1After this, David asked Yahweh, "Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" Yahweh answered, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go?" He replied, "To Hebron."
2So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
3David also brought his men who were with him, everyone with his household. They settled in the cities near Hebron.
4The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, "It was the men of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul."
5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, "May Yahweh bless you for showing this kindness to your lord, Saul, and for burying him.
6Now, may Yahweh show you faithful love and truth. I will also reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.
7Now, therefore, be strong and courageous, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has also anointed me king over them."
8Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth and brought him to Mahanaim.
9and he made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of Israel.
10Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the people of Judah followed David.
11David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years and six months.
12Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s servants also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side.
14Abner said to Joab, “Please, let the young men get up and fight in front of us!” Joab replied, “Let them get up!”
15So they got up and went forward by count: twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.
16Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side; so they all fell down dead together. That is why that place in Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim.
17The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s servants.
18The three sons of Zeruiah—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—were there. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle.
19Asahel chased Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from pursuing Abner.
20Then Abner looked back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”
21Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or your left, grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
22Abner said to Asahel again, “Stop following me! Why should I strike you down? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face?”
23However, Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt end of his spear, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stopped.
24But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. The sun set as they reached the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah on the road to the Gibeon wilderness.
25The people of Benjamin gathered behind Abner, grouped together, and stood on top of a hill.
26Then Abner called out to Joab and said, "Will the sword keep fighting forever? Don't you know that this will end bitterly? How long will it be before you tell your men to stop chasing their relatives?"
27Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you hadn't spoken, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until morning."
28So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stopped. They no longer chased Israel, and they stopped fighting.
29Abner and his men traveled through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River, went through all of Bithron, and arrived at Mahanaim.
30Joab returned from pursuing Abner. When he gathered all his troops, nineteen of David’s men plus Asahel were missing.
31But David’s servants had killed three hundred sixty men from Benjamin and Abner’s forces.
32They picked up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke as they reached Hebron.