2 Samuel 2

David Anointed King over Judah

1After this, David inquired of Yahweh, “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” Yahweh said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go?” He said, “To Hebron.” 2So David went up there, with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3David brought up the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns around Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came and anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul. 5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by Yahweh for showing this loyalty to your lord Saul by burying him. 6May Yahweh now show you loyalty and faithfulness, and I too will repay you this kindness because you did this. 7Now then, be strong and be men of courage, for your lord Saul is dead — and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” 8Meanwhile Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9and made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. 10Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

War Between the Houses of Saul and David

12Abner son of Ner and the men of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men marched out too, and they met by the pool of Gibeon; one group sat down on one side of the pool, the other on the other side. 14Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men get up and fight in front of us.” Joab said, “Let them.” 15So they got up and crossed over, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David’s men. 16Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and drove his sword into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was named the Field of Blades. 17The battle that day was fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s men. 18The three sons of Zeruiah were there — Joab, Abishai, and Asahel — and Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle. 19Asahel chased after Abner, turning neither right nor left in his pursuit. 20Abner looked back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He said, “It is.” 21Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him. 22Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face again?” 23But he refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him in the belly with the butt of his spear, and the spear came out through his back, and he fell there and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stopped still. 24Joab and Abishai kept chasing Abner, and the sun was setting by the time they reached the hill of Ammah, facing Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25The men of Benjamin gathered behind Abner, forming a single unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. 26Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword go on devouring forever? Don’t you know this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell your men to stop chasing their brothers?” 27Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the troops would not have stopped chasing their brothers until morning.” 28Then Joab blew the trumpet, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued the fight. 29Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night, crossed the Jordan, went on through the whole Bithron, and arrived at Mahanaim. 30When Joab returned from chasing Abner, he gathered all the troops together, and nineteen of David’s men were missing, besides Asahel. 31But David’s men had struck down three hundred and sixty of the men of Benjamin and Abner’s men. 32They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.