The Koine Bible

And it happened after these things that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, Into Hebron.

And David went up there to Hebron, and both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And the men who were with him, each man and his house, also dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came and anointed David there to reign over the house of Judah. And they reported to David, saying, that the men of Jabesh of Gilead buried Saul.

And David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabesh of Gilead and said to them, Blessed are you to the Lord, because you have done this mercy for your lord, for Saul, the anointed of the Lord, and you buried him and Jonathan his son.

And now may the Lord do with you mercy and truth, and indeed I will do with you these good things, because you did this matter.

And now let your hands be strengthened, and become sons of might, for your lord Saul has died, and indeed the house of Judah has anointed me over themselves as king

And Abner son of Ner, commander-in-chief of Saul, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him up from the camp to Mahanaim

And he made him king over Gilead and over the Thesiri and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel

Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years, except the house of Judah, who were behind David.

And the days which David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah were seven years and six months

And Abner son of Ner went out, and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

And Joab son of Sarouias and the servants of David went out from Hebron, and they met them at the spring of Gibeon, together, and these sat on this side of the spring of Gibeon, and those on that side of the spring, on this side.

And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and let them play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

And they rose up and passed over, twelve in number from the sons of Benjamin, of Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the sons of David

And they seized each by the hand the head of his neighbor, and his sword into the side of his neighbor, and they fall together; and the name of that place was called Portion of the Plotters, which is in Gabaon.

And the war became very severe on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

And there were there three sons of Zeruiah: Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was light on his feet, as one gazelle in the field

And Asahel pursued after Abner, and he did not turn aside from going to the right nor to the left, behind Abner.

And Abner looked behind him and said, Are you you Azahel? And he said, I am.

And Abner said to him, Turn you aside to the right or to the left, and seize for yourself one of the young men, and take for yourself his armor; but Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following after him.

And Abner continued still, saying to Asahel, Turn away from me, lest I strike you to the ground; and how shall I lift up my face to Joab? And where would these things be? Turn back to Joab your brother.

And he was not willing to turn aside, and Abner struck him with the butt of the spear at the loins, and the spear went through from behind him, and he falls there and dies beneath him; and every one who was coming to the place where Asahel fell there and died was standing still.

And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abner, and the sun was setting, and they entered as far as the hill of Amman, which is in front of the desert road of Gabaon.

And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abennēr, and they became into one meeting, and they stood on the top of one hill.

And Abner called Joab and said, Will the sword devour forever? Or do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? And until when will you not say to the people to turn back from after our brothers?

And Joab said, As the Lord lives, unless you had spoken, surely then from morning the people would have gone up, each after his brother.

And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people withdrew, and they did not pursue after Israel, and they did not continue still to fight

And Abennēr and his men went away westward all that night, and they crossed over the Jordan and went all the extended way, and they come into the camp.

And Joab returned back from after Abennēr and gathered all the people, and nineteen men of the servants of David were missing, and Asahel.

And the servants of David struck from the sons of Benjamin, the men of Abennēr, three hundred and sixty men from him

And they take up Asahel and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem, and Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the dawn broke for them in Hebron.