1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. 2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
5 ¶ And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8 ¶ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth 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 Ish-bosheth 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 Ish-bosheth 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, and the other on the other 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 Ish-bosheth 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 Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 ¶ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going 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, I am . 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 when they were come 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, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. 30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered 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 men, 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 Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
1 igitur post haec consuluit David Dominum dicens
num ascendam in unam de civitatibus Iuda
et ait Dominus ad eum ascende
dixitque David quo ascendam
et respondit ei in Hebron
2 ascendit ergo David et duae uxores eius
Ahinoem Iezrahelites et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli
3 sed et viros qui erant cum eo duxit David singulos cum domo sua
et manserunt in oppidis Hebron
4 veneruntque viri Iuda
et unxerunt ibi David ut regnaret super domum Iuda
et nuntiatum est David quod viri Iabesgalaad sepelissent Saul
5 misit ergo David nuntios ad viros Iabesgalaad dixitque ad eos
benedicti vos Domino
qui fecistis misericordiam hanc cum domino vestro Saul et sepelistis eum
6 et nunc retribuet quidem vobis Dominus
misericordiam et veritatem
sed et ego reddam gratiam eo quod feceritis verbum istud
7 confortentur manus vestrae et estote filii fortitudinis
licet enim mortuus sit dominus vester Saul
tamen me unxit domus Iuda regem sibi
8 Abner autem filius Ner princeps exercitus Saul
tulit Hisboseth filium Saul et circumduxit eum per Castra
9 regemque constituit super Galaad et super Gesuri
et super Iezrahel et super Ephraim
et super Beniamin et super Israhel universum
10 quadraginta annorum erat Hisboseth filius Saul
cum regnare coepisset super Israhel
et duobus annis regnavit
sola autem domus Iuda sequebatur David
11 et fuit numerus dierum
quos commoratus est David imperans in Hebron super domum Iuda
septem annorum et sex mensuum
12 egressusque Abner filius Ner
et pueri Hisboseth filii Saul de Castris in Gabaon
13 porro Ioab filius Sarviae et pueri David egressi sunt
et occurrerunt eis iuxta piscinam Gabaon
et cum in unum convenissent e regione sederunt
hii ex una parte piscinae et illi ex altera
14 dixitque Abner ad Ioab surgant pueri et ludant coram nobis
et respondit Ioab surgant
15 surrexerunt ergo et transierunt numero duodecim de Beniamin
ex parte Hisboseth filii Saul
et duodecim de pueris David
16 adprehensoque unusquisque capite conparis sui
defixit gladium in latus contrarii et ceciderunt simul
vocatumque est nomen loci illius ager Robustorum in Gabaon
17 et ortum est bellum durum satis in die illa
fugatusque est Abner et viri Israhel a pueris David
18 erant autem ibi tres filii Sarviae Ioab et Abisai et Asahel
porro Asahel cursor velocissimus fuit
quasi unus ex capreis quae morantur in silvis
19 persequebatur autem Asahel Abner
et non declinavit ad dexteram sive ad sinistram
omittens persequi Abner
20 respexit itaque Abner post tergum suum et ait tune es Asahel
qui respondit ego sum
21 dixitque ei Abner vade ad dextram sive ad sinistram
et adprehende unum de adulescentibus et tolle tibi spolia eius
noluit autem Asahel omittere quin urgueret eum
22 rursumque locutus est Abner ad Asahel
recede noli me sequi ne conpellar confodere te in terra
et levare non potero faciem meam ad Ioab fratrem tuum
23 qui audire contempsit et noluit declinare
percussit ergo eum Abner aversa hasta in inguine et transfodit
et mortuus est in eodem loco
omnesque qui transiebant per locum in quo ceciderat
Asahel et mortuus erat subsistebant
24 persequentibus autem Ioab et Abisai fugientem Abner sol occubuit
et venerunt usque ad collem Aquaeductus
qui est ex adverso vallis et itineris deserti in Gabaon
25 congregatique sunt filii Beniamin ad Abner
et conglobati in unum cuneum steterunt in summitate tumuli unius
26 et exclamavit Abner ad Ioab et ait
num usque ad internicionem tuus mucro desaeviet
an ignoras quod periculosa sit desperatio
usquequo non dicis populo ut omittat persequi fratres suos
27 et ait Ioab vivit Dominus si locutus fuisses mane
recessisset populus persequens fratrem suum
28 insonuit ergo Ioab bucina et stetit omnis exercitus
nec persecuti sunt ultra Israhel neque iniere certamen
29 Abner autem et viri eius abierunt per campestria tota nocte illa
et transierunt Iordanem
et lustrata omni Bethoron venerunt ad Castra
30 porro Ioab reversus omisso Abner congregavit omnem populum
et defuerunt de pueris David decem et novem viri
excepto Asahele
31 servi autem David percusserunt de Beniamin
et de viris qui erant cum Abner
trecentos sexaginta qui et mortui sunt
32 tuleruntque Asahel
et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro patris sui in Bethleem
et ambulaverunt tota nocte Ioab et viri qui erant cum eo
et in ipso crepusculo pervenerunt in Hebron