2Samuel 2

David Anointed King of Judah

2It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron."H310H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H259H5892H3063H3068H559H5927H1732H559H5927H559H22752So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.H1732H5927H8147H802H293H3159H26H5037H802H37613And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul."H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126"And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977"Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H4428

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim;H74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H2320

Israel and Judah at War

12Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.H3966H7186H4421H3117H74H5062H582H3478H6440H5650H173218Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.H7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Are you Asahel?" He answered, "I am."H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921And Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022So Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127And Joab said, "As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren."H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner's men, three hundred and sixty men who died.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215