David is Anointed King Over Judah |
2 Samuel 2:1-32 The Book of 2 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
It [happened] after this, David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David [asked,] [Where] shall I go up? [The Lord God] said, To Hebron. |
So, David, his 2 wives: Ahinoam, [from Jezreel] & Abigail, Nabal’s [widow from Carmel] & all David’s men that were with him & [their households] went there & [lived] in the cities of Hebron. |
And the men of Judah came there & they anointed David king over the house of Judah & [said,] The men of Jabesh Gilead were [those who] buried Saul. David sent messengers to the men of James’s Gilead & said, Blessed [are you] of the Lord, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, [when you] buried him. |
And [may] the Lord now [show] kindness & truth to you & I will also [repay] this kindness, because you have done this. Therefore, be valiant & let your hands be strengthened: for your master, Saul, is dead & the house of Judah [has] also anointed me king over them. |
Abner, son of Ner, captain of Saul’s [army,] took Ishbosheth, [Saul’s] son & brought him over to Mahanaim & made him king over Gilead & over: the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin & over all of Israel. |
Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was 40 years old when he began to [rule] over Israel. He [ruled] 2 years, but the house of Judah followed David. David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah [for] 7 years & 6 months. |
Aber, [Ner’s] son & the servants of Ishbosheth, [Saul’s] son, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab, son of Zeruiah, & [David’s] servants, went out & met together by the pool of Gibeon & sat down on [opposite sides] of the pool. |
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men [rise] & [compete] before us & Joab said, Let them arise. There [were] 12 [who] went over of Benjamin [who represented] Ishbosheth, [Saul’s] son & 12 of [David’s] servants [went.] |
They [each] caught [their opponent] by the head & thrust his sword in his side. So, they fell down together & [that’s why] that place is called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. |
And there was a very [fierce] battle that day & Abner was beaten & the men of Israel [were beaten,] before the servants of David. And there were 3 sons of Zeruiah there: Joab, Abishai & Asahel [who was a fast runner like] a wild [deer.] |
And Asahel pursued after Abner & [didn’t] turn [away] from following Abner to the right hand or the left. Then, Abner looked behind & said, Are you, Asahel? And he answered, I am. |
And Abner [told] him,Turn aside to the right hand or the left & [grab] one of the young men & take his armor. But Asahel wouldn’t [stop] from following him. And Abner [asked] Asahel again, Turn aside from following me: [why] should I [strike] you to the ground? Then, how could I face Joab, your brother? |
[However, Asahel] refused to turn aside & Abner [struck Asahel] with the [furthest] end of the spear under the 5th rib & the spear came out behind him. And [Asahel] fell down & died there. [It happened,] as many [who] came to the place where Asahel fell & died, [just] stood [there silently.] |
Joab & also Abishai pursued after Abner: [until sunset,] when they [came] to the Hill of Ammah, that [lies in front of] Giah, by the [road] of the Wilderness of Gibeon. |
And the children [people] of Benjamin gathered together & became [united like] one troop after Abner & stood on the top of a hill. Then, Abner called to Joab & said, Shall the sword devour forever? [Don’t] you know it will [lead to] bitterness in the end? |
How long shall it be [before you make] the people [stop &] return from following their brethren? And Joab said, As God lives, [if] you [hadn’t] spoken, then surely [the men would have continued following until] morning. |
So, Joab blew the trumpet & all the people stood still & [stopped pursuing] after Israel & they [didn’t fight] any more. And Abner & his men walked all night through the plain & [crossed] over [the] Jordan [River] & went through all [of] Bithron & they came to Mahanaim. |
And Joab returned from following Abner & when he had gathered all the people together, 19 of David’s servants & Asahel [weren’t with them.] But the servants of David had [struck down & killed] 360 [Benjamites] & Abner’s men. |
And they took up Asahel & buried him in the [tomb] of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab & his men went all night & they came to Hebron at [daybreak.] |