2 Samuel 2:22-32 ▼

22 Abner said again to Asahel, |Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?|

23 However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stopped there.

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 The sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and formed a single group, and stood on the top of a hill.

26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, |Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you ask the people to stop pursuing their brothers?|

27 Joab said, |As the LORD lives, if you had not spoken, surely the people would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.|

28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stopped, and no longer chased after Israel, and they no longer fought.

29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and marched the whole morning, and came to Mahanaim.

30 Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

31 But the servants of David had struck of the people of Benjamin, from the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men who died.

32 They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.