1 Então David perguntou ao Senhor: Deverei voltar para Judá? O Senhor respondeu-lhe: Sim.Para que cidade devo ir? E o Senhor respondeu: Para Hebrom.
2 David e as suas mulheres - Ainoã de Jezreel e Abigail, a viúva de Nabal, do Carmelo - mais os seus homens com as respectivas famílias, todos vieram para Hebrom. Os líderes de Judá vieram dar-lhe as boas vindas e coroaram-no rei sobre o povo de Judá o saber que os homens de Jabes-Gileade tinham tido o cuidado de fazer o enterro de Saul, mandou-lhes uma mensagem: Que o Senhor vos abençoe por terem honrado dessa maneira a memória do vosso rei, fazendo-lhe um funeral com dignidade. Que o Senhor vos proteja na sua fidelidade e vos recompense! Eu também vos retribuirei o bem que praticaram. Agora peço-vos que aceitem ser meus súbditos, fortes e fiéis, visto que Saul já está morto. Também a tribo de Judá já me designou como seu rei.
8 No entanto Abner, comandante das tropas de Saul, foi a Maanaim para fazer de Isbosete rei. O seu território era Gileade, Asuri, Jezreel, Efraim, a tribo de Benjamim e todo o resto de Israel. Isbosete tinha quarenta anos nessa altura. Reinou assim em Maanaim por dois anos; entretanto David reinava em Hebrom, e durante sete anos e meio foi rei do povo de Judá.
12 Um dia o general Abner levou as tropas de Isbosete de Maanaim até Gibeão, e Joabe (filho de Zeruía), general das tropas de David, levou estas ao encontro das primeiras. Ficaram frente a frente junto ao poço de Gibeão, uns do lado de cá do tanque, e os outros do lado oposto. Abner sugeriu a Joabe o seguinte: Vamos pôr alguns dos nossos moços a defrontarem-se à espada à nossa frente!, e Joabe acedeu. Foram assim escolhidos doze combatentes de cada lado, para se confrontarem mortalmente.
16 O combate começou e cada um, pegando na cabeça do outro pelos cabelos mergulhou a espada no corpo do outro, matando-o; e assim acabaram por morrer todos. Aquele lugar ficou conhecido como o Campo das Espadas.
17 Os dois exércitos começaram então a luta. Chegando ao fim do dia, Abner e os seus homens tinham sido derrotados por Joabe. Abisai e Asael - irmãos de Joabe - também se encontravam na batalha. Asael era um grande corredor, corria como uma gazela, e foi em perseguição de Abner, correndo sem descanso, absolutamente determinado a apanhá-lo.
20 A certa altura Abner olhou para trás, viu-o e perguntou-lhe: Tu és Asael? Sim, sou.
21 Aviso-te de que não venhas atrás de mim. Vai antes em perseguição dum soldado qualquer e fica com os despojos. Mas Asael recusou e continuou no seu encalço bner tornou a gritar-lhe: Sai de trás de mim! Eu nunca mais poderia aparecer ao teu irmão Joabe, se te matasse!
23 Mas Asael recusou-se a desistir. Então Abner trespassou-lhe o ventre com a extremidade mais grossa da sua lança; esta saiu-lhe pelo outro lado do corpo. Asael ficou-se logo ali estendido, morto; toda a gente que ia passando parava a ver o corpo.
24 Joabe e Abisai puseram-se por sua vez em perseguição de Abner. Estava já o Sol a pôr-se quando chegaram ao outeiro de Amá, em frente de Giá, no caminho para o deserto de Gibeão. As tropas de Abner, formadas por contingentes de soldados de Benjamim, reagruparam-se no cimo da colina. Dali Abner gritou para Joabe, em baixo: Será que as nossas tropas hão-de continuar a matar-se umas às outras? Quando é que pensas dizer à tua gente que deixe de perseguir os irmãos?
27 Garanto-te, diante de Deus, que mesmo que não tivesses falado, as minhas tropas teriam ido para casa já desde amanhã, respondeu-lhe Joabe. Tocou então a trombeta e os seus homens pararam de correr atrás das tropas de Israel.
