02:001

And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of HaShem, saying: 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' And HaShem said unto him: 'Go up.' And David said: 'Whither shall I go up?' And He said: 'Unto Hebron.

02:002

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite

02:003

And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron

02:004

And the men of Judah came, and they there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying: 'The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.

02:005

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them: 'Blessed be ye of HaShem, that ye have shown this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him

02:006

And now HaShem show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing

02:007

Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

02:008

Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim

02:009

and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel

02:010

Ish-bosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David

02:011

And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months

02:012

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon

02:013

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out; and they met together by the pool of Gibeon, and sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool

02:014

And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.

02:015

Then they arose and passed over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David

02:016

And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together; wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon

02:017

And the battle was very sore that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David

02:018

And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field

02:019

And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner

02:020

Then Abner looked behind him, and said: 'Is it thou, Asahel?' And he answered: 'It is I.

02:021

And Abner said to him: 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour.' But Asahel would not turn aside from following him

02:022

And Abner said again to Asahel: 'Turn thee aside from following me; wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

02:023

Howbeit he refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the groin, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place; and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still

02:024

But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner; and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon

02:025

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill

02:026

Then Abner called to Joab, and said: 'Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

02:027

And Joab said: 'As G-d liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then only after the morning the people had gone away, every one from following his brother.

02:028

So Joab blew the horn, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more

02:029

And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim

02:030

And Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel

02:031

But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, even of Abner's men--three hundred and threescore men died

02:032

And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron