And it came to pass after this,{H310} that David{H1732} inquired{H7592} of Jehovah,{H3068} saying,{H559} Shall I go up{H5927} into any{H259} of the cities{H5892} of Judah?{H3063} And Jehovah{H3068} said{H559} unto him, Go up.{H5927} And David{H1732} said,{H559} Whither shall I go up?{H5927} And he said,{H559} Unto Hebron.{H2275}

So David{H1732} went up{H5927} thither, and his two{H8147} wives{H802} also, Ahinoam{H293} the Jezreelitess,{H3159} and Abigail{H26} the wife{H802} of Nabal{H5037} the Carmelite.{H3761}

And his men{H582} that were with him did David{H1732} bring up,{H5927} every man{H376} with his household:{H1004} and they dwelt{H3427} in the cities{H5892} of Hebron.{H2275}

And the men{H582} of Judah{H3063} came,{H935} and there they anointed{H4886} David{H1732} king{H4428} over the house{H1004} of Judah.{H3063} And they told{H5046} David,{H1732} saying,{H559} The men{H582} of Jabesh-gilead{H3003} were they that buried{H6912} Saul.{H7586}

And David{H1732} sent{H7971} messengers{H4397} unto the men{H582} of Jabesh-gilead,{H3003} and said{H559} unto them, Blessed{H1288} be ye of Jehovah,{H3068} that ye have showed{H6213} this kindness{H2617} unto your lord,{H113} even unto Saul,{H7586} and have buried{H6912} him.

And now Jehovah{H3068} show{H6213} lovingkindness{H2617} and truth{H571} unto you: and I also will requite{H6213} you this kindness,{H2896} because ye have done{H6213} this thing.{H1697}

Now therefore let your hands{H3027} be strong,{H2388} and be ye valiant;{H1121} for Saul{H7586} your lord{H113} is dead,{H4191} and also the house{H1004} of Judah{H3063} have anointed{H4886} me king{H4428} over them.

Now Abner{H74} the son{H1121} of Ner,{H5369} captain{H8269} of Saul's{H7586} host,{H6635} had taken{H3947} Ish-bosheth{H378} the son{H1121} of Saul,{H7586} and brought him over{H5674} to Mahanaim;{H4266}

and he made him king{H4427} over Gilead,{H1568} and over the Ashurites,{H805} and over Jezreel,{H3157} and over Ephraim,{H669} and over Benjamin,{H1144} and over all Israel.{H3478}

Ish-bosheth,{H378} Saul's{H7586} son,{H1121} was forty{H705} years{H8141} old{H1121} when he began to reign{H4427} over Israel,{H3478} and he reigned{H4427} two{H8147} years.{H8141} But the house{H1004} of Judah{H3063} followed{H310} David.{H1732}

And the time{H4557} that David{H1732} was king{H4428} in Hebron{H2275} over the house{H1004} of Judah{H3063} was seven{H7651} years{H8141} and six{H8337} months.{H2320}

And Abner{H74} the son{H1121} of Ner,{H5369} and the servants{H5650} of Ish-bosheth{H378} the son{H1121} of Saul,{H7586} went out{H3318} from Mahanaim{H4266} to Gibeon.{H1391}

And Joab{H3097} the son{H1121} of Zeruiah,{H6870} and the servants{H5650} of David,{H1732} went out,{H3318} and met{H6298} them{H3162} by the pool{H1295} of Gibeon;{H1391} and they sat down,{H3427} the one on the one side of the pool,{H1295} and the other on the other side of the pool.{H1295}

And Abner{H74} said{H559} to Joab,{H3097} Let the young men,{H5288} I pray thee, arise{H6965} and play{H7832} before{H6440} us. And Joab{H3097} said,{H559} Let them arise.{H6965}

Then they arose{H6965} and went over{H5674} by number:{H4557} twelve{H8147} for Benjamin,{H1144} and for Ish-bosheth{H378} the son{H1121} of Saul,{H7586} and twelve{H8147} of the servants{H5650} of David.{H1732}

And they caught{H2388} every one{H376} his fellow{H7453} by the head,{H7218} and [thrust] his sword{H2719} in his fellow's{H7453} side;{H6654} so they fell down{H5307} together:{H3162} wherefore that place{H4725} was called{H7121} Helkath-hazzurim,{H2521} which is in Gibeon.{H1391}

