2 Samuel 2 (ARST)

1Some time after that, David asked Yahweh, “Should I go up to one of the towns in Judah?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, go up there.” Then David asked, “To which town should I go?” Yahweh replied, “To Hebron.”Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.

2So David went up there, taking his two wives, Ahinoam who was from the city of Jezreel, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, who was from the city of Carmel.So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

3He also took the men who had been with him, together with their families. They all started to live in the city of Hebron and its surrounding villages.David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.

4Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and one of them poured olive oil on David’s head to show they were appointing him to be the king of the tribe of Judah. When David found out that the people of the city of Jabesh in the region of Gilead had buried Saul’s body,Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

5he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh to tell them, “I desire that Yahweh will bless you for having buried Saul. By doing this, you have shown that you were loyal to him.So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.

6Now I also desire that Yahweh will faithfully love you and be loyal to you. And I will do good things for you because of what you have done for Saul.Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.

7Now, although Saul your king is dead, be strong and courageous, like the people of Judah, who have appointed me to be their king.”Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”

8However, Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth and went across the Jordan River to the city of Mahanaim.Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,

9There Abner proclaimed that Ishbosheth was now the king ruling the regions of Gilead and Jezreel, and the tribes of Asher, Ephraim, and Benjamin. That meant that he was the king of most of Israel.and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.

10Ishbosheth was forty years old when he started to rule over the Israelite people. He ruled them for two years. But the tribe of Judah was loyal to David.Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

11David ruled them for seven and a half years while he was living in Hebron.And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12One day Abner and the officials of Isbosheth went from Mahanaim across the Jordan River to the city of Gibeon.One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and some of David’s officials went from Hebron to Gibeon, and they met at the pool of water there. They all sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side.So Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.

14Abner said to Joab, “Let us tell some of our young men to fight each other!” Joab replied, “Very well!”Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

15So twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin fought for Ishbosheth, against twelve of David’s soldiers.So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

16Each of them grabbed the head of the man against whom he was fighting, and thrust his sword into that man’s side. The result was that all twenty-four of them fell down dead. So that area in Gibeon is now called “Field of Swords.”Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.

17Then the others started to fight also. It was a very fierce battle. Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.

18Zeruiah’s three sons were there on that day: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was able to run very fast. He could run as fast as a wild gazelle.The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,

19Asahel started to pursue Abner. He ran straight toward Abner, without stopping.and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.

20Abner looked behind him, and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” Asahel replied, “Yes!”And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.

21Abner shouted, “Stop chasing me; go after someone else!” But Asahel would not stop pursuing Abner.So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

22So Abner yelled at him again, “Stop chasing me! Why should I kill you? How could I face your brother Joab and explain your death to him?”Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”

23But Asahel refused to stop pursuing Abner. So Abner suddenly turned and thrust the butt end of his spear into Asahel’s stomach. Because he thrust it very strongly, that end of the spear went though his body and came out at Asahel’s back, and he fell to the ground, dead. All the other soldiers who came to the place where his body was lying stopped and stood there, stunned at Asahel’s body.But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

24But Joab and Abishai continued to pursue Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah, which is east of Giah, along the road to the wilderness near Gibeon.But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner in a line of battle and stood at the top of a hill.The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.

26Then Abner called out to Joab, saying, “Are we going to continue to fight forever? Do you not realize that if we continue fighting the result will be very bad? We are all descendants of Jacob, so we should stop fighting each other! How long will it be until you tell your soldiers to stop pursuing us?Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”

27Joab replied, “Just as surely as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have continued pursuing your men until tomorrow morning!”“As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”

28So Joab blew a trumpet to signal that they should stop fighting. So all his men stopped pursing the soldiers of Israel.So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight.

29That night Abner and his soldiers went through the plain along the Jordan River. They crossed the Jordan and marched all the next morning, and they finally arrived back at Mahanaim.And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.

30Joab and his soldiers gathered together after they stopped chasing Abner. Then Joab found out that in addition to Asahel, only nineteen of them had been killed in the battle.When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,

31But David’s soldiers had killed 360 of Abner’s men, all from the tribe of Benjamin.but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner.

32Some of Joab’s soldiers took Asahel’s body and buried it in the tomb where his father had been buried, in Bethlehem. Then they marched all during the night, and at dawn they arrived back home at Hebron.And they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.

2 Samuel 2

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2 Samuel 2

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