1 GLT And it happened after this, and David inquired of Yahweh, saying,“Should I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And Yahweh said to him,“Go up.” And David said,“Where should I go up?” And he said,“To Hebron.” BSB BSB: 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.
2 GLT And David went up there and also two of his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. BSB BSB: So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
3 GLT And his men who{ were} with him, David brought up, each man and his house. And they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. BSB BSB: David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.
4 GLT And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David as king over the house of Judah. And they informed David, saying,“The men of Jabesh- Gilead{ are} those who buried Saul.” BSB BSB: 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.”
5 GLT And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh- Gilead, and he said to them,“Blessed are you by Yahweh, because you did this kindness with your lord, with Saul, and have buried him. BSB BSB: 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.
6 GLT And now may Yahweh do with you kindness and faithfulness. And also I myself will do with you this good{ thing} because you have done this thing. BSB BSB: Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.
7 GLT But now, let your hands be strong, and become sons of valor, for Saul your lord died, and also the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.” BSB BSB: Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”
8 GLT And Abner the son of Ner,{ the} captain of{ the} troop which{ belonged} to Saul, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and he brought him over{ to} Mahanaim. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,
9 GLT And he made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over Israel— all of it. BSB BSB: and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
10 GLT A son of 40 years{ was} Ishbosheth the son of Saul when he became king over Israel, and he was king two years. Nevertheless, the house of Judah was behind David. BSB BSB: 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.
11 GLT And it happened, the number of the days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah{ was} seven years and six months. BSB BSB: And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 GLT And Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. BSB BSB: One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 GLT But Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and confronted them by the pool of Gibeon together. And they sat down— these by the pool on this{ side} and these by the pool on this{ side}. BSB BSB: 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.
14 GLT And Abner said to Joab,“Now let the young men get up and fight to our faces.” And Joab said,“Let them get up.” BSB BSB: Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
15 GLT And they got up, and they crossed over by number— 12 for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul and 12 from the servants of David. BSB BSB: So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.
16 GLT And they seized, each one, his neighbor by the head, and his sword in the side of his neighbor, and they fell together. And he called that place,“Helkath Hazzurim,” which{ is} in Gibeon. BSB BSB: 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.
17 GLT And the war was extremely severe on that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were struck to the face of the servants of David. BSB BSB: The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
18 GLT And the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel{ was} light on his feet, like one of the gazelles which{ are} in the field. BSB BSB: The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
19 GLT And Asahel pursued after Abner. And he did not turn aside to go to the right or to the left from after Abner. BSB BSB: and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.
20 GLT And Abner turned behind him, and he said,“{ Is} this you, Asahel?” And he answered,“{ It is} I.” BSB BSB: And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.
21 GLT And Abner said to him,“Turn aside, you, to your right or to your left and grab, you, one from the young men and take, you, his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn from behind him. BSB BSB: 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.
22 GLT And Abner still continued, saying to Asahel,“Turn aside, you, from behind me. Why should I strike you to the ground? And how could I lift my face to Joab, your brother?” BSB BSB: 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?”
23 GLT But he refused to turn aside, and Abner struck him with the back of the spear in the stomach, and the spear went out from his back. And he fell there, and he died under him. And it happened, all the people who came to the place where Asahel fell there and died— and they stood. BSB BSB: 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.
24 GLT But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner(and the sun was going), and they themselves came to the hill of Ammah, which{ is} on the face of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. BSB BSB: 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.
25 GLT And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves behind Abner, and they became one troop. And they stood on the top of one hill. BSB BSB: The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.
26 GLT And Abner called to Joab, and he said,“Will the sword eat forever? Do you not know that bitterness will be in the end? And how long will you not say to the people to turn from after their brothers?” BSB BSB: 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?”
27 GLT And Joab said,“{ By} the life of God, that if you had not spoken, surely then from the morning the people would have pulled back, each from after his brother.” BSB BSB: “As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”
28 GLT And Joab blasted on the trumpet, and all the people stood, and they did not again pursue after Israel. And they did not continue to fight again. BSB BSB: So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight.
29 GLT And Abner and his men walked all that night through the Arabah. And they crossed the Jordan, and they walked all the morning, and they entered Mahanaim. BSB BSB: And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.
30 GLT And Joab returned from after Abner, and he assembled all the people. And 19 men and Asahel were missing from the servants of David. BSB BSB: When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,
31 GLT But the servants of David struck from Benjamin, from the men of Abner— 360 men they killed. BSB BSB: but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner.
32 GLT And they took up Asahel, and they buried him in the tomb of his father, which{ was in} Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all of the night, and it became light for them at Hebron. BSB BSB: 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.