¹⁶ Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. ^(A)And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three.

⁶ Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai ^(A)the son of Zeruiah, brother of ^(B)Joab, saying, “Who will ^(C)go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

And ^(D)Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

²² And David said, ^(A)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? ^(B)Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?”

⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this ^(A)dead dog ^(B)curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”

¹⁰ But the king said, ^(C)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because ^(D)the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ ^(E)Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how ^(F)my son who ^(G)came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him.

³⁹ And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, ^(A)are too harsh for me. ^(B)The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

¹⁸ Now the ^(A)three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was ^(B)as fleet of foot ^(C)as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹ So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?”

He answered, “I am.”

²¹ And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. ²² So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” ²³ However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him ^(D)in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood ^(E)still.