English Standard Version ESV
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? ” And the Lord said to him, “Go up. ” David said, “To which shall I go up? ” And he said, “To Hebron. ”
1
igitur post haec consuluit David Dominum dicens num ascendam in unam de civitatibus Iuda et ait Dominus ad eum ascende dixitque David quo ascendam et respondit ei in Hebron
2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
2
ascendit ergo David et duae uxores eius Ahinoem Iezrahelites et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli
3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron.
3
sed et viros qui erant cum eo duxit David singulos cum domo sua et manserunt in oppidis Hebron
4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul, ”
4
veneruntque viri Iuda et unxerunt ibi David ut regnaret super domum Iuda et nuntiatum est David quod viri Iabesgalaad sepelissent Saul
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.
5
misit ergo David nuntios ad viros Iabesgalaad dixitque ad eos benedicti vos Domino qui fecistis misericordiam hanc cum domino vestro Saul et sepelistis eum
6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.
6
et nunc retribuet quidem vobis Dominus misericordiam et veritatem sed et ego reddam gratiam eo quod feceritis verbum istud
7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them. ”
7
confortentur manus vestrae et estote filii fortitudinis licet enim mortuus sit dominus vester Saul tamen me unxit domus Iuda regem sibi
8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim,
8
Abner autem filius Ner princeps exercitus Saul tulit Hisboseth filium Saul et circumduxit eum per Castra
9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel.
9
regemque constituit super Galaad et super Gesuri et super Iezrahel et super Ephraim et super Beniamin et super Israhel universum
10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
10
quadraginta annorum erat Hisboseth filius Saul cum regnare coepisset super Israhel et duobus annis regnavit sola autem domus Iuda sequebatur David
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
11
et fuit numerus dierum quos commoratus est David imperans in Hebron super domum Iuda septem annorum et sex mensuum
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
12
egressusque Abner filius Ner et pueri Hisboseth filii Saul de Castris in Gabaon
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
13
porro Ioab filius Sarviae et pueri David egressi sunt et occurrerunt eis iuxta piscinam Gabaon et cum in unum convenissent e regione sederunt hii ex una parte piscinae et illi ex altera
14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us. ” And Joab said, “Let them arise. ”
14
dixitque Abner ad Ioab surgant pueri et ludant coram nobis et respondit Ioab surgant
15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
15
surrexerunt ergo et transierunt numero duodecim de Beniamin ex parte Hisboseth filii Saul et duodecim de pueris David
16 And each caught 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 at Gibeon.
16
adprehensoque unusquisque capite conparis sui defixit gladium in latus contrarii et ceciderunt simul vocatumque est nomen loci illius ager Robustorum in Gabaon
17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
17
et ortum est bellum durum satis in die illa fugatusque est Abner et viri Israhel a pueris David
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
18
erant autem ibi tres filii Sarviae Ioab et Abisai et Asahel porro Asahel cursor velocissimus fuit quasi unus ex capreis quae morantur in silvis
19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
19
persequebatur autem Asahel Abner et non declinavit ad dexteram sive ad sinistram omittens persequi Abner
20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel? ” And he answered, “It is I. ”
20
respexit itaque Abner post tergum suum et ait tune es Asahel qui respondit ego sum
21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil. ” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
21
dixitque ei Abner vade ad dextram sive ad sinistram et adprehende unum de adulescentibus et tolle tibi spolia eius noluit autem Asahel omittere quin urgueret eum
22 And Abner said 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? ”
22
rursumque locutus est Abner ad Asahel recede noli me sequi ne conpellar confodere te in terra et levare non potero faciem meam ad Ioab fratrem tuum
23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
23
qui audire contempsit et noluit declinare percussit ergo eum Abner aversa hasta in inguine et transfodit et mortuus est in eodem loco omnesque qui transiebant per locum in quo ceciderat Asahel et mortuus erat subsistebant
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
24
persequentibus autem Ioab et Abisai fugientem Abner sol occubuit et venerunt usque ad collem Aquaeductus qui est ex adverso vallis et itineris deserti in Gabaon
25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill.
25
congregatique sunt filii Beniamin ad Abner et conglobati in unum cuneum steterunt in summitate tumuli unius
26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers? ”
26
et exclamavit Abner ad Ioab et ait num usque ad internicionem tuus mucro desaeviet an ignoras quod periculosa sit desperatio usquequo non dicis populo ut omittat persequi fratres suos
27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning. ”
27
et ait Ioab vivit Dominus si locutus fuisses mane recessisset populus persequens fratrem suum
28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
28
insonuit ergo Ioab bucina et stetit omnis exercitus nec persecuti sunt ultra Israhel neque iniere certamen
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim.
29
Abner autem et viri eius abierunt per campestria tota nocte illa et transierunt Iordanem et lustrata omni Bethoron venerunt ad Castra
30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.
30
porro Ioab reversus omisso Abner congregavit omnem populum et defuerunt de pueris David decem et novem viri excepto Asahele
31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men.
31
servi autem David percusserunt de Beniamin et de viris qui erant cum Abner trecentos sexaginta qui et mortui sunt
32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
32
tuleruntque Asahel et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro patris sui in Bethleem et ambulaverunt tota nocte Ioab et viri qui erant cum eo et in ipso crepusculo pervenerunt in Hebron
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.