1 And it came1961 to pass after310 this,3651 that David1732 inquired7592 of the LORD,3068 saying,559 Shall I go5927 up into any259 of the cities5892 of Judah?3063 And the LORD3068 said559 to him, Go5927 up. And David1732 said,559 Where575 shall I go5927 up? And he said,559 To Hebron.2275

2 So David1732 went5927 up thither,8033 and his two8147 wives802 also,1571 Ahinoam293 the Jezreelitess,3159 and Abigail26 Nabal's5037 wife802 the Carmelite.3761

3 And his men582 that were with him did David1732 bring5927 up, every man376 with his household:1004 and they dwelled3427 in the cities5892 of Hebron.2275

4 And the men582 of Judah3063 came,935 and there8033 they anointed4886 David1732 king4428 over5921 the house1004 of Judah.3063 And they told5046 David,1732 saying,559 That the men582 of Jabeshgilead3003 1568 were they that buried6912 Saul.7586

5 And David1732 sent7971 messengers4397 to the men582 of Jabeshgilead,3003 1568 and said559 to them, Blessed1288 be you of the LORD,3068 that you have showed6213 this2088 kindness2617 to your lord,113 even to Saul,7586 and have buried6912 him.

6 And now6258 the LORD3068 show6213 kindness2617 and truth571 to you: and I also1571 will requite6213 you this2088 kindness,2896 because834 you have done6213 this2088 thing.1697

7 Therefore now6258 let your hands3027 be strengthened,2388 and be you valiant:1121 2428 for your master113 Saul7586 is dead,4191 and also1571 the house1004 of Judah3063 have anointed4886 me king4428 over5921 them.

8 But Abner74 the son1121 of Ner,5369 captain8269 of Saul's7586 host,6635 took3947 Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul,7586 and brought5674 him over5674 to Mahanaim;4266

9 And made him king4427 over413 Gilead,1568 and over413 the Ashurites,843 and over1591 Jezreel,3157 and over1591 Ephraim,669 and over5921 Benjamin,1144 and over5921 all3605 Israel.3478

10 Ishbosheth378 Saul's7586 son1121 was forty705 years8141 old1121 when he began to reign4427 over5921 Israel,3478 and reigned4427 two8147 years.8141 But the house1004 of Judah3063 followed1961 310 David.1732

11 And the time4557 3117 that David1732 was king4428 in Hebron2275 over5921 the house1004 of Judah3063 was seven7651 years8141 and six8337 months.2320

12 And Abner74 the son1121 of Ner,5369 and the servants5650 of Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul,7586 went3318 out from Mahanaim4266 to Gibeon.1391

13 And Joab3097 the son1121 of Zeruiah,6870 and the servants5650 of David,1732 went3318 out, and met6298 together3162 by the pool1295 of Gibeon:1391 and they sat3427 down, the one2088 on5921 the one2088 side of the pool,1295 and the other428 on5921 the other2088 side of the pool.1295

14 And Abner74 said559 to Joab,3097 Let the young5288 men now4994 arise,6965 and play7832 before6440 us. And Joab3097 said,559 Let them arise.6965

15 Then there arose6965 and went5674 over5674 by number4557 twelve8147 6240 of Benjamin,1144 which pertained to Ishbosheth378 the son1121 of Saul,7586 and twelve8147 6240 of the servants5650 of David.1732

16 And they caught2388 every376 one376 his fellow7453 by the head,7218 and thrust his sword2719 in his fellow's7453 side;6654 so they fell5307 down together:3162 why that place4725 was called7121 Helkathhazzurim,2521 which834 is in Gibeon.1391

17 And there was a very3966 sore7186 battle4421 that day;3117 and Abner74 was beaten,5062 and the men582 of Israel,3478 before6440 the servants5650 of David.1732

18 And there were three7969 sons1121 of Zeruiah6870 there,8033 Joab,3097 and Abishai,52 and Asahel:6214 and Asahel6214 was as light7031 of foot7272 as a wild7704 roe.6643

19 And Asahel6214 pursued7291 after310 Abner;74 and in going3212 he turned5186 not to the right3225 hand3225 nor to the left8040 from following310 Abner.74

20 Then Abner74 looked6437 behind310 him, and said,559 Are you Asahel?6214 And he answered,559 I am.

21 And Abner74 said559 to him, Turn5186 you aside5186 to your right3225 hand3225 or176 to your left,8040 and lay you hold270 on one259 of the young5288 men, and take3947 you his armor.2488 But Asahel6214 would14 not turn5493 aside from following310 of him.

22 And Abner74 said559 again3254 5750 to Asahel,6214 Turn5493 you aside from following310 me: why4100 should I smite5221 you to the ground?776 how349 then should I hold5375 up my face6440 to Joab3097 your brother?251

23 However, he refused3985 to turn5493 aside: why Abner74 with the hinder310 end of the spear2595 smote5221 him under413 the fifth2570 rib, that the spear2595 came3318 out behind310 him; and he fell5307 down there,8033 and died4191 in the same8478 place:8478 and it came1961 to pass, that as many as came935 to the place4725 where834 8033 Asahel6214 fell5307 down and died4191 stood5975 still.

24 Joab3097 also and Abishai52 pursued7291 after310 Abner:74 and the sun8121 went935 down when they were come935 to the hill1389 of Ammah,522 that lies before5921 6440 Giah1520 by the way1870 of the wilderness4057 of Gibeon.1391

25 And the children1121 of Benjamin1144 gathered6908 themselves together after310 Abner,74 and became1961 one259 troop,92 and stood5975 on5921 the top7218 of an hill.1389

26 Then Abner74 called7121 to Joab,3097 and said,559 Shall the sword2719 devour398 for ever?5331 know3045 you not that it will be bitterness4751 in the latter314 end? how5704 long5704 shall it be then, ere3808 you bid559 the people5971 return7725 from following310 their brothers?251

27 And Joab3097 said,559 As God430 lives,2416 unless3588 3884 you had spoken,1696 surely3588 then in the morning1242 the people5971 had gone5927 up every376 one376 from following310 his brother.251

28 So Joab3097 blew8628 a trumpet,7782 and all3605 the people5971 stood5975 still, and pursued7291 after310 Israel3478 no3808 more,5750 neither3808 fought3898 they any more.3243 5750

29 And Abner74 and his men582 walked1980 all3605 that night3915 through the plain,6160 and passed5674 over5674 Jordan,3383 and went3212 through all3605 Bithron,1338 and they came935 to Mahanaim.4266

30 And Joab3097 returned7725 from following310 Abner:74 and when he had gathered6908 all3605 the people5971 together, there lacked6485 of David's1732 servants5650 nineteen8672 6240 men376 and Asahel.6214

31 But the servants5650 of David1732 had smitten5221 of Benjamin,1144 and of Abner's74 men,582 so that three7969 hundred3967 and three score8346 men376 died.4191

32 And they took5375 up Asahel,6214 and buried6912 him in the sepulcher6913 of his father,1 which834 was in Bethlehem.1035 And Joab3097 and his men582 went3212 all3605 night,3915 and they came935 to Hebron2275 at break215 of day.215