Samuel's note_Chapter 2

Afterwards, David asked the Lord, “Can I go up to a city in Judah?”? The Lord said, Yes. David said, Which city shall I go to? The Lord said, Go up to Hebron.

So David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite, went up there.

David also brought up his people and their families, and stayed in the cities of Hebron.

The Jews came to Hebron and anointed David as king over the house of Judah. Someone told David that it was the people of Kiriath Jabesh who buried Saul.

David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, ‘Treat your lord Saul well and bury him.’. May the Lord bless you.

After you have done this, may the Lord treat you with love and truth, and I will also treat you well for it.

Now your Lord Saul has died, and the house of Judah has anointed me as their king. Therefore, be strong and brave.

Abner, the son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, brought his son Ishbosheth across the river to Mahanaim,

Make him king over Gilead, Ashuli, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign and reigned over Israel for two years. Only the people of Judah followed David.

David reigned over the house of Judah in Hebron for a total of seven years and six months.

Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul came out of Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David’s servants also came out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. One class sits on this side of the pool, and the other class sits on the other side of the pool.

Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men rise up and play before us.”. Joab said, Yes.

And they went up according to the number, and twelve Benjamin men who belonged to Ishbosheth the son of Saul went over, and twelve David’s servants also went over,

Pulling their heads together, stabbing their ribs with knives, and falling together. So, that place is called Helechhazulum, located in Gibeon.

The battle that day was fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated before David’s servants.

There were three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asa’s black feet are as fast as wild deer.

Asahel pursued Abner and pursued him without turning to either side.

Abner turned around and said, Are you Asahel? The answer is yes.

Abner said to him, “Turn left and right, take a young man, and strip him of his battle clothes.”. But Asahel refused to turn away and pursue him.

Abner said to Asahel again, “Turn away from pursuing me.”. Why should I kill you? If I kill you, what face will I have to see your brother Joab?

Asahel still refused to turn away. So, Abner used a gun?? Thorned into his belly, and even a spear pierced through his back, Asahel fell and died there. When everyone arrived at the place where Asahel fell and died, they all stood still.

Joab and Abishai chased after Abner, and at sunset, they arrived at the roadside of the wilderness of Gibeon, opposite Mount Amah.

The people of Benjamin gathered and followed Abner, standing on a mountaintop.

Abner called out to Joab, saying, Shall the sword kill forever? Do you not know that there will always be pain in the end? When will you wait for the people to go back and not pursue their brothers?

Joab said, As the living God lives, if you do not say the words of mockery, the people will return this morning and not pursue their brothers.

So Joab blew the horn, and all the people stood still, no longer pursuing the Israelites, and no longer fighting.

Abner and his men passed through Arabah all night, crossed the Jordan River, passed through Bilun, and arrived at Mahanaim.

Joab chased after Abner and gathered all the people, but found that nineteen of David’s servants and Asahel were missing.

But David’s servants killed three hundred and sixty Benjamin and Abner’s followers.

They brought Asahel to Bethlehem and buried him in his father’s tomb. Joab and his companions walked all night and arrived at Hebron at dawn.