2 Samuel 2
2
David Made King of Judah
1After this, David consulted the Lord, # 1Sa 23:2 asking, “Shall I go to one of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord responded to him, “Go up.”
David asked, “Where should I go?”
And He said, “Hebron.” # 1Sa 30:31
2So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. # 1Sa 25:42–43; 30:5 3And David brought the men who were with him, # 1Sa 27:2–3; 30:1 each man with his household, and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David as king over the house of Judah, # 2Sa 5:5 and they informed David that it was the men of Jabesh-gilead who had buried Saul. # 1Sa 31:11–13
5So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead saying, “May you be blessed by the Lord, # Ru 2:20; 1Sa 23:21 you who have shown this loyalty to your lord Saul by burying him. 6Now may the Lord show you loyalty and faithfulness, even as I deal kindly with you who have done this thing. 7Now may your hands be strong and may you be courageous, since your lord Saul is dead and the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel
1Ch 3:1–4
8However, Abner the son of Ner, # 1Sa 14:50 commander of the army of Saul, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. # Ge 32:2 9He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, over Israel in its entirety.
10Ish-bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he ruled for two years. However, the house of Judah followed David. 11The length of time during which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. # 1Ki 2:11
12Abner the son of Ner, with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim toward Gibeon. # Jos 10:12; 18:25 13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, # 2Sa 8:16; 1Ch 2:16 with the servants of David, went out in order to meet together at the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the side of the pool opposite them.
14Abner suggested to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and compete before us.”
And Joab replied, “Let them come.”
15So they stepped forward and were counted, twelve from Benjamin and Ish-bosheth and twelve from the servants of David. 16Each one grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.
17The fighting was very fierce that day, but Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David. # 2Sa 3:1
18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as fast as a wild gazelle. # 1Ch 12:8; Hab 3:19 19So Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. 20Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
He answered, “It is I.”
21Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or left, overtake one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself,” but Asahel was not willing to desist.
22Abner continued still to reason with Asahel, “Abandon your pursuit. Why should I strike you down? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?” # 2Sa 3:27
23But he refused to desist. So Abner struck him in the abdomen # 2Sa 4:6 with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out of his back. He fell there and died on the spot. When all of the others came to the place where Asahel fell and died, they halted.
24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is next to Giah on the way to the Wilderness of Gibeon. 25The Benjamites gathered to the rear of Abner into a single formation, and they took their stand atop one of the hills.
26Abner called to Joab, “Must the sword consume forever? # Jer 46:10, 14 Do you not understand that a bitter taste will result in the end? How long will you refuse to command the people to withdraw from chasing their brothers?”
27Joab responded, “As God lives, I assure you that if you had not said this, # 2Sa 2:14 the people would have each pursued his brother throughout the night.” # Pr 17:14
28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still. They pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore.
29So Abner and his men traveled through the Arabah all that night, crossed the Jordan, and marched all morning until they returned to Mahanaim. # 2Sa 2:8
30Joab refrained from pursuing Abner, but instead mustered all of the people. There were nineteen men besides Asahel missing from among the servants of David. 31But the servants of David routed Benjamin and the men of Abner; three hundred and sixty of their men died. 32They carried Asahel back and interred him in his father’s tomb, which was at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men traveled throughout the night and reached Hebron at dawn.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 2: MEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 2
2
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.’
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.
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society