David, by God's direction, with his company goeth up to Hebron, where he is made king of Judah.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² after² this,¹² that Davidº enquiredºª of the LORD,º saying,ºª Shall I go upºª into anyº of the citiesº of Judah?º And the LORDº saidºª unto² him, Go up.ºª And Davidº said,ºª Whither² shall I go up?ºª And he said,ºª Unto Hebron.º 2 So Davidº went upºª thither,² and his twoº wivesº also,² Ahinoamº the Jezreelitess,º and Abigailº Nabal'sº wifeº the Carmelite.º 3 And his men¹² that² [were] with² him did Davidº bring up,ºª every manº with his household:º and they dweltºª in the citiesº of Hebron.º 4 And the men¹² of Judahº came,ºª and there² they anointedºª² Davidº kingº over² the houseº of Judah.º And they toldºª David,º saying,ºª [That] the men¹² of Jabeshgileadºº [were they] that² buriedºª² Saul.º

He commendeth them of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness to Saul.

5 ¶ And Davidº sentºª messengersº unto² the men¹² of Jabeshgilead,ºº and saidºª unto² them, Blessedºª [be] ye² of the LORD,º that² ye have shewedºª this² kindnessº unto² your lord,º [even] unto² Saul,º and have buriedºª him. 6 And now² the LORDº shewºª kindnessº and truthº unto² you: and I² also² will requiteºª you this² kindness,º because² ye have doneºª this² thing.º 7 Therefore now² let your handsº be strengthened,ºª and be² ye valiant:ºº for² your masterº Saulº is dead,ºª and also² the houseº of Judahº have anointedºª me kingº over² them.

Abner maketh Ish-bosheth king of Israel.

8 ¶ But Abnerº the sonº of Ner,º captainº of Saul'sº host,º tookºª² Ishboshethº the sonº of Saul,º and brought him overºª to Mahanaim;º 9 And made him kingºª over² Gilead,º and over² the Ashurites,¹² and over² Jezreel,º and over² Ephraim,º and over² Benjamin,º and over² all² Israel.º 10 Ishboshethº Saul'sº sonº [was] fortyº yearsº oldº when he began to reignºª over² Israel,º and reignedºª twoº years.º But² the houseº of Judahº followedº² David.º 11 And the timeºº that² Davidº was² kingº in Hebronº over² the houseº of Judahº was² sevenº yearsº and sixº months.º

A mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men.

12 ¶ And Abnerº the sonº of Ner,º and the servantsº of Ishboshethº the sonº of Saul,º went outºª from Mahanaimº² to Gibeon.º 13 And Joabº the sonº of Zeruiah,º and the servantsº of David,º went out,ºª and metºª togetherº by² the poolº of Gibeon:º and they sat down,ºª the one² on the one side²² of² the pool,º and the other² on the other side²² of² the pool.º 14 And Abnerº saidºª to² Joab,º Let the young menº now² arise,ºª and playºª beforeº us. And Joabº said,ºª Let them arise.ºª 15 Then there aroseºª and went overºª by numberº twelveºº of Benjamin,º which [pertained] to Ishboshethº the sonº of Saul,º and twelveºº of the servantsº² of David.º 16 And they caughtºª every oneº his fellowº by the head,º and [thrust] his swordº in his fellow'sº side;º so they fell downºª together:º wherefore that² placeº was calledºª Helkathhazzurim,º which² [is] in Gibeon.º 17 And there was² a veryº² soreº battleº that² day;º and Abnerº was beaten,ºª and the men¹² of Israel,º beforeº the servantsº of David.º

Asahel is slain.

18 ¶ And there² were² threeº sonsº of Zeruiahº there, Joab,º and Abishai,º and Asahel:º and Asahelº [was as] lightº of footº as aº wildº² roe.º 19 And Asahelº pursuedºª afterº Abner;º and in going¹ª² he turnedºª not² to² the right² hand¹ nor to² the leftº from followingº² Abner.º 20 Then Abnerº lookedºª behindº him, and said,ºª [Art] thou² Asahel?º And he answered,ºª I² [am]. 21 And Abnerº saidºª to him, Turn thee asideºª to² thy right² hand¹ or² to² thy left,º and lay thee holdºª on oneº of the young men,º² and takeºª thee² his armour.º But Asahelº wouldºª not² turn asideºª from followingº² of him. 22 And Abnerº saidºª againºª to² Asahel,º Turn thee asideºª from followingº² me: wherefore² should I smiteºª thee to the ground?º how² then should I hold upºª my faceº to² Joabº thy brother?º 23 Howbeit he refusedºª to turn aside:ºª wherefore Abnerº with the hinder end¹ of² the spearº smoteºª him underº the fifthº [rib], that the spearº came outºª behindº² him; and he fell downºª there,² and diedºª in the same place:º and it came to pass,² [that] as many² as cameºª to² the placeº where² Asahelº fell downºª and diedºª stood still.ºª 24 Joabº also and Abishaiº pursuedºª afterº Abner:º and the sunº went downºª when they² were comeºª to² the hillº of Ammah,º that² [lieth] beforeº² Giahº by the wayº of the wildernessº of Gibeon.º

At Abner's motion Joab soundeth a retreat.

25 ¶ And the childrenº of Benjaminº gathered themselves togetherºª afterº Abner,º and became² oneº troop,º and stoodºª on² the topº of an² hill.º 26 Then Abnerº calledºª to² Joab,º and said,ºª Shall the swordº devourºª for ever?º knowestºª thou not² that² it will be² bitternessº in the latter end?º how long² shall it be then, ere² thou bidºª the peopleº returnºª from followingº² their brethren?º 27 And Joabº said,ºª [As] Godº liveth,º unlessº² thou hadst spoken,ºª surely² then² in the morningº the peopleº had gone upºª every oneº from followingº² his brother.º 28 So Joabº blewºª a trumpet,º and all² the peopleº stood² still,¹ª and pursuedºª afterº Israelº no² more,² neither² foughtºª they any more.ºª 29 And Abnerº and his men¹² walkedºª all² that² nightº through the plain,º and passed overºª² Jordan,º and went through¹ª² all² Bithron,º and they cameºª to Mahanaim.º 30 And Joabº returnedºª from followingº² Abner:º and when he had gathered¹ª all the people¹ together,ºª²²² there lackedºª of David's¹ servantsº²² nineteenºº menº and Asahel.º 31 But the servantsº of Davidº had smittenºª of Benjamin,º² and of Abner'sº men,¹²² [so that] threeº hundredº and threescoreº menº died.ºª

Asahel's burial.

32 ¶ And they took upºª² Asahel,º and buriedºª him in the sepulchreº of his father,º which² [was in] Bethlehem.º And Joabº and his men¹² went¹ª² all² night,º and they came to Hebronº at break of day.ºª