2 Samuel 2

1And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

1After this, David asked the LORD, 'Should I go to any of the towns in Judah?' The LORD told him, 'Go.' Then David asked, 'Where should I go?' and the LORD answered, 'To Hebron.'

2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

2So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal from Carmel.

3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

3David also brought his men and their families, and they all settled in the towns around Hebron.

4And 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 they that buried Saul.

4The men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David as king over the people of Judah. Then David was told that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul.

5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and told them, 'May the LORD bless you for showing this kindness to your master Saul and for burying him.'

6And now Jehovah show lovingkindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

6'May the LORD now show you faithful love and truth. I will also treat you well because you have done this.'

7Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

7'Now, be strong and brave. Even though your master Saul is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me to be their king.'

8Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

8Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim.

9and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

9Abner made him king over Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of Israel.

10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

10Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king of Israel, and he ruled for two years. However, the people of Judah stayed loyal to David.

11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

11David was king in Hebron over the tribe of Judah for a total of seven years and six months.

12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

12Abner son of Ner and the soldiers of Ish-bosheth left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met them 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.

13Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers also went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the opposite side.

14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

14Abner said to Joab, 'Let’s have some of the young men get up and compete in front of us.' Joab said, 'Let them do it.'

15Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

15So they stepped forward and were counted: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth, and twelve for David.

16And 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.

16Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and stabbed him in the side with a sword; they all fell down dead together. That is why the place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sharp Swords.

17And the battle was very sore that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

17A very fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.

18And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild deer.

19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

19Asahel chased after Abner, running straight toward him without turning left or right.

20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.

20Abner looked back and asked, 'Is that you, Asahel?' He answered, 'Yes, it is.'

21And 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 armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

21Abner told him, 'Turn away to the right or the left; catch one of the young men and take his gear for yourself.' But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.

22And 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?

22Abner warned Asahel again, 'Stop chasing me! Why should I kill you? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face again?'

23Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the body, so 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.

23But Asahel still refused to turn away. So Abner pushed the back end of his spear into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell down and died right there. Everyone who came to the spot where Asahel died stopped and stood still.

24But Joab 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.

24But Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. As the sun was setting, they reached the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the road to the Gibeon desert.

25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.

25The men of the tribe of Benjamin gathered behind Abner. They formed a group and stood together on top of a hill.

26Then 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?

26Abner shouted to Joab, 'Must the sword kill forever? Don't you know this will end in bitterness? How long will it be before you tell your men to stop chasing their own brothers?'

27And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

27Joab answered, 'As surely as God lives, if you hadn't spoken up, my men would have continued the pursuit until morning.'

28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

28Then Joab blew the trumpet, and all his men stopped. They stopped chasing Israel and did not fight anymore.

29And 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.

29Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley all that night. They crossed the Jordan River, marched through Bithron, and finally reached Mahanaim.

30And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.

30When Joab returned from chasing Abner, he gathered all his men together. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's soldiers were missing.

31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

31But David’s soldiers had killed three hundred and sixty men from Abner’s army and the tribe of Benjamin.

32And 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 the day brake upon them at Hebron.

32They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron just as the sun was rising.