Dual Panel1Afterward <03651> <0310> David <01732> inquired <07592> of the Lord <03068>, “Should I go up <05927> to one <0259> of the cities <05892> of Judah <03063>?” The Lord <03068> told <0559> him, “Go up <05927>.” David <01732> asked <0559>, “Where <0575> should I go <05927>?” The Lord replied <0559>, “To Hebron <02275>.”
2So <05927> David <01732> went up, along <01571> with his two <08147> wives <0802>, Ahinoam <0293> the Jezreelite <03159> and Abigail <026>, formerly the wife <0802> of Nabal <05037> the Carmelite <03761>.
3David <01732> also brought <05927> along the men <0376> who <0834> were with <05973> him, each <0376> with his family <01004>. They settled <03427> in the cities <05892> of Hebron <02275>.
4The men <0376> of Judah <03063> came <0935> and there <08033> they anointed <04886> David <01732> as king <04428> over <05921> the people <01004> of Judah <03063>. David <01732> was told <05046>, “The people <0376> of Jabesh <03003> Gilead <01568> are the ones who <0834> buried <06912> Saul <07586>.”
5So David <01732> sent <07971> messengers <04397> to <0413> the people <0376> of Jabesh <03003> Gilead <01568> and told <0559> them, “May you be blessed <01288> by the Lord <03068> because <0834> you <0859> have shown <06213> this <02088> kindness <02617> to <05973> your lord <0113> Saul <07586> by <05973> burying <06912> him.
6Now <06258> may the Lord <03068> show <06213> you true <0571> kindness <02617>! I <0595> also <01571> will reward <02896> <06213> you, because <0834> you have done <06213> this <02088> deed <01697>.
7Now <06258> be courageous <02388> and prove <01961> to be valiant warriors <02428> <01121>, for <03588> your lord <0113> Saul <07586> is dead <04191>. The people <01004> of Judah <03063> have anointed <04886> me as king <04428> over <05921> them.”
8Now Abner <074> son <01121> of Ner <05369>, the general in command <08269> of Saul’s <07586> army <06635>, had taken <03947> Saul’s <07586> son <01121> Ish-bosheth <0378> and had brought <05674> him to Mahanaim <04266>.
9He appointed him king <04427> over Gilead <01568>, the Geshurites <0805>, Jezreel <03157>, Ephraim <0669>, Benjamin <01144>, and all <03605> Israel <03478>.
10Ish-bosheth <0378> son <01121> of Saul <07586> was forty <0705> years <08141> old <01121> when he began to rule <04427> over <05921> Israel <03478>. He ruled <04427> two <08147> years <08141>. However <0389>, the people <01004> of Judah <03063> followed <0310> <01961> David <01732>.
11David <01732> was king <04428> in Hebron <02275> over <05921> the people <01004> of Judah <03063> for seven <07651> and a half <02320> <08337> years <08141>.
12Then Abner <074> son <01121> of Ner <05369> and the servants <05650> of Ish-bosheth <0378> son <01121> of Saul <07586> went out <03318> from Mahanaim <04266> to Gibeon <01391>.
13Joab <03097> son <01121> of Zeruiah <06870> and the servants <05650> of David <01732> also went out <03318> and confronted <06298> them at <05921> the pool <01295> of Gibeon <01391>. One group <0428> stationed <03427> themselves on <05921> one side <02088> of the pool <01295>, and the other group <0428> on <05921> the other side <02088> of the pool <01295>.
14Abner <074> said <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “Let <04994> the soldiers <05288> get up <06965> and fight <07832> before <06440> us.” Joab <03097> said <0559>, “So be it!”
15So they got up <06965> and crossed over <05674> by number <04557>: twelve <06240> <08147> belonging to Benjamin <01144> and to Ish-bosheth <0378> son <01121> of Saul <07586>, and twelve <06240> <08147> from the servants <05650> of David <01732>.
16As they grappled <02388> with one another <0376>, each one <07453> stabbed his opponent <07453> with his sword <02719> and they fell dead <05307> together <03162>. So that <01931> place <04725> is called <07121> the Field of Flints <02521>; it is in Gibeon <01391>.
