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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>2 Samuel 2 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_samuel/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_samuel/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > 2 Samuel 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_samuel/1.htm" title="2 Samuel 1">◄</a> 2 Samuel 2 <a href="../2_samuel/3.htm" title="2 Samuel 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/2_samuel/2.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">David Anointed King of Judah</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>After this, David asked the LORD, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?”</p><p class="reg">“Yes,” the LORD replied.</p><p class="reg">Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”</p><p class="reg">“To Hebron,” the LORD answered.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah.</p><p class="reg">When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>he sent them this message: “May the LORD bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.”</p><p class="hdg">Ishbosheth Proclaimed King of Israel</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.</p><p class="hdg">War between Israel and Judah</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>One day Abner led Ishbosheth’s troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David’s troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Then Abner suggested to Joab, “Let’s have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us.”</p><p class="reg">“All right,” Joab agreed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side—twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other’s side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a></p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David.</p><p class="hdg">The Death of Asahel</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, “Is that you, Asahel?”</p><p class="reg">“Yes, it is,” he replied.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>“Go fight someone else!” Abner warned. “Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Again Abner shouted to him, “Get away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Abner’s troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Then Joab said, “God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>All that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> and didn’t stop until they arrived at Mahanaim.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>But 360 of Abner’s men had been killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/2-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>Joab and his men took Asahel’s body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father’s tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:8 </span><span class="it">Ishbosheth</span><span class="ft"> is another name for Esh-baal.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:16 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Helkath-hazzurim.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:29a </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">the Arabah.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:29b </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">continued on through the Bithron.</span><span class="ft"> The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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