The Message

<div class="version vid97 iso6393eng" data-vid="97" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bk2SA">
      <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="2SA.2">
         <div class="label">2</div><div class="p"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.2.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">After all this, David prayed. He asked </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content">, &#8220;Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.2.1"><span class="content">  </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> said, &#8220;Yes, move.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.2.1"><span class="content">&#8220;And to which city?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.2.1"><span class="content">&#8220;To Hebron.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.2.1"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v2 v3" data-usfm="2SA.2.2+2SA.2.3"><span class="label">2-3</span><span class="content">So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David&#8217;s men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2 v3" data-usfm="2SA.2.2+2SA.2.3"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.2.4+2SA.2.5+2SA.2.6+2SA.2.7"><span class="label">4-7</span><span class="content">The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.2.4+2SA.2.5+2SA.2.6+2SA.2.7"><span class="content">A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: &#8220;</span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> bless you for this&#8212;for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> honor you and be true to you&#8212;and I&#8217;ll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness. Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="pc"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.2.4+2SA.2.5+2SA.2.6+2SA.2.7"><span class="content">* * *</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.2.4+2SA.2.5+2SA.2.6+2SA.2.7"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v8 v9 v10 v11" data-usfm="2SA.2.8+2SA.2.9+2SA.2.10+2SA.2.11"><span class="label">8-11</span><span class="content">In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul&#8217;s army, had taken Saul&#8217;s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin&#8212;king, as it turns out, over all Israel. Ish-Bosheth, Saul&#8217;s son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v8 v9 v10 v11" data-usfm="2SA.2.8+2SA.2.9+2SA.2.10+2SA.2.11"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v12 v13" data-usfm="2SA.2.12+2SA.2.13"><span class="label">12-13</span><span class="content">One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David&#8217;s soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner&#8217;s group on one side, Joab&#8217;s on the other.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v12 v13" data-usfm="2SA.2.12+2SA.2.13"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="2SA.2.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">Abner challenged Joab, &#8220;Put up your best fighters. Let&#8217;s see them do their stuff.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="2SA.2.14"><span class="content">Joab said, &#8220;Good! Let them go at it!&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="2SA.2.14"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v15 v16" data-usfm="2SA.2.15+2SA.2.16"><span class="label">15-16</span><span class="content">So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David&#8217;s side. The men from each side grabbed their opponents&#8217; heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead&#8212;the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It&#8217;s right there at Gibeon.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v15 v16" data-usfm="2SA.2.15+2SA.2.16"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v17 v18 v19" data-usfm="2SA.2.17+2SA.2.18+2SA.2.19"><span class="label">17-19</span><span class="content">The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David&#8217;s men. The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v17 v18 v19" data-usfm="2SA.2.17+2SA.2.18+2SA.2.19"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="2SA.2.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">Abner turned and said, &#8220;Is that you, Asahel?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="2SA.2.20"><span class="content">&#8220;It surely is,&#8221; he said.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="2SA.2.20"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="2SA.2.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content">Abner said, &#8220;Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!&#8221; But Asahel wouldn&#8217;t let up.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="2SA.2.21"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v22" data-usfm="2SA.2.22"><span class="label">22</span><span class="content">Abner tried again, &#8220;Turn back. Don&#8217;t force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v22" data-usfm="2SA.2.22"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v23 v24 v25" data-usfm="2SA.2.23+2SA.2.24+2SA.2.25"><span class="label">23-25</span><span class="content">When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped&#8212;Asahel dead! But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon. The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v23 v24 v25" data-usfm="2SA.2.23+2SA.2.24+2SA.2.25"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v26" data-usfm="2SA.2.26"><span class="label">26</span><span class="content">Abner called out to Joab, &#8220;Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don&#8217;t you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v26" data-usfm="2SA.2.26"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v27 v28" data-usfm="2SA.2.27+2SA.2.28"><span class="label">27-28</span><span class="content">&#8220;As God lives,&#8221; said Joab, &#8220;if you hadn&#8217;t spoken up, we&#8217;d have kept up the chase until morning!&#8221; Then he blew the ram&#8217;s horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v27 v28" data-usfm="2SA.2.27+2SA.2.28"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v29" data-usfm="2SA.2.29"><span class="label">29</span><span class="content">Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning&#8217;s march, arrived at Mahanaim.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v29" data-usfm="2SA.2.29"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v30 v31 v32" data-usfm="2SA.2.30+2SA.2.31+2SA.2.32"><span class="label">30-32</span><span class="content">After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David&#8217;s men (besides Asahel) were missing. David&#8217;s men had cut down 360 of Abner&#8217;s men, all Benjaminites&#8212;all dead. They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.</span></span></div>
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After all this, David prayed. He asked GOD, “Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?”
GOD said, “Yes, move.”
“And to which city?”
“To Hebron.”
So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David’s men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.
The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.

A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: “GOD bless you for this—for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. GOD honor you and be true to you—and I’ll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness. Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king.”
* * *
In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin—king, as it turns out, over all Israel. Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.

One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David’s soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner’s group on one side, Joab’s on the other.
Abner challenged Joab, “Put up your best fighters. Let’s see them do their stuff.”
Joab said, “Good! Let them go at it!”
So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David’s side. The men from each side grabbed their opponents’ heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead—the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It’s right there at Gibeon.
The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David’s men. The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.
Abner turned and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“It surely is,” he said.
Abner said, “Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!” But Asahel wouldn’t let up.
Abner tried again, “Turn back. Don’t force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?”
When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped—Asahel dead! But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon. The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.
Abner called out to Joab, “Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don’t you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?”
“As God lives,” said Joab, “if you hadn’t spoken up, we’d have kept up the chase until morning!” Then he blew the ram’s horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.
Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning’s march, arrived at Mahanaim.
After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David’s men (besides Asahel) were missing. David’s men had cut down 360 of Abner’s men, all Benjaminites—all dead. They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.

Listen to 2 Samuel 2