2After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?" GOD said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?" "To Hebron."H310H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H259H5892H3063H3068H559H5927H1732H559H5927H559H22752So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.H1732H5927H8147H802H293H3159H26H5037H802H37613David's men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah. A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial.H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "GOD bless you for this—for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral.H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126GOD honor you and be true to you—and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H44288In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to MahanaimH74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin—king, as it turns out, over all Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H232012One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on one side, Joab's on the other.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!"H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David's side.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216The men from each side grabbed their opponents' heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead—the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It's right there at Gibeon.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David's men.H3966H7186H4421H3117H74H5062H582H3478H6440H5650H173218The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelopeH7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It surely is," he said.H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921Abner said, "Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!" But Asahel wouldn't let up.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022Abner tried again, "Turn back. Don't force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped—Asahel dead!H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Abner called out to Joab, "Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don't you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127"As God lives," said Joab, "if you hadn't spoken up, we'd have kept up the chase until morning!"H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128Then he blew the ram's horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning's march, arrived at Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David's men (besides Asahel) were missing.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431David's men had cut down three hundred and sixty of Abner's men, all Benjaminites—all dead.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215