2 Samuel 2:8-32

2 Samuel 2:8-32

[8] But Abner  the son  of Ner,  captain  of Saul's  host,  took  Ishbosheth  the son  of Saul,  and brought him over  to Mahanaim;  [9] And made him king  over Gilead,  and over the Ashurites,  and over Jezreel,  and over Ephraim,  and over Benjamin,  and over all Israel.  [10] Ishbosheth  Saul's  son  was forty  years  old  when he began to reign  over Israel,  and reigned  two  years.  But the house  of Judah  followed  David.  [11] And the time  that David  was king  in Hebron  over the house  of Judah  was seven  years  and six  months.  [12] And Abner  the son  of Ner,  and the servants  of Ishbosheth  the son  of Saul,  went out  from Mahanaim  to Gibeon.  [13] And 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,  [14] And Abner  said  to Joab,  Let the young men  now arise,  and play  before  us. And Joab  said,  Let them arise.  [15] Then there arose  and went over  by number  twelve  of Benjamin,  which pertained to Ishbosheth  the son  of Saul,  and twelve  of the servants  of David.  [16] And 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  Helkathhazzurim,  which is in Gibeon.  [17] And there was a very  sore  battle  that day;  and Abner  was beaten,  of Israel,  before  the servants  of David.  [18] And there were three  sons  of Zeruiah  there, Joab,  and Abishai,  and Asahel:  was as light  of foot  as a  wild  roe.  [19] And Asahel  pursued  after  Abner;  he turned  not to the right hand  nor to the left  from following  Abner.  [20] Then Abner  looked  behind  him, and said,  Art thou Asahel?  And he answered,  [21] And 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 armour.  But Asahel  would  not turn aside  from following  of him. [22] And 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?  [23] Howbeit he refused  to turn aside:  wherefore Abner  with the hinder 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.  [24] Joab  also and Abishai  pursued  after  Abner:  and the sun  went down  to the hill  of Ammah,  that lieth before  Giah  by the way  of the wilderness  of Gibeon.  [25] And the children  of Benjamin  gathered themselves together  after  Abner,  and became one  troop,  and stood  on the top  of an hill.  [26] Then 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?  [27] And 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.  [28] So Joab  blew  a trumpet,  and all the people  stood still,  and pursued  after  Israel  no more, neither fought  they any more.  [29] And Abner  and his men  walked  all that night  through the plain,  and passed over  Jordan,  all Bithron,  and they came  to Mahanaim.  [30] And Joab  returned  from following  Abner:  all the people  together,  there lacked  of David's  servants  nineteen  men  and Asahel.  [31] But the servants  of David  had smitten  of Benjamin,  and of Abner's  so that three  hundred  and threescore  men  died.  [32] And they took up  Asahel,  and buried  him in the sepulchre  of his father,  which was in Bethlehem.  And Joab  all night,  and they came to Hebron  at break of day.