2 Samuel 2

1Some time laterH310H3651, DavidH1732 inquiredH7592 of the LORDH3068, “Should I go upH5927 to oneH259 of the townsH5892 of JudahH3063?”

“Go upH5927,” the LORDH3068 answeredH559H413.

Then DavidH1732 askedH559, “WhereH575 should I goH5927?”

“To HebronH2275,” repliedH559 the LORD.

2So DavidH1732H1571 wentH5927 thereH8033 with his twoH8147 wivesH802, AhinoamH293 of JezreelH3158 and AbigailH26 the widowH802 of NabalH5037 of CarmelH3761. 3David alsoH1732 tookH5927 the menH582 whoH834 were with himH5973, eachH376 with his householdH1004, and they settledH3427 in the townsH5892 near HebronH2275.

4Then the menH582 of JudahH3063 cameH935 to Hebron, and thereH8033 they anointedH4886 DavidH1732 kingH4428 overH5921 the houseH1004 of JudahH3063. And they toldH5046 DavidH1732H559, “It was the menH582 of Jabesh-gileadH3003H1568 who buriedH6912 SaulH7586.”

5So DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 the menH582 of Jabesh-gileadH3003H1568 to tellH559 themH413, “The LORDH3068 blessH1288 youH859, becauseH834 you showedH6213 thisH2088 kindnessH2617 toH5973 SaulH7586 your lordH113H5973 when you buried himH6912. 6NowH6258 may the LORDH3068 showH6213 youH5973 loving devotionH26171 and faithfulnessH571, and IH595 will alsoH1571 showH6213 youH854 the sameH2063 favorH2896 becauseH834 you have doneH6213 thisH2088. 7Now thenH6258, be strongH2388H3027H1961 and courageousH1121H2428, forH3588 though SaulH7586 your lordH113 is deadH4191, the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 has anointed meH4886 as their kingH4428H5921.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

8Meanwhile, AbnerH74 sonH1121 of NerH5369, the commanderH8269 of Saul’sH7586 armyH6635, tookH3947 Saul’sH7586 sonH1121 Ish-boshethH378,2 moved himH5674 to MahanaimH4266, 9and made him kingH4427 overH413 GileadH1568H413, AsherH805H413, JezreelH3157, EphraimH669H5921, and BenjaminH1144—overH5921 allH3605 IsraelH3478.

10Saul’sH7586 sonH1121 Ish-boshethH378 was fortyH705 years oldH1121H8141 when he began to reignH4427 overH5921 IsraelH3478, and he reignedH4427 for twoH8147 yearsH8141.

The houseH1004 of JudahH3063, howeverH389, followedH1961H310 DavidH1732. 11And the lengthH4557 of timeH3117 thatH834H1961 DavidH1732 wasH1961 kingH4428 in HebronH2275 overH5921 the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 was sevenH7651 yearsH8141 and sixH8337 monthsH2320.

The Battle of Gibeon

12One day AbnerH74 sonH1121 of NerH5369 and the servantsH5650 of Ish-boshethH378 sonH1121 of SaulH7586 marched outH3318 from MahanaimH4266 to GibeonH1391. 13So JoabH3097 sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 and the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732 marched outH3318 and met themH6298 byH5921 the poolH1295 of GibeonH1391H3162. And the two groupsH428 took up positionsH3427 onH5921 opposite sidesH2088H428H5921H1295 of the poolH1295.

14Then AbnerH74 saidH559 toH413 JoabH3097, “Let us have the young menH5288 get upH6965H4994 and competeH7832 before usH6440.”

“Let them get upH6965,” JoabH3097 repliedH559.

15So they got upH6965H5674 and were counted offH4557—twelveH8147H6240 for BenjaminH1144 and Ish-boshethH378 sonH1121 of SaulH7586, and twelveH8147H6240 for DavidH1732. 16Then each manH376 grabbedH2388 his opponentH7453 by the headH7218 and thrust his swordH2719 into his opponent’sH7453 sideH6654, and they all fellH5307 togetherH3162. So thisH1931 placeH4725, whichH834 is in GibeonH1391, is calledH7121 Helkath-hazzurimH2521.3

17The battleH4421 thatH1931 dayH3117 wasH1961 intenseH3966H7186, and AbnerH74 and the menH582 of IsraelH3478 were defeatedH5062 byH6440 the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732.

