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.