17Now the battle <04421> was <01961> very <03966> severe <07186> that day <03117>; Abner <074> and the men <0376> of Israel <03478> were overcome <05062> by <06440> David’s <01732> soldiers <05650>.
18The three <07969> sons <01121> of Zeruiah <06870> were <01961> there <08033>– Joab <03097>, Abishai <052>, and Asahel <06214>. (Now Asahel <06214> was as quick <07031> on his feet <07272> as one <0259> of the gazelles <06643> in the field <07704>.)
19Asahel <06214> chased <0310> <07291> Abner <074>, without <03808> turning <01980> <05186> to <05921> the right <03225> or to <05921> the left <08040> as he followed <0310> Abner <074>.
20Then Abner <074> turned <0310> <06437> and asked <0559>, “Is that <02088> you <0859>, Asahel <06214>?” He replied <0559>, “Yes it is!”
21Abner <074> said <0559> to him, “Turn aside <05186> to <05921> your right <03225> or <0176> to your left <08040>. Capture <0270> one <0259> of the soldiers <05288> and take <03947> his equipment <02488> for yourself!” But Asahel <06214> was not <03808> willing <014> to turn aside <05493> from following <0310> him.
22So Abner <074> spoke <03254> again <05750> to <0413> Asahel <06214>, “Turn aside <05493> from following <0310> me! I do not want to strike <05221> you to the ground <0776>. How <0349> then could I show <05375> my face <06440> in <0413> the presence of Joab <03097> your brother <0251>?”
23But Asahel refused <03985> to turn aside <05493>. So Abner <074> struck <05221> him in the abdomen <02570> with <0413> the back <0310> end of his spear <02595>. The spear <02595> came out <03318> his back; Asahel collapsed <05307> on the spot <08033> and died <04191> there <08478> right before Abner. Everyone <03605> who now comes <0935> to <0413> the place <04725> where <08033> Asahel <06214> fell <05307> dead <04191> pauses in respect <05975>.
24So Joab <03097> and Abishai <052> chased <07291> Abner <074>. At sunset <0935> <08121> they <01992> came <0935> to <05704> the hill <01389> of Ammah <0522> near Giah <01520> on <05921> the way <01870> to the wilderness <04057> of Gibeon <01391>.
25The Benjaminites <01144> <01121> formed their ranks <06908> behind <0310> Abner <074> and were <01961> like a single <0259> army <092>, standing <05975> at <05921> the top <07218> of a certain <0259> hill <01389>.
26Then Abner <074> called out <07121> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “Must the sword <02719> devour <0398> forever <05331>? Don’t <03808> you realize <03045> that <03588> this will turn <01961> bitter <04751> in the end <0314>? When <04970> will you tell <0559> the people <05971> to turn <07725> aside from pursuing <0310> their brothers <0251>?”
27Joab <03097> replied <0559>, “As surely <02416> as God <0430> lives, if <03884> <03588> you had not said <01696> this <03588>, it would have been morning <01242> before <0227> the people <05971> would have abandoned pursuit <05927> of their brothers <0251>!”
28Then Joab <03097> blew <08628> the ram’s horn <07782> and all <03605> the people <05971> stopped <05975> in their tracks. They stopped chasing <0310> <05750> <07291> <03808> Israel <03478> and ceased <05750> <03254> <03808> fighting <03898>.
29Abner <074> and his men <0582> went through <01980> the Arabah <06160> all <03605> that <01931> night <03915>. They crossed <05674> the Jordan River <03383> and went through <01980> the whole <03605> region of Bitron <01338> and came <0935> to Mahanaim <04266>.
30Now Joab <03097> returned <07725> from chasing <0310> Abner <074> and assembled <06908> all <03605> the people <05971>. Nineteen <06240> <08672> of David’s <01732> soldiers <0376> <05650> were missing <06485>, in addition to Asahel <06214>.
31But David’s <01732> soldiers <05650> had slaughtered <05221> the Benjaminites <01144> and Abner’s <074> men <0376>– in all, 360 <08346> <03967> <07969> men <0376> had died <04191>!
32They took <05375> Asahel’s <06214> body and buried <06912> him in his father’s <01> tomb <06913> at Bethlehem <01035>. Joab <03097> and his men <0376> then traveled <01980> all <03605> that night <03915> and reached Hebron <02275> by dawn <0215>.