2 Samuel 1; 2 Samuel 2

1 Now Saul was dead. After David haddefeated the Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag and stayed there two days.

2 On the third day a young man from Saul's camp came to Ziklag. To show his sadness, his clothes were torn and he had dirt on his head. He came and bowed facedown on the ground before David.

3 David asked him, "Where did you come from?" The man answered, "I escaped from the Israelite camp."

4 David asked him, "What happened? Please tell me!" The man answered, "The people have run away from the battle, and many of them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also."

5 David asked him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

6 The young man answered, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and the men riding in them were coming closer to Saul.

7 When he looked back and saw me, he called to me. I answered him, 'Here I am!'

8 "Then Saul asked me, 'Who are you?' "I told him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

9 "Then Saul said to me, 'Please come here and kill me. I am badly hurt and am almost dead already.'

10 "So I went over and killed him. He had been hurt so badly I knew he couldn't live. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my master."

11 Then David tore his clothes to show his sorrow, and all the men with him did also.

12 They were very sad and cried and did not eat until evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan and for all the people of the Lord and for all the Israelites who had died in the battle.

13 David asked the young man who brought the report, "Where are you from?" The young man answered, "I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite."

14 David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord's appointed king?"

15 Then David called one of his men and told him, "Go! Kill the Amalekite!" So the Israelite killed him.

16 David had said to the Amalekite, "You are responsible for your own death. You confessed by saying, 'I have killed the Lord's appointed king.'"

17 David sang a funeral song about Saul and his son Jonathan,

18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this song. It is called "The Bow," and it is written in the Book of Jashar:

19 "Israel, your leaders have been killed on the hills. How the mighty have fallen in battle!

20 Don't tell it in Gath. Don't announce it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the Philistine women will be happy. The daughters of the Philistines will rejoice.

21 "May there be no dew or rain on the mountains of Gilboa, and may their fields produce no grain, because there the mighty warrior's shield was dishonored. Saul's shield will no longer be rubbed with oil.

22 Jonathan's bow did not fail to kill many soldiers. Saul's sword did not fail to wound many strong men.

23 "We loved Saul and Jonathan and enjoyed them while they lived. They are together even in death. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

24 "You daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. Saul clothed you with red dresses and put gold decorations on them.

25 "How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan is dead on Gilboa's hills.

26 I cry for you, my brother Jonathan. I enjoyed your friendship so much. Your love to me was wonderful, better than the love of women.

27 "How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are gone."

1 Later, David prayed to the Lord, saying, "Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" The Lord said to David, "Go." David asked, "Where should I go?" The Lord answered, "To Hebron."

2 So David went up to Hebron with his two wives: Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.

3 David also brought his men and their families, and they all made their homes in the cities of Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and appointed David king over Judah. They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.

5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, "The Lord bless you. You have shown loyalty to your master Saul by burying him.

6 May the Lord now be loyal and true to you. I will also treat you well because you have done this.

7 Now be strong and brave. Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have appointed me their king."

8 Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul's army. Abner took Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim

9 and made him king of Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

10 Saul's son Ish-Bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he ruled two years. But the people of Judah followed David.

11 David was king in Hebron for seven years and six months.

12 Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

13 Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men also went there and met Abner and Ish-Bosheth's men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner's group sat on one side of the pool; Joab's group sat on the other.

14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men have a contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let them have a contest."

15 Then the men got up and were counted -- twelve from the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David's men.

16 Each man grabbed the one opposite him by the head and stabbed him in the side with a knife. So the men fell down together. For that reason, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of Knives.

17 That day there was a terrible battle, and David's men defeated Abner and the Israelites.

18 Zeruiah's three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a deer in the field.

19 Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him.

20 Abner looked back and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" Asahel said, "Yes, it is."

21 Then Abner said to Asahel, "Turn to your right or left and catch one of the young men and take his armor." But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.

22 Abner again said to Asahel, "Stop chasing me! If you don't stop, I'll have to kill you! Then I won't be able to face your brother Joab again!"

23 But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So using the back end of his spear, Abner stabbed Asahel in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there, and everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel's body lay.

24 But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. As the sun was going down, they arrived at the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the desert near Gibeon.

25 The men of Benjamin came to Abner, and all stood together at the top of the hill.

26 Abner shouted to Joab, "Must the sword kill forever? Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers!"

27 Then Joab said, "As surely as God lives, if you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning."

28 Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not fight them anymore.

29 Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and after marching all day, arrived at Mahanaim.

30 After he had stopped chasing Abner, Joab came back and gathered the people together. Asahel and nineteen of David's men were missing.

31 But David's men had killed three hundred sixty Benjaminites who had followed Abner.

32 David's men took Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up as they reached Hebron.