¹ And it was, after this, that David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go·​·up into one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to^▵ him, Go·​·up. And David said, Whither^▵ shall I go·​·up? And He said, To Hebron.

² And David went·​·up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal, the Carmelite.

³ And his men^◦ who were with him David brought·​·up, a man^◦ and his house; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

⁴ And the men^◦ of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, It was the men^◦ of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.

⁵ And David sent messengers to^▵ the men^◦ of Jabesh-gilead and said to^▵ them, Blessed be you^◦ of Jehovah, that you did this mercy to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.

⁶ And now Jehovah do mercy and truth to you; and I^▵ also will do this good with^◦ you, because you have done this thing.

⁷ And now make· your hands ·firm and be ye sons of valor; for your lord, Saul, is·​·dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me to be king over them.

⁸ And Abner, the son of Ner, the commander^◦ of the army for Saul, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and had him cross·​·over to Mahanaim,

⁹ And made him be·​·king to^▵ Gilead, and to^▵ the Ashurite, and to^▵ Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.

¹⁰ And Ish-bosheth the son of Saul was a son of forty years, when he became·​·king over Israel, and was·​·king two years. Only^▵ the house of Judah followed^◦ after David.

¹¹ And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹² And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul went·​·out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹³ And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David went·​·out, and they encountered them by^◦ the pool of Gibeon. And they sat·​·down the one on the one side by^◦ the pool, and the other on the other side by the pool.

¹⁴ And Abner said to^▵ Joab, May the lads now^◦ arise, and sport before us. And Joab said, May they arise.

¹⁵ And there arose and crossed·​·over by number twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁶ And they held·​·firmly, a man^◦ his companion by the head, and his sword was in the side of his companion; and they fell together; and they called that^◦ place Chelkath-hazzurim^*, which is in Gibeon.

¹⁷ And there was a hard battle, even^◦ exceedingly, that^◦ day; and Abner was stricken, and the men^◦ of Israel, before the servants of David.

¹⁸ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was swift on his feet as one of the roebucks that are in the field.

¹⁹ And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he went· not ·aside to the right nor to the left from after Abner.

²⁰ And Abner turned^◦ behind him and said, Is this thou^◦, Asahel? And he said, It is I^▵.

²¹ And Abner said to him, Turn aside to the right or to the left, and seize for thyself one of the lads, and take thee his change·​·of·​·vestment. But Asahel was· not ·willing to Turn·​·aside from after him.

²² And Abner said again to^▵ Asahel, Turn· thee ·aside from after me; why should I smite thee to the earth? And how^◦ should I lift up my face to^▵ Joab thy brother?

²³ But he refused to turn·​·aside; and Abner smote him with the hind end of the spear to^▵ the fifth^*, and the spear came·​·out behind him; and he fell there, and died under him; and it was, that all who came to^▵ the place where^▵ Asahel fell and died, stood there.

²⁴ And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun set^▵ and they^◦ came to^◦ the hill of Ammah, which is before the face of Giah, by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ And the sons of Benjamin came·​·together behind Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the head of one hill.

²⁶ And Abner called to^▵ Joab and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness afterwards? and how^▵ long wilt thou not say unto the people that they return from after their brothers?

²⁷ And Joab said, As God lives, unless thou hadst spoken, surely^▵ then^▵ in the morning the people would have gone·​·up each·​·man^◦ from after his brother.

²⁸ And Joab sounded a shophar^*, and all the people stood, and pursued after Israel no^◦ more^◦, neither fought they any more^◦.

²⁹ And Abner and his men^◦ walked all that^◦ night in the desert, and crossed·​·over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ And Joab returned from after Abner, and he brought· all the people ·together, and there were missed of David’s servants nineteen men^◦ and Asahel.

³¹ But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner’s men^◦ three hundred and sixty men^◦ who died.

³² And they lifted Asahel, and buried him in the grave of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men^◦ went all the night, and it became·​·light to them in Hebron.

¹ And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David went^◦ on and became·​·firm, and the house of Saul went^◦ on and became poor.

² And unto David were· sons ·born in Hebron, and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

³ and his second Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third Absalom, the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

⁴ and the fourth Adonijah, the son of Haggith, and the fifth Shephatiah, the son of Abital;

⁵ and the sixth Ithream, of Eglah, the wife of David. These were·​·born to David in Hebron.

⁶ And it was, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made· himself ·firm in the house of Saul.

