2 Samuel 2

David Crowned, Beef Brews

1 After all that, David prayed, “Lord, should I go to one of the towns of Judah,” God said, “Yeah, go.” David said, “Which one,” God said, “Hebron.”

2 So David rolled to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel.

3 His people went too, every man with his family. They all settled in Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came and anointed David king over Judah. David heard the people of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul with honor.

5 So David sent messengers to them, saying, “Respect. You all showed love and loyalty by taking care of Saul.”

6 “May the Lord bless you all for that. I am going to do right by you too.”

7 “Be strong and bold, Saul’s gone, but Judah just made me their king.”

Ish-bosheth Rises

8 Meanwhile, Abner, Saul’s army commander, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and made him king in Mahanaim.

9 He ruled over Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, all of Israel except Judah.

10 Ish-bosheth was 40 when he became king. He ruled for two years. But the tribe of Judah stuck with David.

11 David reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years.

Civil War Heats Up

12 Abner and Ish-bosheth’s crew rolled out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 Joab (David’s general) met them at the pool of Gibeon. Both crews sat down, one on each side of the water.

14 Abner said, “Let some of the young bucks fight it out for show.” Joab said, “Bet, let us run it.”

15 Twelve men from each side stepped up, Benjamin for Ish-bosheth, and Judah for David.

16 Each grabbed his opponent and stabbed the other. They all fell together. That place got called “The Field of Blades.”

17 The battle broke out hard. David’s crew, led by Joab, stomped Abner’s army that day.

Asahel’s Chase

18 Joab had two brothers: Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was fast, like track star fast.

19 He locked onto Abner and chased him hard, not looking left or right.

20 Abner looked back and said, “You Asahel,” “Asahel in the flesh,” he said.

21 Abner said, “Fall back. Fight someone else. Do not make me drop you.”

22 He said again, “Quit chasing me. I do not want to kill you, how would I face your brother Joab?”

23 But Asahel would not stop. So Abner swung his spear backward and ran him through. Asahel dropped, dead on the spot. Everybody who came to that place just stood there.

Fight Gets Called Off

24 Joab and Abishai kept chasing Abner until sunset. They came to Ammah Hill near Giah, on the road to the wilderness.

25 Abner’s crew regrouped on top of the hill, tight formation.

26 Abner shouted to Joab, “You are going to keep this up forever, When is enough enough, Tell your people to stop killing their brothers.”

27 Joab shouted back, “If you had not spoke, my men woulda kept going till morning.”

28 So Joab blew the horn. Everybody stopped fighting.

Both Sides Go Home

29 Abner and his men marched all night and crossed the Jordan, heading back to Mahanaim.

30 Joab regrouped. David’s crew lost 19 soldiers, plus Asahel.

31 But they dropped 360 of Abner’s men.

32 They buried Asahel in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and made it back to Hebron at sunrise.