David Anointed King of Judah

1And it came to pass after this that David inquired of YHWH, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?”

And YHWH said to him, “Go up.”

And David said, “Where shall I go up?”

And He said, “To Hebron.”

2And David went up there, and also his two wives Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3And the men who were with him David brought up, every man and his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh-gilead are they who buried Saul.”

5And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “You⁺ are blessed of YHWH, for you⁺ have shown this kindness to your⁺ lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6And may YHWH show to you⁺ loving devotion† and truth, and also I will repay you⁺ this kindness, because you⁺ have done this thing. 7And now let your⁺ hands be strengthened and become sons of valor, for your⁺ master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

8And Abner son of Ner, commander of the army that was unto Saul, had taken Ish-bosheth† son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9And he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ish-bosheth son of Saul was a son of forty years when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years.

Only the house of Judah was behind David. 11And the number of the days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The Battle of Gibeon

12And Abner son of Ner went out, and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13And Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon together, and they sat down, these of the pool on this side, and these of the pool on this side.

14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise now and compete before us.”

And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

15And they arose and went over, by number twelve from Benjamin and of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 16And each one grasped by the head his opponent, and thrust his sword in the side of his opponent, and they fell down together. And that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,† which is in Gibeon.

17And the battle was even very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were struck before the face of the servants of David.

18And were there three the sons of Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as one of the gazelles that are in the field. 19And Asahel pursued after Abner, and he did not stretch in going to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. 20And Abner looked behind him and said, “Is this you, Asahel?”

And He answered, “It is I.”

21And Abner said to him, “Stretch aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take for yourself his armor.”

And Asahel would not turn aside from after him.

22And Abner added again in saying to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? And how could I lift up my face unto Joab your brother?”

23And he refused to turn aside. And Abner struck him with the back of the spear in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back, and he fell down there and died under him. And it came to pass that all who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, they stood still. 24And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun was going down, and they came to the hill of Ammah which is upon the face of Giah by the way of the Wilderness of Gibeon.

25And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner, and they became one unit and took their stand on top of a certain hill. 26And Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword forever devour? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? And until when will you not say to the people to turn from after their brothers?”

27And Joab said, “God lives, for unless you had spoken, surely then by the morning all the people would have pulled back from after their brothers.”

28And Joab blew on the shofar, and all the people stood still and pursued no more after Israel, and they did not continue anymore to fight. 29And Abner and his men went on through the Arabah all that night, and they passed over the Jordan and marched all morning,† and they entered Mahanaim.

30And Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and he gathered together all the people.

And there were missing from the servants of David nineteen men, and Asah-el. 31And the servants of David had struck down from Benjamin, even from the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men who died. 32And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father that was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and at daybreak they came to Hebron.