1 ¶ After this, David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, To which shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.

2 So David went up there, with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.

3 And David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household: and they settled in the towns around Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came, and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, That the men of Jabeshgilead had buried Saul.

5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabeshgilead, and said to them, May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed kindness to Saul your king, by burying him.

6 And now may the LORD show kindness and faithfulness to you: and I also will return this kindness to you, because you have done this thing.

7 Therefore let your hands now be strengthened, and be valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.

8 ¶ But Abner the son of Ner, the general of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

9 And made him the king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of 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 length of 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, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, marched out, and they both met by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, one on 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 compete in front of us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

15 So they got up and were counted off, twelve from Benjamin, who were with Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 And each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side; so they all fell down together: therefore that field, which is in Gibeon, was called the field of sharp knives.

17 And there was a very fierce battle that day; and Abner, and the men of Israel, were defeated by the servants of David.

18 ¶ Now three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as swift on his feet as a wild gazelle.

19 And Asahel pursued Abner; and as he ran he did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am.

21 And Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

22 And Abner again said to Asahel, Turn aside from following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then would I be able to face your brother Joab?

23 However he refused to turn aside: therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out through his back; and he fell down, and died in that same place: and everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell down dead stood still.

24 But Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner: and by sunset they had reached the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah on the road to the desert of Gibeon.

25 ¶ Meanwhile the children of Benjamin assembled behind Abner, and became one troop, 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 bitterness will be the result? how long will it be then, before you tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers?

27 And Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken up, the troops would not have stopped pursuing their brothers until morning.

28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and stopped pursuing Israel, nor did they fight any more.

29 Abner and his men then marched all that night through the Jordan valley, crossed over the Jordan, went through all of Bithron, and arrived at Mahanaim.

30 After Joab returned from pursuing Abner: when he assembled all his troops together, besides Asahel only nineteen of David’s servants were missing.

31 But the servants of David had slain of Benjamin, three hundred and sixty of Abner’s men.

32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and arrived in Hebron at the break of day.