2 Samuel, 2

1. After this David consulted Yahweh, asking, 'Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?' Yahweh replied, 'Go up!' 'Which one shall I go to?' David asked. 'To Hebron,' was the reply.

1. After this David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron."

2. So David went up, with his two wives Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.

2. So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahin'o-am of Jezreel, and Ab'igail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

3. In addition David brought up the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.

3. And David brought up his men who were with him, every one with his household; and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron.

4. The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David as king of the House of Judah. They told David that the people of Jabesh in Gilead had given Saul burial,

4. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, "It was the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead who buried Saul,"

5. so David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh in Gilead. 'May you be blessed by Yahweh,' he said, 'for showing this faithful love to Saul your lord, and for burying him.

5. David sent messengers to the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him!

6. And now may Yahweh show faithful love and constancy towards you! I too shall treat you well because you have done this.

6. Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.

7. And now take courage and be men of valour. Saul your lord is dead, but the House of Judah has anointed me to be their king.'

7. Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

8. Abner son of Ner, Saul's army commander, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

8. Now Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bo'sheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahana'im;

9. He had made him king of Gilead, of the Asherites, of Jezreel, of Ephraim, of Benjamin and indeed of all Israel.

9. and he made him king over Gilead and the Ash'urites and Jezreel and E'phraim and Benjamin and all Israel.

10. Ishbaal son of Saul was forty years old when he became king of Israel, and he reigned for two years. Only the House of Judah supported David.

10. Ish-bo'sheth, 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 length of David's reign over Judah in Hebron was seven years and six months.

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

12. Abner son of Ner, with the retainers of Ishbaal son of Saul, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

12. Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bo'sheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahana'im to Gibeon.

13. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's retainers, also took the field, encountering them at the pool of Gibeon. There they halted, one party on one side of the pool, and the other opposite.

13. And Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at 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 then said to Joab, 'Let the men come forward and fight it out between us!' Joab replied, 'Let them come forward.'

14. And Abner said to Jo'ab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Jo'ab said, "Let them arise."

15. So they came forward and were numbered off, twelve from Benjamin for Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of David's retainers.

15. Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bo'sheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16. Each caught his opponent by the head and drove his sword into his side; and thus they all fell together. Hence the place was called the Field of Sides; it is at Gibeon.

16. And each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Hel'kath-hazzu'rim, which is at Gibeon.

17. That day a very fierce battle took place, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by David's retainers.

17. And the battle was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18. The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel could run like a wild gazelle.

18. And the three sons of Zeru'iah were there, Jo'ab, Abi'shai, and As'ahel. Now As'ahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle;

19. Asahel chased Abner, not swerving to the right or left from pursuing him.

19. and As'ahel pursued Abner, and as he went he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20. Abner turned and said, 'Asahel, is that you?' He replied, 'It is.'

20. Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is it you, As'ahel?" And he answered, "It is I."

21. Abner said, 'Turn to your right or your left, catch one of the men and take his spoil!' But Asahel would not break off the pursuit.

21. Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil." But As'ahel would not turn aside from following him.

22. Again Abner spoke to Asahel, 'Stop following me, unless you want me to strike you to the ground; and then how could I look your brother Joab in the face?'

22. And Abner said again to As'ahel, "Turn aside from following me; why should I smite you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Jo'ab?"

23. But he refused to be diverted, so Abner struck him in the belly with the butt of his spear so that the shaft came out through his back; and he fell at his feet and died on the spot. On coming to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, everyone halted.

23. But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner smote him in the belly with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back; and he fell there, and died where he was. And all who came to the place where As'ahel had fallen and died, stood still.

24. Joab and Abishai took up the pursuit of Abner and at sunset reached the Hill of Ammah, which is to the east of Giah on the road through the desert of Gibeon.

24. But Jo'ab and Abi'shai pursued Abner; and as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Gi'ah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25. The Benjaminites gathered in close formation behind Abner and halted on the top of a hill.

25. And the Benjaminites gathered themselves together behind Abner, and became one band, and took their stand on the top of a hill.

26. Abner called out to Joab, 'Is the sword to go on devouring for ever? Surely you see that this can only end in bitterness? How long will it be before you order those people to stop pursuing their brothers?'

26. Then Abner called to Jo'ab, "Shall the sword devour for ever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you bid your people turn from the pursuit of their brethren?"

27. Joab replied, 'As Yahweh lives, if you had not spoken, these men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until morning.'

27. And Jo'ab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have given up the pursuit of their brethren in the morning."

28. Joab then sounded the trumpet and all the troops halted; they pursued Israel no further and fought no more.

28. So Jo'ab blew the trumpet; and all the men stopped, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more.

29. All that night Abner and his men made their way through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan and, marching throughout the morning, came to Mahanaim.

29. And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole forenoon they came to Mahana'im.

30. Joab, having stopped pursuing Abner, mustered the whole contingent; David's retainers had lost nineteen men in addition to Asahel,

30. Jo'ab returned from the pursuit of Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men besides As'ahel.

31. but had killed three hundred and sixty of Benjamin, Abner's men.

31. But the servants of David had slain of Benjamin three hundred and sixty of Abner's men.

32. They took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which is at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched throughout the night, reaching Hebron at daybreak.

32. And they took up As'ahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Jo'ab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.