1
Then it
came about
afterwards * that
David inquired of the
LORD,
saying, "Shall I
go up to
one of the
cities of
Judah?" And the
LORD said to him,
"Go up." So
David said,
"Where shall I
go up?" And He
said, "To
Hebron."
r{mael h'why;B diw'D l;a.viY;w !ek -yer]x;a yih.y;w ? h'wh.y r,ma{Y;w h'd.Wh.y yer'[ t;x;a.B h,l/[,a;h ? r,ma{Y;w h,l/[,a h'n'a diw'D r,ma{Y;w hel][ wy'lea ? h'n{r.b,x
2
So
David went up
there, and his
two wives also,
Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess and
Abigail the
widow of
Nabal the
Carmelite.
~;[{nyix]a wy'v'n yeT.v ~;g.w diw'D ~'v l;[;Y;w ? yil.m.r;K;h l'b'n t,vea lIy;gyib]a;w tyile[.r.ziY;h
3
And
David brought up his
men who were with him,
each with his
household; and they
lived in the
cities of
Hebron.
w{tyeb.W vyia diw'd h'l/[,h w{Mi[ -r,v]a wy'v'n]a;w ? !w{r.b,x yer'[.B .Wb.veY;w
4
Then the
men of
Judah came and
there anointed David king over the
house of
Judah. And they
told David,
saying, "It was the
men of
Jabesh-gilead * who buried Saul."
diw'D -t,a ~'v -.Wx.v.miY;w h'd.Wh.y yev.n;a .Wa{b'Y;w ? r{mael diw'd.l .WdiG;Y;w h'd.Wh.y tyeB -l;[ .$,l,m.l ? l.Wa'v -t,a .Wr.b'q r,v]a d'[.liG vyeb'y yev.n;a
5
David sent messengers to the
men of
Jabesh-gilead *, and
said to them, "May you be
blessed of the
LORD because you have
shown this kindness to
Saul your
lord, and have
buried him.
vyeb'y yev.n;a -l,a ~yik'a.l;m diw'D x;l.viY;w ? h'why;l ~,T;a ~yikUr.B ~,hyel]a r,ma{Y;w d'[.liG ? l.Wa'v -mi[ ~,kyen{d]a -mi[ h,Z;h d,s,x;h ~,tyif][ r,v]a ? w{t{a .Wr.B.qiT;w
6
"Now may the
LORD show lovingkindness and
truth to you; and I
also will
show this goodness to you,
because you have
done this thing.
~;g.w t,m/a,w d,s,x ~,k'Mi[ h'wh.y -f;[;y h'T;[.w ? ~,tyif][ r,v]a ta{Z;h h'bw{J;h ~,k.Tia h,f/[,a yik{n'a ? h,Z;h r'b'D;h
7
"Now therefore, let your
hands be
strong and be
valiant *; for
Saul your
lord is
dead, and
also the
house of
Judah has
anointed me
king over them."
lIy;x -yen.bil .Wy.hiw ~,kyed.y h'n.q;z/x,T h'T;[.w ? .Wx.v'm yit{a -m;g.w l.Wa'v ~,kyen{d]a tem -yiK ? ~,hyel][ .$,l,m.l h'd.Wh.y -tyeb
8
But
Abner the
son of
Ner,
commander of
Saul's army, had
taken Ish-bosheth the
son of
Saul and
brought him
over to
Mahanaim.
l.Wa'v.l r,v]a a'b'c -r;f ren -n,B ren.b;a.w ? .Wherib][;Y;w l.Wa'v -n,B t,v{B vyia -t,a x;q'l ? ~Iy'n]x;m
9
He
made him
king over Gilead,
over the
Ashurites,
over Jezreel,
over Ephraim, and
over Benjamin, even
over all Israel.
la,[.r.zIy -l,a.w yir.Wv]a'h -l,a.w d'[.liG;h -l,a .Whekil.m;Y;w ? lea'r.fIy -l;[.w !im'y.niB -l;[.w ~Iy;r.p,a -l;[.w ? h{LUK
10
Ish-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.
l.Wa'v -n,B t,v{B -vyia h'n'v ~yi['B.r;a -n,B ? .$'l'm ~yin'v ~Iy;T.v.W lea'r.fIy -l;[ w{k.l'm.B ? diw'd yer]x;a .Wy'h h'd.Wh.y tyeB .$;a
11
The
time * that
David was
king in
Hebron over the
house of
Judah was
seven years and
six months.
