2Samuel 2
2After this David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" The LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" He said, "To Hebron."H310H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H259H5892H3063H3068H559H5927H1732H559H5927H559H22752So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.H1732H5927H8147H802H293H3159H26H5037H802H37613David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they settled in the towns of Hebron.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, "It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,"H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him!H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you because you have done this thing.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H44288But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.H74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ishbaal, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H232012Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them come forward."H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216Each 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 Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117The battle was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.H3966H7186H4421H3117H74H5062H582H3478H6440H5650H173218The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.H7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319Asahel pursued Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420Then Abner looked back and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "Yes, it is."H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil." But Asahel would not turn away from following him.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn away from following me; why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123But he refused to turn away. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there, and died where he lay. And all those who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125The Benjaminites rallied around Abner and formed a single band; they took their stand on the top of a hill.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Then Abner called to Joab, "Is the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the pursuit of their kinsmen?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have continued to pursue their kinsmen, not stopping until morning."H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128Joab sounded the trumpet and all the people stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or engaged in battle any further.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and, marching the whole forenoon, they came to Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin three hundred sixty of Abner's men.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215
Columbus, OH
