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The Blue Letter Bible

2 Samuel 2 :: New International Version (NIV)

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David Anointed King Over Judah

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:1

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:1 - In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The LORD said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:2

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:2 - So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:3 - David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:4

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:4 - Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah. When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:5

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:5 - he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The LORD bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:6 - May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:7

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:7 - Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

War Between the Houses of David and Saul

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:8

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:8 - Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:9

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:9 - He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:10

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:10 - Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:11

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:11 - The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:12

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:12 - Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:13

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:13 - Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:14

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:14 - Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.” “All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:15

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:15 - So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:16 - Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:17 - The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David’s men.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:18

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:18 - The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:19

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:19 - He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:20

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:20 - Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” he answered.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:21

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:21 - Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:22

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:22 - Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:23

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:23 - But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:24

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:24 - But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:25

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:25 - Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:26

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:26 - Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:27

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:27 - Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:28

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:28 - So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:29

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:29 - All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours[fn] and came to Mahanaim.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:30

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:30 - Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:31

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:31 - But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 2:32

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 2:32 - They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
Helkath Hazzurim means field of daggers or field of hostilities.
See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
NIV

HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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2 Samuel Chapter 2 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras