2 Samuel 2

1 And it came to pass after this, that Dawid enquired of יהוה, saying, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah (Yehudah)?” And יהוה said unto him, “Go up.” And Dawid said, “Whither shall I go up?” And He said, “Unto Hebron.”

2 So Dawid went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Yizreelitess, and Avigail Naval’s wife the Carmelite.

3 And his men that were with him did Dawid bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 And the men of Judah (Yehudah) came, and there they anointed Dawid king over the house of Judah (Yehudah). And they told Dawid, saying, “That the men of Yavesh-Gilad were they that buried Saul.”

5 And Dawid sent messengers unto the men of Yavesh-Gilad, and said unto them, “Blessed be you of יהוה, that you have shewed this kindness unto your lord (adon), even unto Saul, and have buried him.

6 And now יהוה shew kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because you have done this thing.

7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be you valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah (Yehudah) have anointed me king over them.”

8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

9 And made him king over Gilad, and over the Ashurites, and over Yizreel, and over Efrayim, and over Benjamin (Binyamin), and over all Yisrael.

10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Yisrael, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah (Yehudah) followed Dawid.

11 And the time that Dawid was king in Hebron over the house of Judah (Yehudah) 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 Giveon.

13 And Yoav the son of Tseruyah, and the servants of Dawid, went out, and met together by the pool of Giveon; 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 Yoav, “Let the young men now arise, and play before us.” And Yoav said, “Let them arise.”

15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin (Binyamin), which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of Dawid.

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 Giveon.

17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Yisrael, before the servants of Dawid.

18 And there were three sons of Tseruyah there, Yoav, and Avishai, 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, “Are you Asahel?” And he answered, “I am.”

21 And Abner said to him, “Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay you hold on one of the young men, and take you his armour.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn you aside from following me; wherefore should I smite you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Yoav your 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 Yoav also and Avishai 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 Giveon.

25 And the children of Benjamin (Binyamin) gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill.

26 Then Abner called to Yoav, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Knowest you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, ere you bid the people return from following their brethren?”

27 And Yoav said, “As God (Elohim) liveth, unless you hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.”

28 So Yoav blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Yisrael no more, neither fought they any more.

29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan (Yarden), and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

30 And Yoav returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dawid’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.

31 But the servants of Dawid had smitten of Benjamin (Binyamin), 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 (Beit-Lechem). And Yoav and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.