2 Samuel 2

And it came to pass after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.

And David went up there to Hebron, and both his wives, Achinoom the Jezreelite and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And the men who were with him, each one with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judea came and anointed David there to reign over the house of Judah. And they reported to David, saying, It was the men of Jabis of Galaad who buried Saul.

And David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabis of Galaad and said to them, Blessed are you to the Lord, because you have shown this mercy to your lord, to Saul the anointed of the Lord, and have buried him and Jonathan his son.

And now may the Lord show mercy and truth to you; and I also will do you these good things, because you have done this thing.

And now let your hands be strong, and become valiant sons, for your lord Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Judah has anointed me king over themselves.

And Abenner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Iebosthe son of Saul and brought him up out of the camp to Manaem,

and he made him king over Galaad and over Thasiri and over Jezrael and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.

Iebosthe son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years; only the house of Judah were after David.

And the days that David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah were seven years and six months.

And Abenner son of Ner and the servants of Iebosthe son of Saul went out from Manaem to Gabaon.

And Joab son of Saruia and the servants of David went out from Hebron and met them at the spring of Gabaon together; and these sat by the spring of Gabaon on this side, and those by the spring on that side.

And Abenner said to Joab, Let the young men arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

And they arose and passed over by number: twelve of the servants of Benjamin belonging to Iebosthe son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

And each seized his neighbour's head with his hand, and his dagger went into his neighbour's side, and they fell together. And the name of that place was called the Portion of the Plotters, which is in Gabaon.

And the battle was exceedingly fierce on that day, and Abenner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

And the three sons of Saruia were there: Joab and Abessa and Asael; and Asael was swift of foot like a gazelle in the field.

And Asael pursued after Abenner and did not turn aside to go to the right or to the left from behind Abenner.

And Abenner looked behind him and said, Are you yourself Asael? And he said, I am.

And Abenner said to him, Turn aside to the right or to the left, and seize for yourself one of the young men and take his armour for yourself. But Asael would not turn aside from behind him.

And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Turn away from me, lest I strike you to the ground; and how then shall I lift up my face to Joab your brother? And where are these things? Return to Joab your brother.

And he would not turn away, and Abenner struck him with the butt of the spear in the loin, and the spear went out through his back, and he fell there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asael fell and died stood still.

And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun was setting, and they came as far as the hill of Amman, which is before Gai, by the wilderness road of Gabaon.

And the sons of Benjamin who were behind Abenner gathered themselves together and became one band and stood on the top of one hill.

And Abenner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour to the uttermost? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long before you tell the people to turn back from following our brothers?

And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, then from the morning the people would each have gone up from following his brother.

And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stopped and no longer pursued after Israel, and they did not fight any more.

And Abenner and his men went westward all that night, and they crossed the Jordan and went through the whole stretch of land and came to the camp.

And Joab returned from following Abenner and gathered all the people; and of David's servants there were missing nineteen men, and Asael.

But the servants of David had struck down of the sons of Benjamin, of Abenner's men, three hundred and sixty men of his.

And they took up Asael and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all night, and day broke for them at Hebron.