2 Samuel 2

And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

After this, David asked God if he should visit any city in Judah. God told him to go, and when David asked which city, God said Hebron.

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.

So David and his two wives climbed up there - Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who was married to Nabal but is now referred to as the Carmelite.

And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

David brought his men and their families to live in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

The people from the area of Judah arrived and chose David as their king. They informed David that the people from Jabeshgilead were the ones who buried Saul.

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

And David sent a message to the people of Jabesh Gilead, saying, "The Lord bless you for being kind to our leader, Saul, and for giving him a proper burial."

And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

Now, the Lord will be kind and honest with you. I will also return your kindness because you did this good thing.

Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

So now, be strong and brave because your leader Saul is gone, and the people of Judah have chosen me to be their king.

But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

But Abner, Saul's army leader, took Ishbosheth, Saul's son, and brought him to Mahanaim.

And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

He made him ruler of Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of Israel.

Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, became king at age 40 and ruled Israel for two years. However, the people of Judah supported David instead.

And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

David ruled in Hebron as king for the house of Judah for seven years and six months.

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

Abner and Ishbosheth's helpers left Mahanaim for Gibeon.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together 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.

Joab and David's helpers gathered near the Gibeon pool. They sat on opposite sides of the water.

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

Abner asked Joab if they could let the young people get up and perform for them. Joab agreed.

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

Then, twelve people from Benjamin followed Ishbosheth, Saul's son, and twelve servants joined David.

And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

They grabbed each person next to them by the head and stabbed them with their swords, causing both of them to fall down. This place was then named Helkathhazzurim, located in Gibeon.

And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

That day had a big fight; Abner lost and so did the Israelite soldiers, before David's helpers won.

And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

There were three brothers named Joab, Abishai, and Asahel from Zeruiah. Asahel was very fast, like a wild deer.

And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

Asahel chased Abner, never swerving left or right, just focused on following him.

Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.

Then Abner asked, "Are you Asahel?" And he replied, "Yes, I am."

And Abner said to him, Turn 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 following of him.

Abner told him to move left or right and grab a young man's armor. But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

Abner told Asahel, "Don't follow me anymore. Why would I hurt you? How can I then look at Joab, your brother?"

Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

But he didn't want to move away. So, Abner hit him with his spear in his lower right side, causing the spear to come out on the other side. He fell down and died there. When others arrived at where Asahel died, they all stopped and stood still.

Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

Joab and Abishai chased after Abner. They followed him until the sun set behind a hill called Ammah, near Giah, on the path to the wilderness of Gibeon.

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

The Benjamin kids joined together with Abner, becoming one big group, and they stood at the top of a hill.

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

Then Abner asked Joab, "Will the fighting never stop? Don't you know it will cause bitterness later on? When will you tell the people to stop chasing their family members?"

And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

Joab said, "I swear, if you didn't say anything, in the morning everyone would have left to follow their sibling."

So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

So Joab sounded a horn, and everyone stopped moving, and they didn't chase after Israel anymore or fight them.

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

And Abner and his group walked all night across the flat land, crossed the river Jordan, went through Bithron, and reached Mahanaim.

And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.

Joab came back after chasing Abner. He brought everyone together, but nineteen of David's servants and Asahel were missing.

But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

But David's workers hurt many people from Benjamin and Abner's group, causing 360 men to die.

And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

They carried Asahel and put him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his group traveled all night and reached Hebron when morning arrived.