1Afterwards David enquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into one of the towns of Judah?” The LORD answered, “Go.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” and the answer was, “To Hebron.”
2So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.
3David also brought the men who had joined him, with their families, and they settled in Hebron and the neighbouring towns.
4The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. It was reported to David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,
5and he sent them this message: “The LORD bless you because you kept faith with Saul your lord and buried him.
6For this may the LORD keep faith and truth with you, and I for my part will show you favour too, because you have done this.
7Be strong, be valiant, now that Saul your lord is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me to be king over them.”
8Meanwhile Saul's commander-in-chief, Abner son of Ner, had taken Saul's son Ishbosheth, brought him across to Mahanaim,
9and made him king over Gilead, the Asherites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and all Israel.
10Ishbosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The tribe of Judah, however, followed David.
11David's rule over Judah in Hebron lasted seven and a half years.
12Abner son of Ner, with the troops of Saul's son Ishbosheth, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon,
13and Joab son of Zeruiah marched out with David's troops from Hebron. They met at the pool of Gibeon and took up their positions, one force on one side of the pool and the other on the opposite side.
14Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and join in single combat before us.” Joab agreed.
15So they came up, one by one, and took their places, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth and twelve from David's men.
16Each man seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent's side; and thus they fell together. That is why that place, which lies in Gibeon, was called the Field of Blades.
17There ensued a very hard-fought battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's troops.
18All three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, who was swift as a gazelle of the plains,
19chased after Abner, swerving to neither right nor left in his pursuit.
20Abner glanced back and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” Asahel answered, “It is.”
21Abner said, “Turn aside to right or left; tackle one of the young men and win his belt for yourself.” But Asahel would not abandon the pursuit.
22Abner again urged him to give it up. “Why should I kill you?” he said. “How could I look Joab your brother in the face?”
23When he still refused to turn away, Abner struck him in the belly with a back-thrust of his spear so that the spear came out through his back, and he fell dead in his tracks. All who came to the place where Asahel lay dead stopped there.
24But Joab and Abishai kept up the pursuit of Abner, until, at sunset, they reached the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah on the road leading to the pastures of Gibeon.
25The Benjamites rallied to Abner and, forming themselves into a single group, took their stand on the top of a hill.
26Abner called to Joab, “Must the slaughter go on for ever? Can you not see the bitterness that will result? How long before you recall the troops from the pursuit of their kinsmen?”
27Joab answered, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, they would not have given up the pursuit till morning.”
28Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops all halted; they abandoned the pursuit of the Israelites, and the fighting ceased.
29Abner and his men moved along the Arabah all that night, crossed the Jordan, and continued all morning till they reached Mahanaim.
30After Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner, he mustered his troops and found that, besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were missing.
31David's forces had routed the Benjamites and the followers of Abner, killing three hundred and sixty of them.
32They took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and as day broke they reached Hebron.
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