David Anointed King of Judah
1 After this, David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord said to him, “Go up.”
David said, “Where shall I go up?”
He said, “To Hebron.”
2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by the Lord, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul and have buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ish-Bosheth Made King of Israel
8 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Civil War at Gibeon
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and they sat, one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!”
Joab said, “Let them arise!” 15 Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s men. 16 They each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim. 17 The battle was very severe that day, and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, by David’s soldiers.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.
20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
He answered, “It is.”
21 Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right or to your left and grab one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. 22 Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?” 23 However he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there and died in the same place. And now everyone who comes to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stands still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. The sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The descendants of Benjamin gathered together after Abner and became one band and stood on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”
27 Joab said, “As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the men would not have stopped pursuing their brothers until morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued Israel, and they fought no more.
29 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.
30 Joab returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David’s men, including Asahel, were missing. 31 But David’s men had struck Benjamin and Abner’s men so that 360 men died.
32 They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.