The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?" God said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?" "To Hebron."
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And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
2 So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
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So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
3 David's men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.
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And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.
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And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "God bless you for this - for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral.
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And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
6 God honor you and be true to you - and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness.
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And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7 Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king."
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Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8 In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim
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But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin - king, as it turns out, over all Israel.
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And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David.
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Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11 David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.
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And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon.
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And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on one side, Joab's on the other.
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And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by 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.
14 Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!"
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And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David's side.
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Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 The men from each side grabbed their opponents' heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead - the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It's right there at Gibeon.
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And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17 The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David's men.
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And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope
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And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
19 on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.
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And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
20 Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It surely is," he said.
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Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
21 Abner said, "Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!" But Asahel wouldn't let up.
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And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.
22 Abner tried again, "Turn back. Don't force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?"
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And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
23 When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped - Asahel dead!
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Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon.
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Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.
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And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.
26 Abner called out to Joab, "Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don't you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?"
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Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
27 "As God lives," said Joab, "if you hadn't spoken up, we'd have kept up the chase until morning!"
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And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
28 Then he blew the ram's horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.
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So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning's march, arrived at Mahanaim.
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And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
30 After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David's men (besides Asahel) were missing.
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And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
31 David's men had cut down three hundred and sixty of Abner's men, all Benjaminites - all dead.
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But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
32 They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.
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And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.