2Sa 2 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass after these things , and David asked by the lord , saying, Shall I ascend unto one of the cities of Judah? And the lord said to him, Ascend! And David said, Where should I ascend? And he said, Unto Hebron.

2 Samuel 2

CHAPTER 2 David Dwells in Hebron

1 And it came to pass after these things, and David asked by the lord, saying, Shall I ascend unto one of the cities of Judah? And the lord said to him, Ascend! And David said, Where should I ascend? And he said, Unto Hebron. 2 And [²ascended ³there ¹David], and both his wives -- Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And the men were with him, each one and his house. And they dwelt among the cities of Hebron. 4 And [⁴come ¹the ²men ³of Judea] and anoint David there to reign over the house of Judah. And they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabish of the Gileadites entombed Saul. 5 And David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabish of the Gileadites, And he said to them, Being blessed are you to the lord, that you performed this mercy for your master, for Saul, and you entombed him. 6 And now, may the lord perform [⁴with ⁵you ¹mercy ²and ³truth]; and indeed I will do with you this good that you did in this matter. 7 And now strengthen your hands and become as [²sons ¹mighty]! for [³has died ¹Saul ²your master], and indeed [⁴has anointed me ¹the ²house ³of Judah] over them for king. 8 And Abner son of Ner, commander-in-chief of Saul, took Ishbosheth son of Saul, and brought him from out of the camp into Mahanaim, 9 and gave him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

Ishbosheth Reigns in Israel

10 [⁴was forty ⁵years old ¹Ishbosheth ²son ³of Saul] when he reigned over Israel; and [²two ³years ¹he reigned]; except for the house of Judah, the ones which were following after David. 11 And became the number of the days which David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah -- seven years and [²months ¹six]. 12 And [⁴came forth ¹Abner ²son ³of Ner], and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul, out of Mahanaim unto Gibeon. 13 And Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, came forth out of Hebron, and met them at the fountain of Gibeon. And these sat here on this side, and these others at the fountain here on that side. 14 And Abner said to Joab, Raise up indeed the servant-lads and let them play before us! And Joab said, Let them arise! 15 And they rose up and went by in number -- twelve of the servants of Benjamin of Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

Abner Wars with David

16 And they [²held ¹each] by their hand the head of his neighbor; and his knife was thrust into the side of his neighbor; and they fell down together. And they called that place, Portion of the Plotters, which is in Gibeon. 17 And [³was ¹the ²battle] hard so as to an exceeding degree in that day. And [⁶failed ¹Abner ²and ³the ⁴men ⁵of Israel] before the servants of David. 18 And there were there three sons of Zeruiah -- Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was light of his feet, as one doe of the ones in the field. 19 And Asahel pursued after Abner, and he did not turn aside to go to the right nor to the left after Abner. 20 And Abner looked to his rear, and said, Are you Asahel himself? And he said, I am.

Abner Kills Asahel

21 And [²said ³to him ¹Abner], Turn aside to the right or to the left, and constrain to yourself one of the servant-lads, and take to yourself his full armor! And [²did not ³want ¹Asahel] to turn aside from being behind him. 22 And [²added ³yet ¹Abner], saying to Asahel, Leave from me! that I should not strike you unto the ground. For how shall I lift my face to Joab your brother? 23 And he was not willing to leave. And [²struck ³him ¹Abner] with the rear of the spear upon his flank. And [³went completely through ¹the ²spear] out behind him. And he falls there and dies underneath him. And it came to pass every one coming unto the place where [²fell ³there ¹Asahel] and died, even stood still. 24 And [⁴pursued ¹Joab ²and ³Abishai] after Abner, and the sun went down. And they entered unto the hill of Ammah, according to the face of Giah, [²way ¹the wilderness] of Gibeon. 25 And [⁴gathered together ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin], the ones following after Abner, and they came to meet as one, and they stood upon the head [²hill ¹of one]. 26 And Abner called Joab, and he said, Shall [⁴in ⁵victory ³devour ¹the ²broadsword], or do you not know that it will be bitter at the last? And for how long [²in no way ¹shall you] speak to the people to return from following after their brethren? 27 And Joab said, As the lord lives, that if you had not spoken, because then from the morning [³ascended ⁴even ¹the ²people] each after his brother. 28 And Joab trumped the trumpet, and [⁴left ¹all ²the ³people], and did not pursue any longer after Israel, and they did not proceed any longer to wage war. 29 And Abner and his men went forth at the descent of the sun, and went all that night, and passed over the Jordan, and they went the entire extent, and they came unto Camp. 30 And Joab returned from following behind Abner, And he gathered together all the people. And they numbered the servants of David, the ones having fallen -- nineteen men and Asahel. 31 And the servants of David struck of the sons of Benjamin, of the men of Abner -- three hundred and sixty men. 32 And they lifted up Asahel, and they entombed him in the burying-place of his father in Beth-lehem. And [⁴went ⁵the entire ⁶night ¹Joab ²and ³his men], and light shined through to them in Hebron.