| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | English Standard Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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.” |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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,” |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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.” |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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?” |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 25And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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?” |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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.” |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 28So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 31But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. |
| 32[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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