2 Samuel 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
David Anointed King of Judah
2 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” The Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.”(A) 2 So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.(B) 3 David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.(C) 4 Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, “It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”(D) 5 David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him!(E) 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I, too, will reward you because you have done this thing. 7 Therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ishbaal King of Israel
8 But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbaal[a] son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.(F) 10 Ishbaal,[b] Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.(G)
The Battle of Gibeon
12 Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ishbaal[c] son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.(H) 13 Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool.(I) 14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us.” Joab said, “Let them come forward.” 15 So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal[d] son of Saul and twelve of the servants of David. 16 Each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,[e] which is at Gibeon. 17 The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.(J)
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.(K) 19 Asahel pursued Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him. 20 Then Abner looked back and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” He answered, “Yes, it is.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. 22 Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me; why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?”(L) 23 But he refused to turn away. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there and died where he lay. And all those who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stood still.(M)
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.(N) 25 The Benjaminites rallied around Abner and formed a single band; they took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Is the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the pursuit of their kinsmen?” 27 Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have continued to pursue their kinsmen, not stopping until morning.”(O) 28 Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or engaged in battle any further.
29 Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and, marching the whole forenoon,[f] they came to Mahanaim.(P) 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin three hundred sixty of Abner’s men. 32 They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
2 Samuel 2
International Standard Version
David Becomes King over Judah
2 Some time later, David inquired of the Lord to ask, “Am I to move[a] to any one of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord told him, “Go.”
So David asked, “To which one?”
He replied, “To Hebron.”
2 So David went there, along with his two wives Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal from Carmel. 3 David brought his army[b] with him, each soldier accompanied by his household, and they settled in the cities of Hebron. 4 After this, the army of Judah arrived, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
There they informed David, “The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.”
5 So David sent messengers to the people[c] of Jabesh-gilead and told them, “May the Lord bless you, because you showed gracious love like[d] this to your lord Saul by burying him. 6 Now may the Lord reward you with gracious love, as well as faithfulness, to you, too! And I will also reward you because you did this good thing. 7 So strengthen yourselves, and be valiant in heart, because your lord Saul has died, and the household of Judah has anointed me to be king over them.”
Abner’s Rebellion and the Battle at Gibeon
8 Meanwhile, Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth[e] and brought him to Mahanaim. 9 He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of the rest of[f] Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth began to reign over Israel at the age of 40 years, and he reigned for two years, even though Judah’s lineage followed David. 11 The period of David’s kingship in Hebron lasted seven years and six months.
12 Ner’s son Abner and the servants of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth set out from Mahanaim for Gibeon. 13 Zeruiah’s son Joab and some of David’s staff went out to meet them at the pool of Gibeon. One side encamped on one side of the pool while the other encamped on the other side of the pool.
14 Abner told Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and fight in our presence.”
Joab replied, “Let them come.”
15 So they got up and twelve were counted to represent Benjamin and Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and twelve to represent members of David’s staff. 16 Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged[g] his sword into his opponent’s side, and then they both fell together. That’s why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords.[h] 17 The battle was very violent that day, with Abner and the men of Israel being defeated in the presence of David’s servants.
Abner Kills Joab’s Brother Asahel
18 Zeruiah’s three sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were there. As a runner, Asahel was fast, like one of the wild gazelles. 19 So Asahel ran straight[i] after Abner, following him. 20 When Abner looked behind him, he said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
He answered, “I am.”
21 Abner told him, “Go off to your right or left after one of the young men and grab some war spoils.” But Asahel would not stop following him, 22 so Abner told Asahel again, “Stop following me. Why should I strike you down? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
23 But Asahel[j] refused to turn away, so Abner struck Asahel in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear protruded through his back. He collapsed to the ground and died where he fell. Everyone gathered round the place where Asahel had collapsed and died, and stood still there.
24 Meanwhile, Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. At dusk, as they approached the hill of Ammah that is located near Giah on the way to the Gibeon desert, 25 the descendants of Benjamin rallied around Abner, forming a single military force. They took their stand on top of the hill.
26 Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the battle sword keep on devouring forever? Don’t you realize that the end result is bitterness? How long will it take for you to order your army[k] to stop pursuing their own relatives?”
27 Joab answered, “As God lives, if you hadn’t spoken up, by morning my army would have broken off their pursuit of their own relatives.” 28 So Joab sounded his battle trumpet, his entire army stopped pursuing Israel any longer, and they quit fighting.
29 Abner and his army traveled through the Arabah by night, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Mahanaim after marching all morning. 30 Joab returned from his pursuit of Abner, and when he had mustered his entire army, nineteen of David’s soldiers[l] were missing besides Asahel. 31 Meanwhile, other[m] soldiers of David had killed 360 of Abner’s men from the tribe of[n] Benjamin. 32 They retrieved Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night until daybreak and arrived back in Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 2:1 Lit. to go up
- 2 Samuel 2:3 Lit. men
- 2 Samuel 2:5 Lit. men
- 2 Samuel 2:5 The Heb. lacks like
- 2 Samuel 2:8 MT means Shameful Man; cf. 1Chr 8:33, where he is named Esh-baal
- 2 Samuel 2:9 The Heb. lacks the rest of
- 2 Samuel 2:16 The Heb. lacks plunged
- 2 Samuel 2:16 Lit. Helkath-hazzurim
- 2 Samuel 2:19 Lit. ran turning neither to the right nor to the left
- 2 Samuel 2:23 Lit. he
- 2 Samuel 2:26 Lit. people; and so throughout the chapter
- 2 Samuel 2:30 Lit. servants
- 2 Samuel 2:31 The Heb. lacks other
- 2 Samuel 2:31 The Heb. lacks the tribe of
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
