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time later, David inquired of the Lord. He asked, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”
The Lord answered him, “Go up.”
David asked, “Where will I go?”
“To Hebron,” the Lord replied.
2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were him, each one with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “The Lord bless you, because you have shown this kindness to your lord Saul when you buried him. 6 Now, may the Lord show kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also reward you because you have done this. 7 Therefore, let your hands be strengthened and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
8 But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abner son of Ner, together with soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13 So Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. There they took up positions opposite each other, with one group sitting on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side.
14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men come forward and fight hand to hand in front of us.”
“All right, let’s do it,” Joab replied.
15 So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men from Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David’s men. 16 Then each of the men grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword through his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place, which is in Gibeon, was called Helkath-hazzurim.
17 The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s men.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift footed as a wild gazelle. 19 Asahel chased Abner and did not turn to the right and or to the left in his pursuit. 20 Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you Asahel?”
“Yes, it is,” he answered.
21 Abner said to him, “Turn to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his weapons and tunic for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
22 Abner again warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I ever show my face to your brother Joab?”
23 But Asahel refused to turn aside; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach with such force it protruded out his back. Then Asahel fell down and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, 24 but Joab and Abishai continued pursuing Abner. As the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 Then the Benjaminites rallied around Abner and formed a single unit, and they took their stand on top of a hill.
26 Abner called to out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realise that this can only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the men to break off pursuing their brothers?”
27 Joab answered, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would not have given up pursuing their brothers until morning.”
28 So Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the men halted. Then they broke off their pursuit of Israel, nor did they fight anymore.
29 So Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night. Then they crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole of Bithron, and arrived at Mahanaim.
30 After Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he assembled all his men. From David’s soldiers, only nineteen men were found to be missing, besides Asahel. 31 But David’s soldiers had killed three hundred and sixty Benjaminites who were with Abner. 32 They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and they reached Hebron at daybreak.