1And it came to pass after this , that David inquired of Jehovah , saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah ? And Jehovah said unto him , Go up . And David said , Whither shall I go up ? And he said , Unto Hebron . 2So David went up thither , and his two wives also , Ahinoam the Jezreelitess , and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite . 3And his men that were with him did David bring up , every man with 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 were they that buried Saul .
The Conflict with Ish-bosheth
5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead , and said unto them , Blessed be ye of Jehovah , that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord , even unto Saul , and have buried him . 6And now Jehovah show lovingkindness and truth unto you : and I also will requite you this kindness , because ye have done this thing . 7Now therefore let your hands be strong , and be ye valiant ; for Saul your lord is dead , and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them .
The Battle at Gibeon
8Now Abner the son of Ner , captain of Saul ’s host , had taken Ish-bosheth the 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, 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 . 11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months . 12And Abner the son of Ner , and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul , went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon . 13And Joab the son of Zeruiah , and the servants of David , went out , and met them 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 . 14And Abner said to Joab , Let the young men , I pray thee , arise and play before us . And Joab said, Let them arise . 15Then they arose and went over by number : twelve for Benjamin , and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul , and twelve of the servants of David . 16And they caught every one his fellow by the head , and thrust his sword in his fellow ’s side ; so they fell down together : wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim , which is in Gibeon . 17And the battle was very sore that day ; and Abner was beaten , and the men of Israel , before the servants of David .
The Death of Asahel
18And the three sons of Zeruiah were there , Joab , and Abishai, and Asahel : and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe . 19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20Then Abner looked behind him , and said, Is it thou, Asahel ? And he answered, It is I . 21And Abner said to him , Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left , and lay thee hold on one of the young men , and take thee his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him . 22And Abner said again to Asahel , Turn thee aside from following me : wherefore should I smite thee to the ground ? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? 23Howbeit he refused to turn aside : wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote 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 to pass , that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still .
Aftermath of the Battle
24But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon . 25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band , and stood on the top of a hill . 26Then 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 , ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? 27And Joab said , As God liveth , if thou hadst not spoken , surely then in the morning the people had gone away , nor followed every one his brother. 28So Joab blew the trumpet ; and all the people stood still , and pursued after Israel no more , neither fought they any more . 29And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah ; and they passed over the Jordan , and went through all Bithron , and came to Mahanaim . 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 . 31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin , and of Abner’s men , so that three hundred and threescore men died . 32And they took up Asahel , and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem . And Joab and his men went all night , and the day brake upon them at Hebron .