2 Samuel 2:1–5:5

And it came to pass after this, that David ainquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto bHebron. 2 So David went up thither, and his ctwo wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 3 And dhis men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 eAnd the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of fJabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul. 5 And David sent messengers unto the men of fJabesh-gilead, and said unto them, gBlessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now hthe Lord shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and †be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. 8 But iAbner the son of Ner, captain of †Saul’s host, took ||Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to jMahanaim; 9 And made him king over kGilead, and over the kAshurites, and over lJezreel, and over kEphraim, and over kBenjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the †time that David was king in bHebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to mGibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met †together by nthe pool of Gibeon: 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 Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 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 ||Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. 18 And there were othree sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was pas light †of foot †qas 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, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his ||armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: rwherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? 23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him sunder 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 Joab also and Abishai 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 Gibeon. 25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? 27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless tthou hadst spoken, surely then †in the morning the people had ||gone up every one from following his brother. 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all uBithron, and they came to xMahanaim. 30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, 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 Beth-lehem. And yJoab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

3 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. 2 And aunto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, bof Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 And his second, ||Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king cof Geshur; 4 And the fourth, dAdonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was eRizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou fgone in unto my father’s concubine? 8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I ga dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? 9 hSo do God to Abner, and more also, except, ias the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; 10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, kfrom Dan even to Beer-sheba. 11 And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee. 13 And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, †that is, lThou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring mMichal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face. 14 And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me nfor an hundred foreskins of the Philistines. 15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from oPhaltiel the son of Laish. 16 And her husband went with her †along weeping behind her to pBahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned. 17 And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David †in times past to be king over you: 18 Now then do it: qfor the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. 19 And Abner also spake in the ears of rBenjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin. 20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. 21 And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, sthat they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest treign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace. 24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone? 25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know uthy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest. 26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not. 27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab xtook him aside in the gate to speak with him ||quietly, and smote him there yunder the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

28 And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the †blood of Abner the son of Ner: 29 zLet it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not †fail from the house of Joab one athat hath an issue, or bthat is a leper, or that leaneth on ca staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread. 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother dAsahel at Gibeon in the battle.

31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, eRend your clothes, and fgird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the †bier. 32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people …