1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the
LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?
And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither
shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man
with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king
over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the
men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and
said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed
this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried
him.
6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also
will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this
thing.
7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye
valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of
Judah have anointed me king over them.
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and
over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over
all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to
reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of
Judah followed David.
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of
Judah was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the
son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went
out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat
down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on
the other side of the pool.
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play
before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin,
which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of
the servants of David.
16 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 Helkathhazzurim, which is in
Gibeon.
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was
beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai,
and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to
the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And
he answered, I am.
21 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 of him.
22 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?
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the
hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, 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.
24 Joab also 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.
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together
after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an
hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour
for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the
latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people
return from following their brethren?
27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely
then in the morning the people had gone up every one from
following his brother.
28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and
pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain,
and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they
came to Mahanaim.
30 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.
31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of
Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of
his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went
all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
|
