2 Samuel 2 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

David Made King over Judah

1 Then it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 afterward ^H310 H3651 that David ^H1732 inquired ^H7592 of the LORD ^H3068, saying ^H559, “Shall I go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to one ^H259 of the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063?” And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927.” So David ^H1732 said ^H559, “Where ^H575 shall I go ^H5927 up ^H5927?” And He said ^H559, “To Hebron ^H2275.”

2 So David ^H1732 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 there ^H8033, and his two ^H8147 wives ^H802 also ^H1571, Ahinoam ^H293 the Jezreelitess ^H3159 and Abigail ^H26 the [fn]widow ^H802 of Nabal ^H5037 the Carmelite ^H3761. 3 And David ^H1732 brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 his men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him, each ^H376 with his household ^H1004; and they settled ^H3427 in the cities ^H5892 of Hebron ^H2275. 4 Then the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 came ^H935, and there ^H8033 they anointed ^H4886 David ^H1732 king ^H4428 over ^H5921 the house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063.

And they told ^H5046 David ^H1732, saying ^H559, “It was the men ^H376 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568 who ^H834 buried ^H6912 Saul ^H7586.” 5 So David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the men ^H376 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568, and said ^H559 to them, “May you be blessed ^H1288 of the LORD ^H3068 because ^H834 you have [fn]shown ^H6213 this ^H2088 kindness ^H2617 to Saul ^H7586 your lord ^H113, and have buried ^H6912 him. 6 And now ^H6258 may the LORD ^H3068 [fn]show ^H6213 kindness ^H2617 and truth ^H571 to you; and I also ^H1571 will [fn]show ^H6213 this ^H2088 goodness ^H2896 to you, because ^H834 you have done ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697. 7 Now ^H6258 then, let your hands ^H3027 be strong ^H2388 and be [fn]valiant ^H1121 H2428, since ^H3588 Saul ^H7586 your lord ^H113 is dead ^H4191, and also ^H1571 the house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063 has anointed ^H4886 me king ^H4428 over ^H5921 them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

8 But Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369, commander ^H8269 of Saul’s ^H7586 army ^H6635, had taken ^H3947 [fn]Ish-bosheth ^H378 the son ^H1121 of Saul ^H7586 and brought ^H5674 him over ^H5674 to Mahanaim ^H4266.

9 And he made ^H4427 him king ^H4427 over ^H413 Gilead ^H1568, over ^H413 the Ashurites ^H805, over ^H413 Jezreel ^H3157, over ^H5921 Ephraim ^H669, and over ^H5921 Benjamin ^H1144, even over ^H5921 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478. 10 Ish-bosheth ^H378, Saul’s ^H7586 son ^H1121, was forty ^H705 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 when he became ^H4427 king ^H4427 over ^H5921 Israel ^H3478, and he was ^H4427 king ^H4427 for two ^H8147 years ^H8141. The house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063, however ^H389, followed ^H1961 H310 David ^H1732. 11 And the [fn]time ^H4557 H3117 that David ^H1732 was king ^H4428 in Hebron ^H2275 over ^H5921 the house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063 was seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 and six ^H8337 months ^H2320.

Civil War

12 Now Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369, went ^H3318 from Mahanaim ^H4266 to Gibeon ^H1391 with the servants ^H5650 of Ish-bosheth ^H378 the son ^H1121 of Saul ^H7586.

13 And Joab ^H3097 the son ^H1121 of Zeruiah ^H6870 and the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and met ^H6298 [fn]them by the pool ^H1295 of Gibeon ^H1391; and they sat ^H3427 down ^H3427, [fn]Abner’s men on the one ^H2088 side ^H2088 of the pool ^H1295 and [fn]Joab’s men on the other ^H2088 side ^H2088 of the pool ^H1295. 14 Then Abner ^H74 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097, “Now ^H4994 have the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 arise ^H6965 and hold ^H7832 a ^H7832 martial ^H7832 skills ^H7832 match ^H7832 in our presence ^H6440.” And Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “Have them arise ^H6965!” 15 So they got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and went ^H5674 over ^H5674 by count ^H4557, twelve ^H8147 H6240 for Benjamin ^H1144 and Ish-bosheth ^H378 the son ^H1121 of Saul ^H7586, and twelve ^H8147 H6240 from the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732. 16 And each ^H376 one ^H376 of them seized ^H2388 his [fn]opponent ^H7453 by the head ^H7218 and thrust his sword ^H2719 in his [fn]opponent’s ^H7453 side ^H6654; so they fell ^H5307 down ^H5307 together ^H3162. Therefore that place ^H4725 was called ^H7121 [fn]Helkath-hazzurim ^H2521, which ^H834 is in Gibeon ^H1391. 17 That day ^H3117 the battle ^H4421 was very ^H3966 severe ^H7186, and Abner ^H74 and the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 were defeated ^H5062 [fn]by the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732.

