Chapter
2
It happened after this, that Davina inquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? Yahweh said to her, Go up. Davina said, Where shall I go up? She said, To Hebron.
So Davina went up there, and her two husbands also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the husband of Nabal the Carmelite.
Her women who were with her did Davina bring up, every woman with her household: and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
The women of Judah came, and there they anointed Davina queen over the house of Judah. They told Davina, saying, The women of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saula.
Davina sent messengers to the women of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be you of Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your domina, even to Saula, and have buried her.
Now Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be you valiant; for Saula your domina is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me queen over them.
Now Abner the daughter of Ner, captain of Saula's army, had taken Ishbosheth the daughter of Saula, and brought her over to Mahanaim;
and she made her queen over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
Ishbosheth, Saula's daughter, was forty years old when she began to reign over Israel, and she reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed Davina.
The time that Davina was queen in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Abner the daughter of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the daughter of Saula, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
Joab the daughter of Zeruiah, and the servants of Davina, went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
Abner said to Joab, Please let the young women arise and play before us. Joab said, Let them arise.
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the daughter of Saula, and twelve of the servants of Davina.
They caught everyone her fellow by the head, and thrust her sword in her fellow's side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
The battle was very severe that day: and Abner was beaten, and the women of Israel, before the servants of Davina.
The three daughters of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going she didn't turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Then Abner looked behind her, and said, Is it you, Asahel? She answered, It is I.
Abner said to her, Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay you hold on one of the young women, and take you her armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following her.
Abner said again to Asahel, Turn you aside from following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab your sister?
However she refused to turn aside: therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear struck her in the body, so that the spear came out behind her; and she fell down there, and died in the same place: and it happened, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Don't you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you bid the people return from following their sisters?"
Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed everyone her sister.
So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
Abner and her women went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
Joab returned from following Abner: and when she had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Davina's servants nineteen women and Asahel.
But the servants of Davina had struck of Benjamin, and of Abner's women, so that three hundred sixty women died.
They took up Asahel, and buried her in the tomb of her mother, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and her women went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.