Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 2"

2 Samuel 2

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 After this, David consulted ADONAI; he asked, "Should I go up into any of the cities of Y'hudah?"ADONAI said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go up?" He said, "To Hevron."

2 So David went up there with his two wives Achino'am from Yizre'el and Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel.

3 David brought the men up with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hevron.

4 Then the men of Y'hudah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Y'hudah. They informed David that the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad were the ones who had buried Sha'ul.

5 So David sent messengers to the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad with this message: "May you be blessed by ADONAI, because you showed this kindness to your lord, Sha'ul, and buried him.

6 Now may ADONAI show kindness and truth to you; and I too will show you favor because you have done this.

7 Be strong, and be brave. Sha'ul your lord is dead, but the house of Y'hudah have anointed me king over them."

8 Avner the son of Ner, commander of Sha'ul's army, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, brought him over to Machanayim,

9 and made him king over Gil'ad, the Ashuri, Yizre'el, Efrayim, Binyamin and all Isra'el.

10 Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul was forty years old when he began to rule over Isra'el, and he ruled for two years. But the house of Y'hudah followed David.

11 David was king in Hevron over the house of Y'hudah for seven years and six months.

12 Avner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul went out from Machanayim to Giv'on;

13 while Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and David's servants also went out; and they met together by the pool at Giv'on. One group sat down on one side of the pool and the other on the other side.

14 Avner said to Yo'av, "If it's all right with you, let's have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves, while we watch." Yo'av said, "Yes, let them."

15 So they got up and paired off, twelve for Binyamin and Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, and twelve of David's servants.

16 Each one grabbed his partner by the head and drove his sword into his side, so that they fell down together. For this reason that place was named Helkat-Hatzurim [field of blades]; it is in Giv'on.

17 The battle that day was very fierce; Avner and the men of Isra'el were beaten by David's servants.

18 The three sons of Tz'ruyah were there, Yo'av, Avishai and 'Asah'el. 'Asah'el was as fleet-footed as a gazelle in an open field.

19 'Asah'el chased Avner, going straight for him, veering neither right nor left.

20 Avner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, 'Asah'el?""Yes, it is," he answered.

21 Avner said to him, "Turn off to your right or your left, catch one of the young men and take his armor." But 'Asah'el wouldn't turn aside and kept following him.

22 Avner said again to 'Asah'el, "Turn aside and stop following me! Why should I kill you? If I did, how could I look your brother Yo'av in the eye?"

23 But he still refused to turn aside; so Avner stabbed him in the groin with the back end of the spear, so that the shaft protruded behind him. He fell down and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where 'Asah'el lay dead stopped there.

24 Yo'av and Avishai continued in pursuit of Avner; the sun went down when they arrived at Amah Hill, across from Giach along the Giv'on Desert road.

25 The people of Binyamin gathered themselves together into a phalanx behind Avner and stood on top of a hill.

26 Then Avner called out to Yo'av, "Must the sword go on devouring forever? Don't you know that in the end it can produce only bitterness? How long will it be, then, before you tell the people to quit pursuing their brothers?"

27 Yo'av said, "As God lives, if you hadn't said something, there is no doubt that the people would have kept following their brothers all night long."

28 Then Yo'av sounded the shofar, and with that the people halted. They stopped pursuing Isra'el, and they stopped fighting.

29 Avner and his men went through the 'Aravah all that night; they crossed the Yarden, went through all of Bitron and arrived at Machanayim.

30 Yo'av returned from following Avner. When he brought the troops together for review, nineteen of David's servants were missing, along with 'Asah'el.

31 But David's servants had killed 360 of Avner's men of Binyamin.

32 They took 'Asah'el and buried him in his father's tomb in Beit-Lechem. Then Yo'av and his men marched all night, so that they reached Hevron at daybreak.

New Living Translation NLT

1 After this, David asked the LORD, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the LORD replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.

2 David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives

3 and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,

5 he sent them this message: “May the LORD bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.

6 May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.

7 Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.”

8 But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.

9 There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.

10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.

11 David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.

12 One day Abner led Ishbosheth’s troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David’s troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool.

14 Then Abner suggested to Joab, “Let’s have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us.” “All right,” Joab agreed.

15 So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side—twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David.

16 Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other’s side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.

17 A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David.

18 Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,

19 and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything.

20 When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it is,” he replied.

21 “Go fight someone else!” Abner warned. “Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.

22 Again Abner shouted to him, “Get away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?”

23 But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.

24 When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 Abner’s troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand.

26 Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”

27 Then Joab said, “God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.”

28 So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel.

29 All that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning, and didn’t stop until they arrived at Mahanaim.

30 Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel.

31 But 360 of Abner’s men had been killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin.

32 Joab and his men took Asahel’s body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father’s tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.