12 Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to 1Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.
13
And 2Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of Davidwent out and met[a]them by the pool of Gibeon; and they satdown, [b]one on the oneside of the pool and [c]the other on the otherside of the pool.
14
Then Abnersaid to Joab, "Now let the youngmenarise and [d]3hold a contestbefore us." And Joabsaid, "Let them arise."
15
So they arose and wentover by count, twelve* for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve* of the servants of David.
16
Eachone of them seized his [e]opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his [f]opponent'sside; so they felldowntogether. Therefore that place was called[g]Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17
That day the battle was verysevere, and 4Abner and the men of Israel were beatenbefore the servants of David.
18
Now 5the threesons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was 6as [h]swift-footed* as one of the gazelleswhich is in the field.
19
AsahelpursuedAbner and did not turn to the right or to the left from followingAbner.
20
Then Abnerlookedbehind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."
21
So Abnersaid to him, "Turn to your rightor to your left, and takehold of one of the youngmen for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turnaside from following him.
22
Abnerrepeated*again to Asahel, "Turnaside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? 7How then could I lift up my face to your brotherJoab?"
23
However, he refused to turnaside; therefore Abnerstruck him in the belly with the buttend of the spear, so that the spearcame out at his back. And he fellthere and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the placewhere*8Asahel had fallen and died, stoodstill.
24
But Joab and AbishaipursuedAbner, 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.
25
The sons of Benjamingathered together behindAbner and becameoneband, and they stood on the top of a certainhill.
26
Then Abnercalled to Joab and said, "Shall the sworddevourforever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? Howlong* will you refrain from telling the people to turnback from following their brothers?"
27
Joabsaid, "As Godlives, if you had not spoken, surelythen the people would have goneaway in the morning, each from following his brother."
28
So Joabblew the trumpet; and all the peoplehalted and pursuedIsraelnolonger, 9nor did they continue to fightanymore.
29
Abner and his men then went through the Arabahall that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walkedallmorning, and came to 10Mahanaim.
30
Then Joabreturned from followingAbner; when he had gatheredall the people together, nineteen* of David'sservants besides Asahel were missing.
31
But the servants of David had struckdown many of Benjamin and Abner'smen, so that threehundred and sixtymendied.
32
And they took up Asahel and buried him 11in his father'stombwhich was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his menwentallnight until the day dawned at Hebron.