.$,l,m diw'd h'y'h r,v]a ~yim'Y;h r;P.sim yih.y;w ? h'Viv.w ~yin'v [;b,v h'd.Wh.y tyeB -l;[ !w{r.b,x.B ? ~yiv'd\x
12
Now
Abner the
son of
Ner,
went out from
Mahanaim to
Gibeon with the
servants of
Ish-bosheth the
son of
Saul.
t,v{B -vyia yed.b;[.w ren -n,B ren.b;a aeceY;w ? h'nw{[.biG ~Iy;n]x;Mim l.Wa'v -n,B
13
And
Joab the
son of
Zeruiah and the
servants of
David went out and
met them by the
pool of
Gibeon; and they
sat down,
one on the
one side of the
pool and the
other on the
other side of the
pool.
.Wa.c'y diw'd yed.b;[.w h'y.Wr.c -n,B b'aw{y.w ? .Wb.veY;w w'D.x;y !w{[.biG t;ker.B -l;[ ~.Wv.G.piY;w ? h'ker.B;h -l;[ h,Lea.w h,Zim h'ker.B;h -l;[ h,Lea ? h,Zim
14
Then
Abner said to
Joab,
"Now let the
young men arise and
hold a
contest before us." And
Joab said, "Let them
arise."
~yir'[.N;h a'n .Wm.Wq'y b'aw{y -l,a ren.b;a r,ma{Y;w ? .WmUq'y b'aw{y r,ma{Y;w .Wnyen'p.l .Wq]x;fyiw
15
So they
arose and
went over by
count,
twelve * for
Benjamin and
Ish-bosheth the
son of
Saul, and
twelve * of the
servants of
David.
!im'y.nib.l r'f'[ ~yen.v r'P.sim.b .Wr.b;[;Y;w .WmUq'Y;w ? yed.b;[em r'f'[ ~yen.v.W l.Wa'v -n,B t,v{B vyia.l.W ? diw'd
16
Each one of them
seized his
opponent by the
head and thrust his
sword in his
opponent's side; so they
fell down together. Therefore that
place was
called Helkath-hazzurim,
which is in
Gibeon.
d;c.B w{B.r;x.w .Whe[er va{r.B vyia .Wqiz]x;Y;w ? a.Wh;h ~w{q'M;l a'r.qiY;w w'D.x;y .Wl.PiY;w .Whe[er ? !w{[.big.B r,v]a ~yirUC;h t;q.l,x
17
That
day the
battle was
very severe, and
Abner and the
men of
Israel were
beaten before the
servants of
David.
a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B d{a.m -d;[ h'v'q h'm'x.liM;h yih.T;w ? yed.b;[ yen.pil lea'r.fIy yev.n;a.w ren.b;a @,g'NiY;w ? diw'd
18
Now the
three sons of
Zeruiah were
there,
Joab and
Abishai and
Asahel; and
Asahel was as
swift-footed * as
one of the
gazelles which is in the
field.
y;vyib]a;w b'aw{y h'y.Wr.c yen.B h'v{l.v ~'v -.Wy.hiY;w ? ~Iy'b.C;h d;x;a.K wy'l.g;r.B l;q leah'f][;w leah'f][;w ? h,d'F;B r,v]a
19
Asahel pursued Abner and did not
turn to the
right or to the
left from
following Abner.
h'j'n -a{l.w ren.b;a yer]x;a leah'f][ @{D.riY;w ? yer]x;aem lwa{m.F;h -l;[.w !yim'Y;h -l;[ t,k,l'l ? ren.b;a
20
Then
Abner looked behind him and
said, "Is that you,
Asahel?" And he
answered, "It is I."
leah'f][ h,z h'T;a;h r,ma{Y;w wy'r]x;a ren.b;a !,piY;w ? yik{n'a r,ma{Y;w
21
So
Abner said to him,
"Turn to your
right or to your
left, and
take hold of
one of the
young men for yourself, and
take for yourself his
spoil." But
Asahel was not
willing to
turn aside from
following him.
'$.nyim.y -l;[ '$.l hej.n ren.b;a w{l r,ma{Y;w ? ~yir'[.N;hem d'x,a '$.l z{x/a,w '$,la{m.f -l;[ w{a ? leah'f][ h'b'a -a{l.w w{t'cil]x -t,a '$.l -x;q.w ? wy'r]x;aem r.Ws'l
22
Abner repeated * again to
Asahel,
"Turn aside from
following me.
Why should I
strike you to the
ground?
