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2 Samuel 2 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

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David Anointed King of Judah
Israel and Judah at War
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:1 - It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:2 - So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:3 - And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:4 - Then 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 the ones who buried Saul.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:5 - So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:6 - “And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:7 - “Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ishbosheth Made King of Israel
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:8 - But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth[fn] the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:9 - and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:10 - Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:11 - And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Israel and Judah at War
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:12 - Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:13 - And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:14 - Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:15 - So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:16 - And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords,[fn] which is in Gibeon.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:17 - So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:18 - Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:19 - So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:20 - Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?” He answered, “I am.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:21 - And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:22 - So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:23 - However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:24 - Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:25 - Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:26 - Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:27 - And Joab said, “As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:28 - So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:29 - Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:30 - So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:31 - But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died.
Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:32 - Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.
NKJV Footnotes
Called Esh-Baal in 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39
Hebrew Helkath Hazzurim
NKJV

New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) appearing on or deriving from this or any other web page is for personal use only. Any other use of the NKJV must be in conformity with the Quotation Policy for the New King James Version. For more information about the New King James Version, the Quotation Policy, and for inquiries about permission to use the New King James Version, go to Thomas Nelson, Inc..

For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

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