsahelH6214 wasH1961 as light of footH7272 as a wild roe. 19And AsahelH6214 pursuedH7291 after AbnerH74; and in going he turnedH5186 not to the rightH3225 handH3225 nor to the left from following AbnerH74. 20Then AbnerH74 looked behind him, and saidH559, Is it thou, AsahelH6214? And he answered, It is I. 21And AbnerH74 saidH559 to him, TurnH5493 thee asideH5493 to thy rightH3225 handH3225 or to thy left, and lay thee holdH270 on oneH259 of the youngH5288 menH5288, and takeH3947 thee his armor. But AsahelH6214 wouldH14 not turnH5493 asideH5493 from following him. 22And AbnerH74 saidH559 againH5750 to AsahelH6214, TurnH5493 thee asideH5493 from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the groundH776? howH4100 then should I hold up my faceH6440 to JoabH3097 thy brotherH251? 23Howbeit he refusedH3985 to turnH5493 asideH5493: wherefore AbnerH74 with the hinder end of the spearH2595 smote him in the body, so that the spearH2595 cameH935 out behind him; and he fellH5307 downH5221 there, and diedH4191 in the same placeH4725: and it cameH935 to pass, that as many as cameH935 to the placeH4725 whereH834 AsahelH6214 fellH5307 downH5221 and diedH4191 stoodH5975 stillH5975.

24But JoabH3097 and AbishaiH52 pursuedH7291 after AbnerH74: and the sunH8121 wentH935 down whenH834 they were comeH935 to the hillH1389 of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the wayH1870 of the wildernessH4057 of GibeonH1391. 25And the children of BenjaminH1144 gatheredH6908 themselves together after AbnerH74, and becameH1961 oneH259 band, and stoodH5975 on the topH7218 of a hillH1389. 26Then AbnerH74 calledH7121 to JoabH3097, and saidH559, Shall the swordH2719 devourH398 for ever? knowest thou not that it will beH1961 bitternessH4751 in the latterH314 end? how long shall it beH1961 then, ere thou bid the peopleH5971 returnH7725 from following their brethren? 27And JoabH3097 saidH559, As GodH430 liveth, if thou hadst not spokenH1696, surely thenH227 in the morningH1242 the peopleH5971 had goneH5927 away, nor followed every oneH376 his brotherH251. 28So JoabH3097 blew the trumpetH7782; and all the peopleH5971 stoodH5975 stillH5750, and pursuedH7291 after IsraelH3478 no more, neither foughtH3898 they any more. 29And AbnerH74 and his menH376 wentH1980 all that nightH3915 through the ArabahH6160; and they passedH5674 over the JordanH3383, and wentH1980 through all Bithron, and cameH935 to MahanaimH4266.

30And JoabH3097 returnedH7725 from following AbnerH74: and when he had gatheredH6908 all the peopleH5971 togetherH6908, there lacked of David’s servantsH5650 nineteen menH376 and AsahelH6214. 31But the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732 had smitten of BenjaminH1144, and of Abner’s menH376, so that threeH7969 hundredH3967 and threescore menH376 diedH4191. 32And they tookH5375 up AsahelH6214, and buriedH6912 him in the sepulchre of his fatherH1, which was in Beth-lehem. And JoabH3097 and his menH376 went all nightH3915, and the day brake upon them at HebronH2275.