2 Samuel 2
1 After this, David asked the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” The LORD answered, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” He answered, “To Hebron.”
2 David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 David also brought the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came and anointed David king over the people of Judah there. They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May the LORD bless you, because you showed this loyalty to your lord Saul and buried him.
6 Now may the LORD show you steadfast love and faithfulness. I too will do this good thing for you, because you did this.
7 Now let your hands be strong, and be valiant men, because your lord Saul is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
8 Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim.
9 He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the people of Judah followed David.
11 The length of time David reigned in Hebron over the people of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s servants also went out, and they met by the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, and the other group on the opposite side.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men get up and compete before us.” Joab answered, “Let them get up.”
15 They got up and were counted: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.
16 Each man seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side, and they fell together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath-hazzurim.
17 The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s servants.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was swift on foot, like one of the gazelles in the open country.
19 Asahel pursued Abner and, as he followed him, did not turn aside to the right or the left.
20 Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.”
21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left, seize one of the young men, and take his weapons for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop following him.
22 Abner urged Asahel again, “Stop following me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I face Joab, your brother?”
23 But he refused to turn aside. Then Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stopped there.
24 Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. When the sun set, they had reached the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 The Benjaminites gathered behind Abner, formed a single group, and took their stand on top of a hill.
26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that in the end there will be bitterness? How long before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?”
27 Joab answered, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have stopped pursuing each other by morning.”
28 Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people stopped. They no longer pursued Israel and did not continue fighting.
29 Abner and his men traveled across the plain all that night. They crossed the Jordan, traveled through the whole region of Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from pursuing Abner and gathered all the people. Nineteen of David’s servants were missing, along with Asahel.
31 David’s servants had struck down three hundred and sixty men from Benjamin and among Abner’s men, and they died.
32 They carried Asahel away and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men traveled all night, and daybreak found them in Hebron.
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app