2 Samuel 2
1 And after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up. And David said: Whither shall I go up? And he answered him: Into Hebron.
And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he said, To Chebron.
2 So David went up, and his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel:
And David went up there to Chebron, [he] and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
3 And the men also that were with him, David brought up every man with his household: and they abode in the towns of Hebron.
and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.
4 And the men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda. And it was told David, that the men of Jabes Galaad had buried Saul.
And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
5 David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewn this mercy to your master Saul, and have buried him.
And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be you of the Lord, because you have wrought this mercy towards your lord, even towards Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
6 And now the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will, requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.
And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because you have done this.
7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.
And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
8 But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul’s army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp?
But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem
9 And made him king over Galaad, and, over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
and made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over, Israel, and he reigned two years: and only the house of Juda followed David.
Jebosthe, Saul's son [was] forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.
11 And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months.
And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.
And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
13 And Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when they were come together, they sat down over against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side.
And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.
14 And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.
And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.
And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
17 And there was a very fierce battle that day: and Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.
And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.
18 And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.
And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.
19 And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
20 And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: I am.
And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asael himself? and he said, I am.
21 And Abner said to him: Go to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take thee his spoils. But Asael would not leave off following him close.
And Abenner said to him, Turn you to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for yourself on one of the young men, and take to yourself his armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
22 And again Abner said to Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab thy brother.
And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from me, lest I strike you to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab?
23 But he refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died stood still.
And what does this mean? return to Joab your brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still.
24 Now while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over against the valley by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.
And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of Gai, by the desert way of Gabaon.
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top of a hill.
And the children of Benjamin who followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill.
26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?
And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? know you not that it will be bitter at last? How long then will you refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?
27 And Joab said: As the Lord liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.
And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
28 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.
And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to the camp.
And Abenner and his men departed at evening, [and went] all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent [country], and they come to the camp.
30 And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David’s servants nineteen men, beside Asael.
And Joab returned from following Abenner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asael.
31 But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all died.
And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
32 And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem, and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.
