1And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.stylus···2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.stylus···3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.stylus···4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.stylus···5And David sent messengers to the men of Jabeshgilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.stylus···6And now the LORD show kindness and truth to you: and I also will repay you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.stylus···7Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.stylus···8But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;stylus···9And he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.stylus···10Ishbosheth 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.stylus11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.stylus···12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.stylus···13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by 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.stylus···14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and fight before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.stylus···15Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.stylus16And they caught every one his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.stylus17And there was a very fierce battle that day; and Abner was smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.stylus···18And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.stylus···19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.stylus···20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am .stylus21And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take to thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.stylus···22And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: why should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?stylus···23But he refused to turn aside: therefore Abner with the blunt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.stylus···24Joab also and Abishai pursued Abner: and the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.stylus25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.stylus26Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, before thou wilt bid the people return from following their brethren?stylus···27And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.stylus···28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued Israel no more, neither fought they any more.stylus29And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.stylus···30And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.stylus31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died.stylus···32And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.stylus···