29 Nessa noite, Abner e os seus soldados retiraram-se através da planície do Jordão; atravessaram o rio, andaram toda a manhã seguinte, até que chegaram a Maanaim.
30 As tropas de Joabe também se retiraram para a sua terra. Quando contaram as baixas verificaram que tinham perdido apenas dezanove homens, além de Asael; e que da parte de Abner tinha havido trezentas e sessenta perdas, todos da tribo de Benjamim.
32 Os soldados de Joabe levaram o corpo de Asael para Belém e enterraram-no na sepultura do seu pai; depois marcharam a noite inteira e chegaram a Hebrom ao romper do dia.
1 And it came to pass, after this, that David enquired of Yahweh, sayingShall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Yahweh said unto him, Go up. And David saidWhither shall I go up? And he saidUnto Hebron.
2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also,Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 His men also who were with him, did David bring up, every man with his household,and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 Then came the men of Judah, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, Men of Jabesh-gilead, were they who buried Saul.
5 So David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead,and said unto themBlessed, be ye of Yahweh, that ye did this lovingkindness unto your lord, unto Saul, and buried him.
6 Now, therefore, Yahweh requite you with lovingkindness and truth,moreover also, I, will requite you, for this noble deed, in that ye did this thing.
7 Now, therefore, let your hands be made firm, and become ye sons of valour, for your lord Saul is dead,and, me, moreover have the house of Judah anointed, to be king over them.
8 But, Abner son of Ner, prince of the host that pertained unto Saul, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 and made him king for Gilead, and for the Ashurites, and for Jezreel,and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over, all Israel.
10 Forty years old, was Ish-bosheth son of Saul, when he began to reign over Israel, and, two years, reigned he,but, the house of Judah, followed David.
11 And it came to pass, that, the number of the days that David was king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And, Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out from Hebron and met, by the pool of Gibeon, together, and they sat down, these, by the pool, on the one side, and, those, by the pool, on the other side.
14 Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab saidLet them arise.
15 Then there arose, and went over by number,twelve of Benjamin, pertaining to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve, of the servants of David.
16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, with his sword in his fellows side, so they fell, together,and that place was called Helkath-hazzadim, which is in Gideon. \fs15
17 So the battle became exceeding obstinate, on that day,and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
18 Now there were there, three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel,and, Asahel, was light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 And Asahel pursued Abner,and turned not, in going, to the right hand or to the left, from pursuing Abner.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and saidArt thou Asahel? And he saidI am.
21 Then Abner said to himTurn thee aside, to thy right hand, or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him.
22 And Abner said, yet again, unto Asahel, Turn thee aside from pursuing me,wherefore should I smite thee to the earth? how then should I lift up my face unto Joab, thy brother?
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside, wherefore Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear, in the belly, that the spear came out behind him, and he fell there, and died on the spot,and so it was, that, as many as came up to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.
24 Then Joab and Abishai pursued Abner,but, the sun, had gone in by the time, they, had come as far as the hill of Ammah, that overlooketh Giah, by way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 And, when the sons of Benjamin had gathered themselves together after Abner, and become one band,and had taken their stand on the top of a certain hill,
26 then Abner cried aloud unto Joab, and saidTo the uttermost, must the sword devour? Dost thou not well know that, bitter, shall it be, in the latter end? How long, then, wilt thou not bid the people turn back from pursuing their own brethren?
27 Then said JoabAs God liveth, surely, if thou hadst not spoken, then in the morning, the people would of themselves have gone up, every man from pursuing his brother.
28 So Joab blew with the horn, and all the people stood still, and they neither pursued Israel further,nor fought any more.
29 And, Abner and his men, journeyed through the waste plain all that night,and crossed the Jordan, and went through all the Bithron, and entered Mahanaim.
30 And, Joab, returned from pursuing Abner, and, when he had gathered together all the people, there were missing of the servants of Davidnineteen men, and Asahel;
31 but, the servants of David, had smitten of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men, had died.
32 And they carried Asahel, and buried him in the grave of his father, which was in Bethlehem,and Joab and his men journeyed all the night, and had daylight in Hebron.