1 Some time later David asked the LORD, "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" The LORD told him, "Go up." David asked, "Which one shall I go up to?" He said, "Hebron."
2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel.
3 David also brought up the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns around Hebron.
4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. David was told, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, "The LORD bless you for showing this kindness to your lord Saul by burying him.
6 Now may the LORD show you steadfast love and faithfulness, and I too will treat you well because you have done this.
7 So now, be strong and be valiant men, for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
8 Meanwhile Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him across to Mahanaim.
9 He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim and Benjamin, over all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, though, followed David.
11 David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years and six months.
12 Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul.
13 Joab son of Zeruiah and David's servants set out as well, and they met at the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, one group on this side of the pool and the other on that side.
14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men get up and put on a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them get up."
15 They got up and crossed over by count: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David's servants.
16 Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and drove his sword into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was named Helkath-hazzurim.
17 The fighting that day was very hard, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by David's servants.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild gazelle.
19 Asahel chased after Abner, turning neither right nor left as he followed Abner.
20 Abner looked back and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He said, "It is."
21 Abner told him, "Turn off to your right or your left, grab one of the young men, and take his gear for yourself." But Asahel would not turn away from him.
22 Abner told Asahel again, "Turn away from me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"
23 But he would not turn away. So Abner struck him in the belly with the back end of his spear, and the spear came out behind him. He fell there and died where he lay. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stopped and stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai chased after Abner. The sun was setting as they reached the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 The children of Benjamin rallied behind Abner, formed a single band, and took their stand on the top of a hill.
26 Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour for ever? Do you not know that it will end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop chasing their brothers?"
27 Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, the troops would have given up chasing their brothers as early as this morning."
28 Joab sounded the horn, and all the troops halted; they chased Israel no further and did not fight any more.
29 Abner and his men marched all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched the whole length of Bithron, and reached Mahanaim.
30 Joab came back from chasing Abner and gathered all the troops. Nineteen of David's servants were missing, besides Asahel.
31 But David's servants had struck down three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, of Abner's men, and they died.
32 They carried Asahel off and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.