2 Samuel 2
2
David Is Made King of Judah
1Later, David prayed to the Lord. David said, “Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord said to David, “Go.”
David asked, “Where should I go?”
The Lord answered, “To Hebron.”
2So David went up to Hebron with his two wives. One was Ahinoam from Jezreel. The other was Abigail, the widow of Nabal in Carmel. 3David also brought his men and their families. They all made their homes in the cities of Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. They appointed David king over Judah.
They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul. 5So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead. They told David’s message to the men in Jabesh: “The Lord bless you. You have shown kindness to your master Saul by burying him. 6May the Lord now be kind and true to you. I will also be kind to you because you have done this. 7Now be strong and brave. Saul your master is dead. The people of Judah have appointed me their king.”
War Between Judah and Israel
8Now Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul’s army. Abner took Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim. 9There Abner made him king of Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. 10Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled two years. But the people of Judah followed David. 11David was king in Hebron for seven years and six months.
12Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim. They went to Gibeon. 13Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men also went there. They met Abner and Ish-Bosheth’s men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool. Joab’s group sat on the other side.
14Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and have a contest here.”
Joab said, “Yes, let them have a contest.”
15Then the young men got up. The two groups counted their men for the contest. Twelve men were chosen from the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul. Twelve men were chosen from David’s men. 16Each man grabbed his enemy’s head. Then he stabbed his enemy’s side with a knife. And the men fell down together. So that place in Gibeon is called The Field of the Sharp Knives. 17That day the contest became a terrible battle. And David’s men defeated Abner and the Israelites.
Abner Kills Asahel
18Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner. He was as fast as a deer in the field. 19Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him. 20Abner looked back and asked, “Are you Asahel?”
Asahel said, “Yes, I am.”
21Then Abner said to Asahel, “Turn to your right or left. Catch one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
22Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me! If you don’t stop, I’ll have to kill you! Then I won’t be able to face your brother Joab again!”
23But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So Abner used the back end of his spear. He stabbed it into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there. Everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel’s body lay.
24But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. The sun was going down when they arrived at the hill of Ammah. This is near Giah on the way to the empty land near Gibeon. 25The men of Benjamin came to Abner. They all stood together at the top of the hill.
26Abner shouted to Joab, “Must the sword kill forever? Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers!”
27Then Joab said, “If you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning. This is as sure as God is alive.” 28Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not try to fight them anymore.
29Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River. After marching all day, they arrived at Mahanaim.
30Joab came back after he had stopped chasing Abner. Then Joab gathered the people together. Asahel and 19 of David’s men were missing. 31But David’s men had killed 360 Benjaminites who had followed Abner. 32David’s men took Asahel and buried him. They put him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up as they reached Hebron.
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2 Samuel 2: ICB
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