Read the Bible

¹ And it happened after this, David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron.² And David went up there, and also his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the former wife of Nabal of Carmel.³ And David brought up his men of those who were with him, each man and his household. And they lived in the cities of Hebron.⁴ And the men of Judah came and anointed David king over the house of Judah there. And they told David, saying, It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.⁵ And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed are you of Jehovah, in that you have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that you have buried him.⁶ And now, may Jehovah do with you in kindness and truth. And I also will do good to you because you have done this thing.⁷ And now, let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead. And also, the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.

⁸ And Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and caused him to cross over to Mahanaim.⁹ And he caused him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.¹⁰ Ishbosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed after David.¹¹ And it happened, the number of the days 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 went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.¹³ And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and David's servants went out. And they met by the pool of Gibeon, and sat down, these by the pool on this side , and those by the pool on that side .¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men rise up now and play before us. And Joab said, Let them rise.¹⁵ And they rose up and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.¹⁶ And each one lay hold on the head of his companion, and thrust his sword into the side of his companion. And they fell together. And one called that place The Field of Rocks, which is in Gibeon.¹⁷ And the battle was very hard on that day, and the men of Israel and Abner were stricken before David's servants.

¹⁸ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was swift with his feet, like one of the gazelles in the field.¹⁹ And Asahel ran after Abner, and did not turn to go to the right or to the left from following Abner.²⁰ And Abner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asahel? And he said, I am .²¹ And Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right, or to your left, and seize one of the young men for yourself, and take his spoil for yourself. And Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.²² And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the earth? And how shall I lift up my face to your brother Joab?²³ And he refused to turn aside. And Abner struck him in the belly with the butt of the spear. And the spear came out from behind him; and he fell there, and died in his place. And it happened that all who came to the place, there where Asahel fell and died, they stood still.²⁴ And Joab and Abishai ran after Abner, and the sun was going. And they came to the hill of Ammah which is before Giah, by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a certain hill.²⁶ And Abner called to Joab, and said, Does the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? And until when will you say to the people to turn back from after their brothers?²⁷ And Joab said, As God lives, for if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone up, each one from following his brother.²⁸ And Joab blew the ram's horn. And all the people stood still, and did not pursue Israel any more; nor did they fight any more.²⁹ And Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night, and crossed the Jordan, and went all the forenoon, and came to Mahanaim.³⁰ And Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And he gathered all the people. And there were lacking nineteen men of David's servants, and Asahel.³¹ And David's servants had struck three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner these died.³² And they lifted up Asahel and buried him in the burying place of his father, which is in Bethlehem. And they went all night, Joab and his men; and it was light to them coming into Hebron.