2 Samuel 2
2
Judah Anoints David King
1Now it came to pass after this that David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” Adonai said to him, “Go up.” “Where shall I go up?” David asked. “To Hebron,” He said.
2So David went up there, along with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
3David also brought up his men that were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.
4Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “Blessed are you of Adonai for showing this kindness to Saul your lord, by burying him.
6So now may Adonai show you kindness and faithfulness; and I also will show you goodness because you have done this thing.
7Now therefore, be strong and brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Forces of Abner and Joab Battle
8Now Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, and brought him over to Mahanaim.
9Then he made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
10Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12Once Abner son of Ner and the troops of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13Meanwhile Joab son of Zeruiah and the troops of David went out—they met each other by the pool of Gibeon, so they sat down, one group on one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
14Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
15Then they got up and came forward by number—12 for Benjamin and for Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and 12 from David’s servants.
16Then each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they all fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before David’s servants.
18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles of the field.
19Asahel pursued Abner, not swerving to the right or to the left from pursuing Abner.
20Then Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is it you, Asahel?” “It is I,” he answered.
21So Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
22Once again Abner warned Asahel, “Turn away from pursuing me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How would I ever look your brother Joab in the face?”
23But he refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him with the butt end of the spear in the groin, so that the spear came out through his back, and he fell down there and died on the spot. When all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stood still.
24But Joab and Abishai continued pursuing Abner. As the sun was setting, they reached the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25Then the sons of Benjamin rallied to Abner and became one group, taking their stand on top of one of the hills.
26Then Abner called out to Joab and said, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize how bitter it will be in the end? How long until you order the people to stop pursuing their kinsmen?”
27“As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken, then surely the people would have gone up until the morning, everyone after his kinsman.”
28So Joab blew the shofar, and all the soldiers halted, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they continue to fight any longer.
29So Abner and his men marched all that night through the Arabah, then they crossed over the Jordan, and marched through all morning until they reached Mahanaim.
30Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the troops, nineteen of David’s soldiers besides Asahel were missing.
31But David’s soldiers had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died.
32Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Beth-lehem. Joab and his men marched all night, until the day dawned on them at Hebron.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
2 Samuel 2
2
David is Made King of Judah
1After this, David asked the LORD, “Shall I go and take control of one of the towns of Judah?”
“Yes,” the LORD answered.
“Which one?” David asked.
“Hebron,” the LORD said. 2#1 Sam 25.42–43So David went to Hebron, taking with him his two wives: Ahinoam, who was from Jezreel, and Abigail, Nabal's widow, who was from Carmel. 3He also took his men and their families, and they settled in the towns round Hebron. 4#1 Sam 31.11–13Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David as king of Judah.
When David heard that the people of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul, 5he sent some men there with the message: “May the LORD bless you for showing your loyalty to your king by burying him. 6And now may the LORD be kind and faithful to you. I too will treat you well because of what you have done. 7Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
Ishbosheth is Made King of Israel
8The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim. 9There Abner made Ishbosheth king of the territories of Gilead, Asher,#2.9 One ancient translation Asher; Hebrew Assyria. Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel. 10He was forty years old when he was made king of Israel, and he ruled for two years.
But the tribe of Judah was loyal to David, 11and he ruled in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years.
War between Israel and Judah
12Abner and the officials of Ishbosheth went from Mahanaim to the city of Gibeon. 13Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and David's other officials met them at the pool, where they all sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the opposite side. 14Abner said to Joab, “Let's get some of the young men from each side to fight an armed contest.”
“All right,” Joab answered.
15So twelve men, representing Ishbosheth and the tribe of Benjamin, fought twelve of David's men. 16Each man caught his opponent by the head and plunged his sword into his opponent's side, so that all 24 of them fell down dead together. And so that place in Gibeon is called “Field of Swords”.
17Then a furious battle broke out, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David's men. 18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, who could run as fast as a wild deer, 19started chasing Abner, running straight for him. 20Abner looked back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“Yes,” he answered.
21“Stop chasing me!” Abner said. “Run after one of the soldiers and take what he has.” But Asahel kept on chasing him. 22Once more Abner said to him, “Stop chasing me! Why force me to kill you? How could I face your brother Joab?” 23But Asahel would not give up; so Abner, with a backward thrust#2.23 Probable text with a backward thrust; Hebrew unclear. of his spear, struck him through the belly so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead, and everyone who came to the place where he was lying stopped and stood there.
24But Joab and Abishai started out after Abner, and at sunset they came to the hill of Ammah, which is to the east of Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered round Abner again and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26Abner called out to Joab, “Do we have to go on fighting for ever? Can't you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your fellow-countrymen. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?”
27“I swear by the living God,” Joab answered, “that if you had not spoken, my men would have kept on chasing you until tomorrow morning.” 28Then Joab blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to stop pursuing the Israelites; and so the fighting stopped.
29Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley all that night; they crossed the River Jordan, and after marching all the next morning, they arrived back at Mahanaim.
30When Joab gave up the chase, he gathered all his men and found that nineteen of them were missing, in addition to Asahel. 31David's men had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32Joab and his men took Asahel's body and buried it in the family tomb at Bethlehem. Then they marched all night and at dawn arrived back at Hebron.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.