2In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered.H310H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H259H5892H3063H3068H559H5927H1732H559H5927H559H22752So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.H1732H5927H8147H802H293H3159H26H5037H802H37613David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead to say to them, "The LORD bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him.H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H44288Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.H74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H232012Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us." "All right, let them do it," Joab said.H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So they stood up and were counted off--twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men.H3966H7186H4421H3117H74H5062H582H3478H6440H5650H173218The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.H7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It is," he answered.H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing him.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning."H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215