How then could I
lift up my
face to your
brother Joab?"
r.Ws leah'f][ -l,a r{mael ren.b;a dw{[ @,s{Y;w ? a'F,a .$yea.w h'c.r;a h'K,K;a h'M'l y'r]x;aem '$.l ? '$yix'a b'aw{y -l,a y;n'p
23
However, he
refused to
turn aside; therefore
Abner struck him in the
belly with the
butt end of the
spear, so that the
spear came out at his
back. And he
fell there and
died on the
spot. And it
came about that
all who
came to the
place where * Asahel had
fallen and
died,
stood still.
tyin]x;h yer]x;a.B ren.b;a .WheK;Y;w r.Ws'l !ea'm.y;w ? ~'v -l'PiY;w wy'r]x;aem tyin]x;h aeceT;w v,m{x;h -l,a ? ~w{q'M;h -l,a a'B;h -l'K yih.y;w w{t;x;T t'm'Y;w ? .Wd{m][;Y;w t{m'Y;w leah'f][ ~'v l;p'n -r,v]a
24
But
Joab and
Abishai pursued Abner, and when the
sun was
going down, they
came to the
hill of
Ammah,
which is in
front of
Giah by the
way of the
wilderness of
Gibeon.
v,m,V;h.w ren.b;a yer]x;a y;vyib]a;w b'aw{y .Wp.D.riY;w ? -yen.P -l;[ r,v]a h'M;a t;[.biG -d;[ .Wa'B h'Meh.w h'a'B ? !w{[.biG r;B.dim .$,r,D ;xyig
25
The
sons of
Benjamin gathered together
behind Abner and
became one band, and they
stood on the
top of a
certain hill.
.Wy.hiY;w ren.b;a yer]x;a !im'y.nib -yen.b .Wc.B;q.tiY;w ? t'x,a h'[.biG -va{r l;[ .Wd.m;[;Y;w t'x,a h'DUg]a;l
26
Then
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
refrain from
telling the
people to
turn back from
following their
brothers?"
x;c,n'l]h r,ma{Y;w b'aw{y -l,a ren.b;a a'r.qiY;w ? h,y.hit h'r'm -yiK h'T.[;d'y aw{l]h b,r,x l;ka{T ? b.Wv'l ~'['l r;ma{t -a{l y;t'm -d;[.w h'nw{r]x;a'B ? ~,hyex]a yer]x;aem
27
Joab said, "As
God lives,
if you had not
spoken,
surely then the
people would have
gone away in the
morning,
each from
following his
brother."
'T.r;BiD ael.Wl yiK ~yih{l/a'h y;x b'aw{y r,ma{Y;w ? yer]x;aem vyia ~'['h h'l][;n r,q{B;hem z'a yiK ? wyix'a
28
So
Joab blew the
trumpet; and
all the
people halted and
pursued Israel no longer,
nor did they
continue to
fight anymore.
~'['h -l'K .Wd.m;[;Y;w r'pw{V;B b'aw{y [;q.tiY;w ? .Wp.s'y -a{l.w lea'r.fIy yer]x;a dw{[ .Wp.D.rIy -a{l.w ? ~ex'Lih.l dw{[
29
Abner and his
men then
went through the
Arabah all that
night; so they
crossed the
Jordan,
walked all morning, and
came to
Mahanaim.
h'l.y;L;h l{K h'b'r]['B .Wk.l'h wy'v'n]a;w ren.b;a.w ? !w{r.tiB;h -l'K .Wk.leY;w !eD.r;Y;h -t,a .Wr.b;[;Y;w a.Wh;h ? ~Iy'n]x;m .Wa{b'Y;w
30
Then
Joab returned from
following Abner; when he had
gathered all the
people together,
nineteen * of
David's servants besides
Asahel were
missing.
~'['h -l'K -t,a #{B.qiY;w ren.b;a yer]x;aem b'v b'aw{y.w ? vyia r'f'[ -h'[.viT diw'd yed.b;[em .Wd.q'PiY;w ? ]lea -h'f][;w
31
But the
servants of
David had
struck down many of
Benjamin and
Abner's men, so that
three hundred and
sixty men died.
ren.b;a yev.n;a.b.W !im'y.niBim .WKih diw'd yed.b;[.w ? .Wtem vyia ~yiViv.w tw{aem -v{l.v
32
And 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
dawned at
Hebron.
wyib'a r,b,q.B .WhUr.B.qiY;w leah'f][ -t,a .Wa.fiY;w ? b'aw{y h'l.y;L;h -l'k .Wk.leY;w ~,x'l tyeB r,v]a ? !w{r.b,x.B ~,h'l r{aeY;w wy'v'n]a;w