| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered. | 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 with his two wives, 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. |
| 3David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. | 3David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron. |
| 4Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah. When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had 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." |
| 5he sent messengers to them to say to them, "The LORD bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying 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. |
| 6May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. | 6Now may the LORD show you true kindness! I also will reward you, because you have done this deed. |
| 7Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have 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." |
| 8Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth 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. |
| 9He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. | 9He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. |
| 10Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to 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. |
| 11The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months. | 11David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. |
| 12Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. | 12Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. |
| 13Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side. | 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. |
| 14Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us." "All right, let them do it," Joab said. | 14Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!" |
| 15So they stood up and were counted off--twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for 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. |
| 16Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim. | 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. |
| 17The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David's men. | 17Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David's soldiers. |
| 18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed 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.) |
| 19He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. | 19Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner. |
| 20Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It is," he answered. | 20Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!" |
| 21Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing 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. |
| 22Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?" | 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 Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died. | 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 setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland 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. |
| 25Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on 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. |
| 26Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?" | 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?" |
| 27Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until 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 troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, 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. |
| 29All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours and 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. |
| 30Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing. | 30Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David's soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. |
| 31But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. | 31But David's soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner's men--in all, 360 men had died! |
| 32They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak. | 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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