2Samuel 2:9 - Prayer Tents

David Made King over Judah

2Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." So 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 his men who [were] with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him.H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126"And now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977"Now therefore, let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H4428

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.H74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669And he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H2320

Civil War

12Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216And each one of them seized 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 in Gibeon.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117And that day the battle was very severe, 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] swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field.H7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319And Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022And Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127And Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother."H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants besides Asahel were missing.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and sixty men died.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215