18 Now the three ^H7969 sons ^H1121 of Zeruiah ^H6870 were there ^H8033, Joab ^H3097, Abishai ^H52, and Asahel ^H6214; and Asahel ^H6214 was as [fn]swift-footed ^H7031 H7272 as one ^H259 of the gazelles ^H6643 that is in the field ^H7704. 19 Asahel ^H6214 pursued ^H7291 H310 Abner ^H74 and did not turn ^H5186 [fn]to the right ^H3225 or to the left ^H8040 from following ^H310 Abner ^H74. 20 Then Abner ^H74 looked ^H6437 behind ^H310 himself and said ^H559, “Is that you, Asahel ^H6214?” And he said ^H559, “It is I!” 21 So Abner ^H74 said ^H559 to him, “Turn ^H5186 aside ^H5186 for your own good to your right ^H3225 or ^H176 to your left ^H8040, and take ^H270 hold ^H270 of one ^H259 of the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 for yourself, and take ^H3947 for yourself his equipment ^H2488.” But Asahel ^H6214 was unwilling ^H3808 H14 to turn ^H5493 aside ^H5493 from following ^H310 him. 22 Then Abner ^H74 repeated ^H3254 H559 again ^H5750 to Asahel ^H6214, “Turn ^H5493 aside ^H5493 for your own good from following ^H310 me. Why ^H4100 should I strike ^H5221 you to the ground ^H776? How ^H349 then could I [fn]show ^H5375 my face ^H6440 to your brother ^H251 Joab ^H3097?” 23 However, he refused ^H3985 to turn ^H5493 aside ^H5493; so Abner ^H74 struck ^H5221 him in the belly ^H2570 with the butt ^H310 end ^H310 of the spear ^H2595, so that the spear ^H2595 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 at his back ^H310. And he fell ^H5307 there ^H8033 and died ^H4191 on the spot ^H8478. And it happened ^H1961 that all ^H3605 who came ^H935 thereafter to the place ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 Asahel ^H6214 had fallen ^H5307 and died ^H4191, stood ^H5975 still ^H5975.

24 But Joab ^H3097 and Abishai ^H52 pursued ^H7291 H310 Abner ^H74, and when the sun ^H8121 was going ^H935 down, they came ^H935 to the hill ^H1389 of Ammah ^H522, which ^H834 is opposite ^H6440 Giah ^H1520 by way ^H1870 of the wilderness ^H4057 of Gibeon ^H1391. 25 And the sons ^H1121 of Benjamin ^H1144 gathered ^H6908 together behind ^H310 Abner ^H74 and became ^H1961 one ^H259 troop ^H92, and they stood ^H5975 on the top ^H7218 of a hill ^H1389. 26 Then Abner ^H74 called ^H7121 to Joab ^H3097 and said ^H559, “Should the sword ^H2719 devour ^H398 forever ^H5331? Do you not realize ^H3045 that it will be bitter ^H4751 in the end ^H314? So how ^H4970 long ^H5704 H4970 will you [fn]refrain ^H3808 from telling ^H559 the people ^H5971 to turn ^H7725 back ^H7725 from pursuing ^H310 their kinsmen ^H251?” 27 Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “As God ^H430 lives ^H2416, if ^H3588 H3884 you had not spoken ^H1696, then ^H227 the people ^H5971 of Judah certainly ^H3588 would have withdrawn ^H5927 in the morning ^H1242, each ^H376 from pursuing ^H310 his brother ^H251.” 28 So Joab ^H3097 blew ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782, and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 halted ^H5975 and no ^H3808 longer ^H5750 pursued ^H7291 Israel ^H3478, nor ^H3808 did they continue ^H3254 to fight ^H3898 anymore ^H5750. 29 Abner ^H74 and his men ^H376 then went ^H1980 through the Arabah ^H6160 all ^H3605 that night ^H3915; so they crossed ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383, walked ^H1980 all ^H3605 morning ^H1338, and came ^H935 to Mahanaim ^H4266.

30 Then Joab ^H3097 returned ^H7725 from pursuing ^H310 Abner ^H74; but he gathered ^H6908 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 together, and [fn]nineteen ^H8672 H6240 of David’s ^H1732 servants ^H5650 were ^H6485 missing ^H6485, besides Asahel ^H6214. 31 However, the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732 had struck ^H5221 and ^H5221 killed ^H5221 many of Benjamin ^H1144 and Abner’s ^H74 men ^H376; 360 ^{H7969 H3967 H8346} men ^H376 were dead ^H4191. 32 And they carried ^H5375 Asahel ^H6214 away and buried ^H6912 him in his father’s ^H1 tomb ^H6913, which ^H834 was in Bethlehem ^H1035. Then Joab ^H3097 and his men ^H376 traveled ^H1980 all ^H3605 night ^H3915 until the day [fn]dawned ^H215 at Hebron ^H2275.