2Samuel:2

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* 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 . * So David went up , and his two wives , Achinoam the Jezrahelitess , and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel : * 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 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 . * 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 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 . * 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 . * But Abner the son of Ner , general of Saul 's army , took Isboseth the son of Saul , and led him about through the camp ? * And made him king over Galaad , and , over Gessuri , and over Jezrahel , and over Ephraim , and over Benjamin , and over all Israel . * 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 . * And the number of the days that David abode , reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda , was seven years and six months . * And Abner the son of Ner , and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul , went out from the camp to Gabaon * 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 Abner said to Joab : Let the young men rise , and play before us . And Joab answered : Let them rise . * 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 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 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 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 Asael pursued after Abner , and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner . * And Abner looked behind him , and said : Art thou Asael ? And he answered : I am . * 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 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 . * 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 . * 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 the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner : and being joined in one body , they stood on the top of a hill . * 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 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 . * Then Joab sounded the trumpet , and all the army stood still , and did not pursue after Israel any farther , nor fight any more . * 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 Joab returning , after he had left Abner , assembled all the people : and there were wanting of David 's servants nineteen men , beside Asael . * 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 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 .

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