Dual Panel1Then it came<1961> about afterwards<310><3651> that David<1732> inquired<7592> of the LORD<3068>, saying<559>, "Shall I go<5927> up to one<259> of the cities<5892> of Judah<3063>?" And the LORD<3068> said<559> to him, "Go<5927> up." So David<1732> said<559>, "Where<575> shall I go<5927> up?" And He said<559>, "To Hebron<2275>."
2So David<1732> went<5927> up there<8033>, and his two<8147> wives<802> also<1571>, Ahinoam<293> the Jezreelitess<3159> and Abigail<26> the widow<802> of Nabal<5037> the Carmelite<3761>.
3And David<1732> brought<5927> up his men<376> who<834> were with him, each<376> with his household<1004>; and they lived<3427> in the cities<5892> of Hebron<2275>.
4Then the men<376> of Judah<3063> came<935> and there<8033> anointed<4886> David<1732> king<4428> over<5921> the house<1004> of Judah<3063>. And they told<5046> David<1732>, saying<559>, "It was the men<376> of Jabesh-gilead<3003><1568> who<834> buried<6912> Saul<7586>."
5David<1732> sent<7971> messengers<4397> to the men<376> of Jabesh-gilead<3003><1568>, and said<559> to them, "May you be blessed<1288> of the LORD<3068> because<834> you have shown<6213> this<2088> kindness<2617> to Saul<7586> your lord<113>, and have buried<6912> him.
6"Now<6258> may the LORD<3068> show<6213> lovingkindness<2617> and truth<571> to you; and I also<1571> will show<6213> this<2088> goodness<2899> to you, because<834> you have done<6213> this<2088> thing<1697>.
7"Now<6258> therefore, let your hands<3027> be strong<2388> and be valiant<1121><2428>; for Saul<7586> your lord<113> is dead<4191>, and also<1571> the house<1004> of Judah<3063> has anointed<4886> me king<4428> over<5921> them."
8But Abner<74> the son<1121> of Ner<5369>, commander<8269> of Saul's<7586> army<6635>, had taken<3947> Ish-bosheth<378> the son<1121> of Saul<7586> and brought<5674> him over<5674> to Mahanaim<4266>.
9He made<4427> him king<4427> over<413> Gilead<1568>, over<413> the Ashurites<805>, over<413> Jezreel<3157>, over<5921> Ephraim<669>, and over<5921> Benjamin<1144>, even over<5921> all<3605> Israel<3478>.
10Ish-bosheth<378>, Saul's<7586> son<1121>, was forty<705> years<8141> old<1121> when he became<4427> king<4427> over<5921> Israel<3478>, and he was king<4427> for two<8147> years<8141>. The house<1004> of Judah<3063>, however<389>, followed<310> David<1732>.
11The time<4557><3117> that David<1732> was king<4428> in Hebron<2275> over<5921> the house<1004> of Judah<3063> was seven<7651> years<8141> and six<8337> months<2320>.
12Now Abner<74> the son<1121> of Ner<5369>, went<3318> out from Mahanaim<4266> to Gibeon<1391> with the servants<5650> of Ish-bosheth<378> the son<1121> of Saul<7586>.
13And Joab<3097> the son<1121> of Zeruiah<6870> and the servants<5650> of David<1732> went<3318> out and met<6298> them by the pool<1295> of Gibeon<1391>; and they sat<3427> down<3427>, one<428> on the one<2088> side<2088> of the pool<1295> and the other<2088> on the other<2088> side<2088> of the pool<1295>.
14Then Abner<74> said<559> to Joab<3097>, "Now<4994> let the young<5288> men<5288> arise<6965> and hold<7832> a contest<7832> before<6440> us." And Joab<3097> said<559>, "Let them arise<6965>."
15So they arose<6965> and went<5674> over<5674> by count<4557>, twelve<8147><6240> for Benjamin<1144> and Ish-bosheth<378> the son<1121> of Saul<7586>, and twelve<8147><6240> of the servants<5650> of David<1732>.
16Each<376> one<376> of them seized<2388> his opponent<7453> by the head<7218> and thrust his sword<2719> in his opponent's<7453> side<6654>; so they fell<5307> down<5307> together<3164>. Therefore that place<4725> was called<7121> Helkath-hazzurim<2521>, which<834> is in Gibeon<1391>.
