| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” | 1Afterward David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" The LORD told him, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go?" The LORD replied, "To Hebron." |
| 2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. | 2So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. |
| 3And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. | 3David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron. |
| 4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” | 4The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. David was told, "The people of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul." |
| 5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. | 5So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead and told them, "May you be blessed by the LORD because you have shown this kindness to your lord Saul by burying him. |
| 6Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. | 6Now may the LORD show you true kindness! I also will reward you, because you have done this deed. |
| 7Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” | 7Now be courageous and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them." |
| 8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, | 8Now Abner son of Ner, the general in command of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth and had brought him to Mahanaim. |
| 9and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. | 9He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. |
| 10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. | 10Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people of Judah followed David. |
| 11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. | 11David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. |
| 12Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. | 12Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. |
| 13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the 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. | 13Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool. |
| 14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” | 14Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!" |
| 15Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. | 15So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. |
| 16And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. | 16As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. So that place is called the Field of Flints; it is in Gibeon. |
| 17And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. | 17Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David's soldiers. |
| 18And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. | 18The three sons of Zeruiah were there--Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) |
| 19And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. | 19Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner. |
| 20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” | 20Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!" |
| 21Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. | 21Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!" But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. |
| 22And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” | 22So Abner spoke again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother?" |
| 23But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. | 23But Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect. |
| 24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. | 24So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. |
| 25And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. | 25The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill. |
| 26Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” | 26Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?" |
| 27And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” | 27Joab replied, "As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers!" |
| 28So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. | 28Then Joab blew the ram's horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. |
| 29And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. | 29Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and went through the whole region of Bitron and came to Mahanaim. |
| 30Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. | 30Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David's soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. |
| 31But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. | 31But David's soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner's men--in all, 360 men had died! |
| 32And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron. | 32They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn. |
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