⁷ And Saul had^◦ a concubine, and her name was Rizpah, the daughter of Ajah; and he^* said to^▵ Abner, Wherefore hast thou come to^▵ my father’s concubine?

⁸ And Abner was· very ·incensed on·​·account·​·of the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I^▵ a dog’s head who belongs to Judah? This day I am doing mercy with^▵ the house of Saul, thy father, to^▵ his brothers, and to^▵ his companions, and have not presented^▵ thee into the hand of David; and dost thou visit on me today iniquity concerning the woman?

⁹ So may God do to Abner, and so may He add unto him, if^▫ as^◦ Jehovah has promised to David, I do not even so to him,

¹⁰ to cause the kingdom to cross·​·over from the house of Saul, and to raise·​·up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan and even·​·to Beer-sheba.

¹¹ And he was· not ·able to return a word any more unto Abner, because he feared him.

¹² And Abner sent messengers to^▵ David, on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? Saying, Cut thy covenant with^◦ me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee, to turn·​·around all Israel unto^▵ thee.

¹³ And he said, Good; I^◦ will cut a covenant with^◦ thee; only^▵ one word I^▵ ask from thee, saying, Thou shalt not see my face, unless^◦ before this thou bringest·​·in Michal the daughter of Saul, when thou comest to see my face.

¹⁴ And David sent messengers to^▵ Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, saying, Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

¹⁵ And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from^▵ the man^◦, from^▵ Paltiel the son of Laish.

¹⁶ And her husband^◦ went^◦ with^◦ her, going and weeping behind her even·​·to Baḥurim. And Abner said to^▵ him, Go, return. And he returned.

¹⁷ And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, You sought David, both^◦ yesterday and^◦ the day·​·before^*, for a king over you;

¹⁸ and now do it; for Jehovah has said concerning David, saying, By the hand of David My servant I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

¹⁹ And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner also went to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that was good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

²⁰ And Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men^◦ with him; and David made for Abner and for the men^◦ that were with him, a feast.

²¹ And Abner said unto^▵ David, I will arise and go, and will bring·​·together all Israel unto^▵ my lord the king, and I will cut a covenant with^◦ thee and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul longs for. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²² And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from the troop, and they brought much spoil with them; and Abner was not^◦ with David in Hebron; for he had sent· him ·away, and he was gone in peace.

²³ And Joab and all the army that was with^◦ him had come, and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to^▵ the king, and he has sent· him ·away, and he has gone in peace.

²⁴ And Joab came to^▵ the king and said, What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came unto^▵ thee. Why hast thou sent him away and going^◦, he is gone?

²⁵ Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to entice thee, and to know thy going·​·out and thy coming·​·in, and to know all that thou^◦ doest.

²⁶ And Joab went·​·out from David, and sent messengers after Abner, and brought· him ·back from the pit of Sirah; but David knew it not.

²⁷ And Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab took· him ·aside to^▵ the midst of the gate to speak with^◦ him as if with tranquility, and he smote him there at the fifth^*, and he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸ And David heard it afterwards and said, I^▵ and my kingdom are innocent with Jehovah even·​·to eternity from the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

²⁹ Let it travail on the head of Joab and to^▵ all the house of his father, and let there not be cut·​·off from the house of Joab one who has·​·a·​·flow, and a leper, and one who holds·​·firm on^◦ the crutch, and who falls with the sword, and who is in·​·want of bread.

³⁰ And Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had made· Asahel their brother ·to·​·die, in Gibeon in the battle.

³¹ And David said to^▵ Joab, and to^▵ all the people that were with^◦ him, Rend your garments and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Abner. And king David walked after the bier^*.

³² And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted·​·up his voice, and wept at^▵ the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

³³ And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Did Abner die as a fool dies?

³⁴ Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet presented in bronze fetters. As one falls before the sons of perversity, thou didst fall. And all the people continued to weep over him.

³⁵ And all the people came to nourish David with bread when it was still day, and David promised, saying, So do God unto me and so again if I taste bread or anything before the sun go·​·in.

³⁶ And all the people acknowledged it, and it was·​·good in their eyes, as^◦ all the king did was good in the eyes of all the people.

³⁷ And all the people and all Israel knew in that^◦ day, that it was not of the king to put· Abner the son of Ner ·to·​·death.

³⁸ And the king said unto^▵ his servants, Do you not know that there is a commander^◦ and a great one fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹ And I^▵ am this day soft, though anointed king; and these men^◦ the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me; Jehovah shall repay the doer of evil according to his evil.