17That day<3117> the battle<4421> was very<3966> severe<7186>, and Abner<74> and the men<376> of Israel<3478> were beaten<5062> before<6440> the servants<5650> of David<1732>.
18Now the three<7969> sons<1121> of Zeruiah<6870> were there<8033>, Joab<3097> and Abishai<52> and Asahel<6214>; and Asahel<6214> was as swift-footed<7031><7272> as one<259> of the gazelles<6643> which<834> is in the field<7704>.
19Asahel<6214> pursued<7291> Abner<74> and did not turn<5186> to the right<3225> or to the left<8040> from following<310> Abner<74>.
20Then Abner<74> looked<6437> behind<310> him and said<559>, "Is that you, Asahel<6214>?" And he answered<559>, "It is I."
21So Abner<74> said<559> to him, "Turn<5186> to your right<3225> or<176> to your left<8040>, and take<270> hold<270> of one<259> of the young<5288> men<5288> for yourself, and take<3947> for yourself his spoil<2488>." But Asahel<6214> was not willing<14> to turn<5493> aside<5493> from following<310> him.
22Abner<74> repeated<3254><559> again<5750> to Asahel<6214>, "Turn<5493> aside<5493> from following<310> me. Why<4100> should I strike<5221> you to the ground<776>? How<349> then could I lift<5375> up my face<6440> to your brother<251> Joab<3097>?"
23However, he refused<3985> to turn<5493> aside<5493>; therefore Abner<74> struck<5221> him in the belly<2570> with the butt<310> end<310> of the spear<2595>, so that the spear<2595> came<3318> out at his back<310>. And he fell<5307> there<8033> and died<4191> on the spot<8478>. And it came<1961> about that all<3605> who came<935> to the place<4725> where<834><8033> Asahel<6214> had fallen<5307> and died<4191>, stood<5975> still<5975>.
24But Joab<3097> and Abishai<52> pursued<7291> Abner<74>, and when the sun<8121> was going<935> down, they came<935> to the hill<1389> of Ammah<522>, which<834> is in front<6440> of Giah<1520> by the way<1870> of the wilderness<4057> of Gibeon<1391>.
25The sons<1121> of Benjamin<1144> gathered<6908> together behind<310> Abner<74> and became<1961> one<259> band<92>, and they stood<5975> on the top<7218> of a certain<259> hill<1389>.
26Then Abner<74> called<7121> to Joab<3097> and said<559>, "Shall the sword<2719> devour<398> forever<5331>? Do you not know<3045> that it will be bitter<4751> in the end<314>? How<4970> long<5704><4970> will you refrain<3808> from telling<559> the people<5971> to turn<7725> back<7725> from following<310> their brothers<251>?"
27Joab<3097> said<559>, "As God<430> lives<2416>, if<3588><3884> you had not spoken<1696>, surely<3588> then<227> the people<5971> would have gone<5927> away<5927> in the morning<1242>, each<376> from following<310> his brother<251>."
28So Joab<3097> blew<8628> the trumpet<7782>; and all<3605> the people<5971> halted<5975> and pursued<7291> Israel<3478> no<3808> longer<5750>, nor<3808> did they continue<3254> to fight<3898> anymore<5750>.
29Abner<74> and his men<376> then went<1980> through the Arabah<6160> all<3605> that night<3915>; so they crossed<5674> the Jordan<3383>, walked<1980> all<3605> morning<1338>, and came<935> to Mahanaim<4266>.
30Then Joab<3097> returned<7725> from following<310> Abner<74>; when he had gathered<6908> all<3605> the people<5971> together, nineteen<8672><6240> of David's<1732> servants<5650> besides Asahel<6214> were missing<6485>.
31But the servants<5650> of David<1732> had struck<5221> down<5221> many of Benjamin<1144> and Abner's<74> men<376>, so that three<7969> hundred<3967> and sixty<8346> men<376> died<4191>.
32And they took<5375> up Asahel<6214> and buried<6912> him in his father's<1> tomb<6913> which<834> was in Bethlehem<1035>. Then Joab<3097> and his men<376> went<1980> all<3605> night<3915> until the day dawned<215> at Hebron<2275>.