18The threeH7969 sonsH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 wereH1961 thereH8033: JoabH3097, AbishaiH52, and AsahelH6214. Now AsahelH6214 was fleetH7031 of footH7272 like aH259 wildH7704 gazelleH6643, 19and heH6214H310 chasedH7291 AbnerH74, notH3808 turningH5186H1980H5921 to the rightH3225H5921 or to the leftH8040H310 in his pursuitH74. 20And AbnerH74 glancedH6437 backH310 and saidH559, “Is thatH2088 youH859, AsahelH6214?”

“It isH595,” Asahel repliedH559.

21So AbnerH74 toldH559 him, “TurnH5186 to yourH5921 rightH3225 orH176 toH5921 your leftH8040, seizeH270 oneH259 of the young menH5288, and takeH3947 his equipmentH2488 for yourself.”

But AsahelH6214 wouldH14 notH3808 stopH5493 chasing himH310.

22Once againH3254H5750, AbnerH74 warnedH559H413 AsahelH6214, “StopH5493 chasing meH310. WhyH4100 should I strikeH5221 you to the groundH776? HowH349 could I showH5375 my faceH6440 toH413 your brotherH251 JoabH3097?”

23But Asahel refusedH3985 to turn awayH5493. So AbnerH74 thrustH5221 the buttH310 of his spearH2595 intoH413 his stomachH2570, andH2595 it came outH3318 his backH310, and he fellH5307 deadH4191H8478H1961 on the spotH8033. And every manH3605 pausedH5975 when he cameH935 toH413 the placeH4725 whereH834 AsahelH6214 had fallenH5307H8033 and diedH4191. 24But JoabH3097 and AbishaiH52H310 pursuedH7291 AbnerH74. By sunsetH8121H935, theyH1992 had goneH935 asH5704 far as the hillH1389 of AmmahH522 oppositeH5921H6440 GiahH1520 on the wayH1870 to the wildernessH4057 of GibeonH1391.

25The BenjamitesH1121H1144H310 ralliedH6908 to AbnerH74, formedH1961 a singleH259 unitH92, and took their standH5975 atopH5921H7218 aH259 hillH1389. 26Then AbnerH74 called outH7121 toH413 JoabH3097: “Must the swordH2719 devour foreverH398H5331? Do you notH3808 realizeH3045 thatH3588 this will only endH314 in bitternessH4751H1961? How longH5704H4970H3808 before you tellH559 the troopsH5971 to stopH7725 pursuingH310 their brothersH251?”

27“As surely as GodH430 livesH2416,” JoabH3097 repliedH559, “if you had notH3588H3884 spoken upH1696H3588H227, the troopsH5971H376 would have continuedH5927 pursuingH310 their brothersH251 until morningH1242.”

28So JoabH3097 blewH8628 the ram’s hornH7782, and allH3605 the troopsH5971 stoppedH5975; they noH3808 longerH5750H310 pursuedH7291 IsraelH3478H3808 or continuedH3254H5750 to fightH3898. 29And allH3605 thatH1931 nightH3915 AbnerH74 and his menH582 marchedH1980 through the ArabahH6160. They crossedH5674 the JordanH3383, marchedH1980 allH3605 morningH1338,4 and arrivedH935 at MahanaimH4266.

30When JoabH3097 returnedH7725 from pursuingH310 AbnerH74, he gatheredH6908 allH3605 the troopsH5971.

In addition to AsahelH6214, nineteenH8672H6240H376 of David’sH1732 servantsH5650 were missingH6485, 31but theyH5650H1732 had struck downH5221 360H7969H3967H8346H376H4191 BenjamitesH376H1144 who were with AbnerH74. 32And they tookH5375 AsahelH6214 and buried himH6912 in his father’sH1 tombH6913 in BethlehemH1035. Then JoabH3097 and his menH582 marchedH1980 allH3605 nightH3915 and reached HebronH2275 at daybreakH215.