And the battle{H4421} was very{H3966} sore{H7186} that day:{H3117} and Abner{H74} was beaten,{H5062} and the men{H582} of Israel,{H3478} before{H6440} the servants{H5650} of David.{H1732}

And the three{H7969} sons{H1121} of Zeruiah{H6870} were there, Joab,{H3097} and Abishai,{H52} and Asahel:{H6214} and Asahel{H6214} was as light{H7031} of foot{H7272} as a{H259} wild{H7704} roe.{H6643}

And Asahel{H6214} pursued{H7291} after{H310} Abner;{H74} and in going{H3212} he turned{H5186} not to the right hand{H3225} nor to the left{H8040} from following{H310} Abner.{H74}

Then Abner{H74} looked{H6437} behind{H310} him, and said,{H559} Is it thou, Asahel?{H6214} And he answered,{H559} It is I.

And Abner{H74} said{H559} to him, Turn thee aside{H5186} to thy right hand{H3225} or to thy left,{H8040} and lay thee hold{H270} on one{H259} of the young men,{H5288} and take{H3947} thee his armor.{H2488} But Asahel{H6214} would{H14} not turn aside{H5493} from following{H310} him.

And Abner{H74} said{H559} again{H3254} to Asahel,{H6214} Turn thee aside{H5493} from following{H310} me: wherefore should I smite{H5221} thee to the ground?{H776} how then should I hold up{H5375} my face{H6440} to Joab{H3097} thy brother?{H251}

Howbeit he refused{H3985} to turn aside:{H5493} wherefore Abner{H74} with the hinder end{H310} of the spear{H2595} smote{H5221} him in{H413} the body,{H2570} so that the spear{H2595} came out{H3318} behind{H310} him; and he fell down{H5307} there, and died{H4191} in the same place:{H8478} and it came to pass, that as many as came{H935} to the place{H4725} where Asahel{H6214} fell down{H5307} and died{H4191} stood still.{H5975}

But Joab{H3097} and Abishai{H52} pursued{H7291} after{H310} Abner:{H74} and the sun{H8121} went down{H935} when they were come{H935} to the hill{H1389} of Ammah,{H522} that lieth before{H6440} Giah{H1520} by the way{H1870} of the wilderness{H4057} of Gibeon.{H1391}

And the children{H1121} of Benjamin{H1144} gathered themselves together{H6908} after{H310} Abner,{H74} and became one{H259} band,{H92} and stood{H5975} on the top{H7218} of a hill.{H1389}

Then Abner{H74} called{H7121} to Joab,{H3097} and said,{H559} Shall the sword{H2719} devour{H398} for ever?{H5331} knowest{H3045} thou not that it will be bitterness{H4751} in the latter end?{H314} how long shall it be then, ere thou bid{H559} the people{H5971} return{H7725} from following{H310} their brethren?{H251}

And Joab{H3097} said,{H559} As God{H430} liveth,{H2416} if thou hadst not{H3884} spoken,{H1696} surely then in the morning{H1242} the people{H5971} had gone away,{H5927} nor followed{H310} every one{H376} his brother.{H251}

So Joab{H3097} blew{H8628} the trumpet;{H7782} and all the people{H5971} stood still,{H5975} and pursued{H7291} after{H310} Israel{H3478} no more, neither fought{H3898} they any more.{H3254}

And Abner{H74} and his men{H582} went{H1980} all that night{H3915} through the Arabah;{H6160} and they passed over{H5674} the Jordan,{H3383} and went through{H5674} all Bithron,{H1338} and came{H935} to Mahanaim.{H4266}

And Joab{H3097} returned{H7725} from following{H310} Abner:{H74} and when he had gathered{H6908} all the people{H5971} together,{H6908} there lacked{H6485} of David's{H1732} servants{H5650} nineteen{H8672} men{H376} and Asahel.{H6214}

But the servants{H5650} of David{H1732} had smitten{H5221} of Benjamin,{H1144} and of Abner's{H74} men,{H582} so that three{H7969} hundred{H3967} and threescore{H8346} men{H376} died.{H4191}

And they took up{H5375} Asahel,{H6214} and buried{H6912} him in the sepulchre{H6913} of his father,{H1} which was in Beth-lehem.{H1035} And Joab{H3097} and his men{H582} went{H3212} all night,{H3915} and the day{H215} brake upon them at Hebron.{H2275}