| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Some time later, David inquired of the LORD to ask, "Am I to move to any one of the cities of Judah?" The LORD told him, "Go." So David asked, "To which one?" He replied, "To Hebron." | 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 there, along with his two wives Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal from Carmel. | 2So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. |
| 3David brought his army with him, each soldier accompanied by his household, and they settled in the cities of Hebron. | 3David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron. |
| 4After this, the army of Judah arrived, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah. There they informed David, "The men of Jabesh-gilead 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." |
| 5So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and told them, "May the LORD bless you, because you showed gracious love like this to your lord Saul 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. |
| 6Now may the Lord reward you with gracious love, as well as faithfulness, to you, too! And I will also reward you because you did this good thing. | 6Now may the LORD show you true kindness! I also will reward you, because you have done this deed. |
| 7So strengthen yourselves, and be valiant in heart, because your lord Saul has died, and the household of Judah has anointed me to be 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, Ner's son Abner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth and brought him 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 installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of the rest of Israel. | 9He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. |
| 10Ish-bosheth began to reign over Israel at the age of 40 years, and he reigned for two years, even though Judah's lineage followed 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 period of David's kingship in Hebron lasted seven years and six months. | 11David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. |
| 12 Ner's son Abner and the servants of Saul's son Ish-bosheth set out from Mahanaim for Gibeon. | 12Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. |
| 13Zeruiah's son Joab and some of David's staff went out to meet them at the pool of Gibeon. One side encamped on one side of the pool while the other encamped on the other side of the pool. | 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. |
| 14Abner told Joab, "Let's have the young men get up and fight in our presence." Joab replied, "Let them come." | 14Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!" |
| 15So they got up and twelve were counted to represent Benjamin and Saul's son Ish-bosheth and twelve to represent members of David's staff. | 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. |
| 16Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged his sword into his opponent's side, and then they both fell together. That's why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords. | 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 was very violent that day, with Abner and the men of Israel being defeated in the presence of David's servants. | 17Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David's soldiers. |
| 18Zeruiah's three sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were there. As a runner, Asahel was fast, like one of the wild gazelles. | 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.) |
| 19So Asahel ran straight after Abner, following him. | 19Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner. |
| 20When Abner looked behind him, he said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "I am." | 20Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!" |
| 21Abner told him, "Go off to your right or left after one of the young men and grab some war spoils." But Asahel would not stop following 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. |
| 22so Abner told Asahel again, "Stop following me. Why should I strike you down? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?" | 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 turn away, so Abner struck Asahel in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear protruded through his back. He collapsed to the ground and died where he fell. Everyone gathered round the place where Asahel had collapsed and died, and stood still there. | 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. |
| 24Meanwhile, Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. At dusk, as they approached the hill of Ammah that is located near Giah on the way to the Gibeon desert, | 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. |
| 25the descendants of Benjamin rallied around Abner, forming a single military force. They took their stand on top of the hill. | 25The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill. |
| 26Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the battle sword keep on devouring forever? Don't you realize that the end result is bitterness? How long will it take for you to order your army to stop pursuing their own relatives?" | 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 God lives, if you hadn't spoken up, by morning my army would have broken off their pursuit of their own relatives." | 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 sounded his battle trumpet, his entire army stopped pursuing Israel any longer, and they quit fighting. | 28Then Joab blew the ram's horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. |
| 29Abner and his army traveled through the Arabah by night, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Mahanaim after marching all morning. | 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. |
| 30Joab returned from his pursuit of Abner, and when he had mustered his entire army, nineteen of David's soldiers were missing besides Asahel. | 30Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David's soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. |
| 31Meanwhile, other soldiers of David had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. | 31But David's soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner's men--in all, 360 men had died! |
| 32They retrieved Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night until daybreak and arrived back in Hebron. | 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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