David Anointed King of Judah
1 It happened after this, that David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” Yahweh said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him. 6 Now may Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel
8 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
The Battle of Gibeon
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and play before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!” 15 Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 They each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 The battle was very severe that day: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he didn’t turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?” 23 However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. It happened, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?” 27 Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred sixty men died. 32 They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
David Anointed King of Judah
1 Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”
“Go up,” the LORD answered.
Then David asked, “Where should I go?”
“To Hebron,” replied the LORD.
2 So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. 6 Now may the LORD show you loving devotion a and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this. 7 Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”
Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel
8 Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, b moved him to Mahanaim, 9 and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years.
The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
The Battle of Gibeon
12 One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 So Joab son of Zeruiah, along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two camps took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.”
“Let them get up,” Joab replied.
15 So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim. c
17 The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle, 19 and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit. 20 And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“It is,” Asahel replied.
21 So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.”
But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
22 Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
23 But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died. 24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill. 26 Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”
27 “As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”
28 So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight. 29 And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, d and arrived at Mahanaim.
30 When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops.
In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing, 31 but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner. 32 Later, they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.
Footnotes:
6 a Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion ; the range of meaning includes love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy , as well as loyalty to a covenant .
8 b Ish-bosheth is also called Esh-baal ; see 1 Chronicles 8:33.
16 c Helkath-hazzurim means the Field of Swords .
29 d See LXX; Hebrew marched all through Bithron
David Anointed King of Judah
1And it cometh to pass afterwards, that David asketh at Jehovah, saying, 'Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?' and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Go up.' And David saith, 'Whither do I go up?' and He saith, 'To Hebron.' 2And David goeth up thither, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; 3and his men who are with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the cities of Hebron. 4And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, 'The men of Jabesh-Gilead are they who buried Saul.' 5And David sendeth messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and saith unto them, 'Blessed are ye of Jehovah, in that ye have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that ye bury him. 6'And, now, Jehovah doth with you kindness and truth, and also, I do with you this good because ye have done this thing; 7and now, are your hands strong, and be ye for sons of valour, for your lord Saul. is dead, and also -- me have the house of Judah anointed for king over them.'
Ish-Bosheth Made King of Israel
8And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth him to pass over to Mahanaim, 9and causeth him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurite, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over Israel -- all of it. 10A son of forty years, is Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, in his reigning over Israel, and two years he hath reigned, only the house of Judah have been after David. 11And the number of the days that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years and six months.
Civil War between Abner and Joab
(Judges 20:18-23; 2 Chronicles 13:4-19; Matthew 13:33-33; Luke 13:20-21)
12And Abner son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13And Joab son of Zeruiah, and servants of David, have gone out, and they meet by the pool of Gibeon together, and sit down, these by the pool on this side, and these by the pool on that. 14And Abner saith unto Joab, 'Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, 'Let them rise.' 15And they rise and pass over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16And they lay hold, each on the head of his companion, and his sword is in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and one calleth that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon, 17and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18And there are there three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel is light on his feet, as one of the roes which are in the field, 19And Asahel pursueth after Abner, and hath not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after Abner. 20And Abner looketh behind him, and saith, 'Art thou he -- Asahel?' and he saith, 'I am.' 21And Abner saith to him, 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of the youths, and take to thee his armour;' and Asahel hath not been willing to turn aside from after him. 22And Abner addeth again, saying unto Asahel, 'Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the earth? and how do I lift up my face unto Joab thy brother?' 23And he refuseth to turn aside, and Abner smiteth him with the hinder part of the spear unto the fifth rib, and the spear cometh out from behind him, and he falleth there, and dieth under it; and it cometh to pass, every one who hath come unto the place where Asahel hath fallen and dieth -- they stand still.
24And Joab and Abishai pursue after Abner, and the sun hath gone in, and they have come in unto the height of Ammah, which is on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25And the sons of Benjamin gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the top of a certain height, 26and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, 'For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?' 27And Joab saith, 'God liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the people gone up each from after his brother.' 28And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and all the people stand still, and pursue no more after Israel, nor have they added any more to fight. 29And Abner and his men have gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on through all Bithron, and come in to Mahanaim.
30And Joab hath turned back from after Abner, and gathereth all the people, and there are lacking of the servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel; 31and the servants of David have smitten of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men -- they died. 32And they lift up Asahel, and bury him in the burying-place of his father, which is in Beth-Lehem, and they go all the night -- Joab and his men -- and it is light to them in Hebron.
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