1   After this David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?’ The Lord answered, ‘Go.’ David asked, ‘To which city?’, and the answer came, ‘To Hebron.’ 2   So David went to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3   David also brought the men who had joined him, with their families, and they settled in the city ^note of Hebron. 4   The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

Word came to David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, and he sent them this message: 5   ‘The Lord bless you because you kept

David's rule at Hebron faith with Saul your lord and buried him. 6   For 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. 7   Be strong, be valiant, now that Saul your lord is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me to be king over them.’

8   Meanwhile Saul's commander-in-chief, Abner son of Ner, had taken Saul's son Ishbosheth, ^note brought him across the Jordan to Mahanaim, and made him king over Gilead, 9   the Asherites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and all Israel. 10   Ishbosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, followed David. 11   David's rule over Judah in Hebron lasted seven years and a half.

12   Abner son of Ner, with the troops of Saul's son Ishbosheth, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon, 13   and Joab son of Zeruiah marched out with David's troops from Hebron. ^noteThey met at the pool of Gibeon and took up their positions one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side. 14   Abner said to Joab, ‘Let the young men come forward and join in single combat before us.’ Joab answered, ‘Yes, let them.’ 15   So they came up, one by one, and took their places, twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth and twelve from David's men. 16   Each man seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side; and thus they fell together. That is why that place, which lies in Gibeon, was called the Field of Blades.

17   There ensued a fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's troops. 18   All three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel, who was swift as a gazelle on the plains, 19   ran straight after Abner, swerving neither to right nor left in his pursuit. 20   Abner turned and asked, ‘Is it you, Asahel?’ Asahel answered, ‘It is.’ 21   Abner 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. 22   Abner again urged him to give it up. ‘Why should I kill you?’ he said. ‘How could I look Joab your brother in the face?’ 23   When he still refused to turn aside, Abner struck him in the belly with a back-thrust of his spear ^note so that the spear came out behind him, and he fell dead in his tracks. All who came to the place where Asahel lay dead stopped there. 24   But 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.

25   The Benjamites rallied to Abner and, forming themselves into a single company, took up their stand on the top of the hill of Ammah. ^note

David's rule at Hebron 26   Abner called to Joab, ‘Must the slaughter go on for ever? Can you not see that it will be all the more bitter in the end? Will you never recall the people from the pursuit of their kinsmen?’ 27   Joab answered, ‘As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would not have given up the pursuit till morning.’ 28   Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people abandoned the pursuit of the men of Israel and the fighting ceased. 29   Abner and his men moved along the Arabah all that night, crossed the Jordan and went on all the morning till they reached Mahanaim. 30   When Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner, he assembled his troops and found that, besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were missing. 31   David's forces had routed the Benjamites and the followers of Abner, killing three hundred and sixty of them. 32   They 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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