2 Samuel 2 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Anointed King of Judah

Now it happened^H1961 afterwards^H310^H3651 that David^H1732 asked^H7592 of Yahweh^H3068, saying^H559, “Shall I go^H5927 up^H5927 to one^H259 of the cities^H5892 of Judah^H3063?” And Yahweh^H3068 said^H559 to him, “Go^H5927 up^H5927.” So David^H1732 said^H559, “Where^H575 shall I go^H5927 up^H5927?” And He said^H559, “To Hebron^H2275.”

2Sa 2:2

2Sa 2:2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

2Sa 2:3

2Sa 2:3And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

2Sa 2:4

2Sa 2:4Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.

And they told^H5046 David^H1732, saying^H559, “It was the men^H376 of Jabesh-gilead^H3003^H1568 who^H834 buried^H6912 Saul^H7586.”

2Sa 2:5

2Sa 2:5And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of Yahweh because you have [fn]shown this lovingkindness with your lord, with Saul, and have buried him.

2Sa 2:6

2Sa 2:6“So now, may Yahweh [fn]show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will [fn]show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.

2Sa 2:7

2Sa 2:7“So now, let your hands be strong and be [fn]valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

2Sa 2:8

Now Abner^H74 the son^H1121 of Ner^H5369, commander^H8269 of Saul’s^H7586 army^H6635, had taken^H3947 [fn]Ish-bosheth^H378 the son^H1121 of Saul^H7586 and brought^H5674 him over^H5674 to Mahanaim^H4266.

2Sa 2:9

2Sa 2:9And he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.

2Sa 2:10

2Sa 2:10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

2Sa 2:11

2Sa 2:11And the [fn]time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Abner Defeated Before David

2Sa 2:12

Now Abner^H74 the son^H1121 of Ner^H5369, went^H3318 out^H3318 from Mahanaim^H4266 to Gibeon^H1391 with the servants^H5650 of Ish-bosheth^H378 the son^H1121 of Saul^H7586.

2Sa 2:13

2Sa 2:13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met [fn]them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, [fn]one on the one side of the pool and [fn]the other on the other side of the pool.

2Sa 2:14

2Sa 2:14Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and [fn]hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

2Sa 2:15

2Sa 2:15So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

2Sa 2:16

2Sa 2:16And each one of them seized his [fn]opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his [fn]opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called [fn]Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

2Sa 2:17

2Sa 2:17And that day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were [fn]defeated before the servants of David.

2Sa 2:18

Now the three^H7969 sons^H1121 of Zeruiah^H6870 were there^H8033, Joab^H3097 and Abishai^H52 and Asahel^H6214; and Asahel^H6214 was as [fn]swift-footed^H7031^H7272 as one^H259 of the gazelles^H6643 which^H834 is in the field^H7704.

2Sa 2:19

2Sa 2:19And Asahel pursued Abner and did not [fn]turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.

2Sa 2:20

2Sa 2:20Then Abner turned to look behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”

2Sa 2:21

2Sa 2:21So Abner said to him, “[fn]Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.

2Sa 2:22

2Sa 2:22And Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn [fn]aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”

2Sa 2:23

2Sa 2:23However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it happened that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

2Sa 2:24

But Joab^H3097 and Abishai^H52 pursued^H7291 Abner^H74. Now the sun^H8121 was going^H935 down, and they came^H935 to the hill^H1389 of Ammah^H522, which^H834 is in front^H6440 of Giah^H1520 by the way^H1870 of the wilderness^H4057 of Gibeon^H1391.

2Sa 2:25

2Sa 2:25And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill.

2Sa 2:26

2Sa 2:26Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you [fn]refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?”

2Sa 2:27

2Sa 2:27And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have only gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.”

2Sa 2:28

2Sa 2:28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore.

2Sa 2:29

2Sa 2:29But Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

2Sa 2:30

Now Joab^H3097 returned^H7725 from following^H310 Abner^H74. And he had gathered^H6908 all^H3605 the people^H5971 together, and [fn]nineteen^H8672^H6240 of David’s^H1732 servants^H5650 besides Asahel^H6214 were^H6485 missing^H6485.

2Sa 2:31

2Sa 2:31But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died.

2Sa 2:32

2Sa 2:32And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day [fn]dawned at Hebron.