1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 2

1 David, by God's direction, with his company goeth up to Hebron, where he is made king of Judah. 5 He commendeth them of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness to Saul. 8 Abner maketh Ish-bosheth king of Israel. 12 A mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men. 18 Asahel is slain. 25 At Abner's motion Joab soundeth a retreat. 32 Asahel's burial.

 2:1 Then it came 1961 about afterwards 310 3651 that David 1732 inquired 7592 of the LORD 3068, saying 559, “Shall I go 5927 up to one 259 of the cities 5892b of Judah 3063?” And the LORD 3068 said 559 to him, “Go 5927 up.” So David 1732 said 559, “Where 575 shall I go 5927 up?” And He said 559, “To Hebron 2275a.”

 2:2 So David 1732 went 5927 up there 8033, and his two 8147 wives 802 also 1571, Ahinoam 293 the Jezreelitess 3159 and Abigail 26 the widow 802 of Nabal 5037 the Carmelite 3761.

 2:3 And David 1732 brought 5927 up his men 376 who 834 [were] with him, each 376 with his household 1004; and they lived 3427 in the cities 5892b of Hebron 2275a.

 2:4 Then the men 376 of Judah 3063 came 935 and there 8033 anointed 4886 David 1732 king 4428 over 5921 the house 1004 of Judah 3063. ¶ And they told 5046 David 1732, saying 559, “It was the men 376 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568 who 834 buried 6912 Saul 7586.”

 2:5 David 1732 sent 7971 messengers 4397 to the men 376 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568, and said 559 to them, “May you be blessed 1288 of the LORD 3068 because 834 you have shown 6213a this 2088 kindness 2617a to Saul 7586 your lord 113, and have buried 6912 him.

 2:6 “Now 6258 may the LORD 3068 show 6213a lovingkindness 2617a and truth 571 to you; and I also 1571 will show 6213a this 2088 goodness 2899b to you, because 834 you have done 6213a this 2088 thing 1697.

 2:7 “Now 6258 therefore, let your hands 3027 be strong 2388 and be valiant 1121 2428; for Saul 7586 your lord 113 is dead 4191, and also 1571 the house 1004 of Judah 3063 has anointed 4886 me king 4428 over 5921 them.”

 2:8 ¶ But Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, commander 8269 of Saul’s 7586 army 6635, had taken 3947 Ish-bosheth 378 the son 1121 of Saul 7586 and brought 5674a him over 5674a to Mahanaim 4266.

 2:9 He made 4427a him king 4427a over 413 Gilead 1568, over 413 the Ashurites 805a, over 413 Jezreel 3157, over 5921 Ephraim 669, and over 5921 Benjamin 1144, even over 5921 all 3605 Israel 3478.

 2:10 Ish-bosheth 378, Saul’s 7586 son 1121, was forty 705 years 8141 old 1121 when he became 4427a king 4427a over 5921 Israel 3478, and he was king 4427a for two 8147 years 8141. The house 1004 of Judah 3063, however 389, followed 310 David 1732.

 2:11 The time 4557 3117 that David 1732 was king 4428 in Hebron 2275a over 5921 the house 1004 of Judah 3063 was seven 7651 years 8141 and six 8337a months 2320.

 2:12 ¶ Now Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, went 3318 out from Mahanaim 4266 to Gibeon 1391 with the servants 5650 of Ish-bosheth 378 the son 1121 of Saul 7586.

 2:13 And Joab 3097 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 and the servants 5650 of David 1732 went 3318 out and met 6298 them by the pool 1295 of Gibeon 1391; and they sat 3427 down 3427, one 428 on the one 2088 side 2088 of the pool 1295 and the other 2088 on the other 2088 side 2088 of the pool 1295.

 2:14 Then Abner 74 said 559 to Joab 3097, “Now 4994 let the young 5288 men 5288 arise 6965 and hold 7832 a contest 7832 before 6440 us.” And Joab 3097 said 559, “Let them arise 6965.”

 2:15 So they arose 6965 and went 5674a over 5674a by count 4557, twelve 8147 6240 for Benjamin 1144 and Ish-bosheth 378 the son 1121 of Saul 7586, and twelve 8147 6240 of the servants 5650 of David 1732.

 2:16 Each 376 one 376 of them seized 2388 his opponent 7453 by the head 7218 and [thrust] his sword 2719 in his opponent’s 7453 side 6654; so they fell 5307 down 5307 together 3164a. Therefore that place 4725 was called 7121 Helkath-hazzurim 2521, which 834 is in Gibeon 1391.

 2:17 That day 3117 the battle 4421 was very 3966 severe 7186, and Abner 74 and the men 376 of Israel 3478 were beaten 5062 before 6440 the servants 5650 of David 1732.

 2:18 ¶ Now the three 7969 sons 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 were there 8033, Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 and Asahel 6214; and Asahel 6214 [was] [as] swift-footed 7031 7272 as one 259 of the gazelles 6643b which 834 is in the field 7704.

 2:19 Asahel 6214 pursued 7291 Abner 74 and did not turn 5186 to the right 3225 or to the left 8040 from following 310 Abner 74.

 2:20 Then Abner 74 looked 6437 behind 310 him and said 559, “Is that you, Asahel 6214?” And he answered 559, “It is I.”

 2:21 So Abner 74 said 559 to him, “Turn 5186 to your right 3225 or 176 to your left 8040, and take 270 hold 270 of one 259 of the young 5288 men 5288 for yourself, and take 3947 for yourself his spoil 2488.” But Asahel 6214 was not willing 14 to turn 5493 aside 5493 from following 310 him.

 2:22 Abner 74 repeated 3254 559 again 5750 to Asahel 6214, “Turn 5493 aside 5493 from following 310 me. Why 4100 should I strike 5221 you to the ground 776? How 349 then could I lift 5375 up my face 6440 to your brother 251 Joab 3097?”

 2:23 However, he refused 3985 to turn 5493 aside 5493; therefore Abner 74 struck 5221 him in the belly 2570 with the butt 310 end 310 of the spear 2595, so that the spear 2595 came 3318 out at his back 310. And he fell 5307 there 8033 and died 4191 on the spot 8478. And it came 1961 about that all 3605 who came 935 to the place 4725 where 834 8033 Asahel 6214 had fallen 5307 and died 4191, stood 5975 still 5975.

 2:24 ¶ But Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 pursued 7291 Abner 74, and when the sun 8121 was going 935 down, they came 935 to the hill 1389 of Ammah 522a, which 834 is in front 6440 of Giah 1520 by the way 1870 of the wilderness 4057b of Gibeon 1391.

 2:25 The sons 1121 of Benjamin 1144 gathered 6908 together behind 310 Abner 74 and became 1961 one 259 band 92, and they stood 5975 on the top 7218 of a certain 259 hill 1389.

 2:26 Then Abner 74 called 7121 to Joab 3097 and said 559, “Shall the sword 2719 devour 398 forever 5331? Do you not know 3045 that it will be bitter 4751 in the end 314? How 4970 long 5704 4970 will you refrain 3808 from telling 559 the people 5971a to turn 7725 back 7725 from following 310 their brothers 251?”

 2:27 Joab 3097 said 559, “As God 430 lives 2416a, if 3588 3884a you had not spoken 1696, surely 3588 then 227 the people 5971a would have gone 5927 away 5927 in the morning 1242, each 376 from following 310 his brother 251.”

 2:28 So Joab 3097 blew 8628 the trumpet 7782; and all 3605 the people 5971a halted 5975 and pursued 7291 Israel 3478 no 3808 longer 5750, nor 3808 did they continue 3254 to fight 3898a anymore 5750.

 2:29 Abner 74 and his men 376 then went 1980 through the Arabah 6160 all 3605 that night 3915; so they crossed 5674a the Jordan 3383, walked 1980 all 3605 morning 1338, and came 935 to Mahanaim 4266.

 2:30 ¶ Then Joab 3097 returned 7725 from following 310 Abner 74; when he had gathered 6908 all 3605 the people 5971a together, nineteen 8672 6240 of David’s 1732 servants 5650 besides Asahel 6214 were missing 6485.

 2:31 But the servants 5650 of David 1732 had struck 5221 down 5221 many of Benjamin 1144 and Abner’s 74 men 376, [so that] three 7969 hundred 3967 and sixty 8346 men 376 died 4191.

 2:32 And they took 5375 up Asahel 6214 and buried 6912 him in his father’s 1 tomb 6913 which 834 was in Bethlehem 1035. Then Joab 3097 and his men 376 went 1980 all 3605 night 3915 until the day dawned 215 at Hebron 2275a.