CINXE.COM

<!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=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>2 Samuel 2 New American Bible</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="/bmcc/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/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</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 American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch10002" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn10002" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">David Is Anointed King.</span> <span id="v10002001" class="ver">1</span>After this, David inquired of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” The <span class="tetr">Lord</span> replied to him: Go up. Then David asked, “Where shall I go?” He replied: To Hebron. <span id="v10002002" class="ver">2</span>So David went up there, with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.<a id="ren10002002-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002002-a">a</a> <span id="v10002003" class="ver">3</span>David also brought up his men with their families, and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron. <span id="v10002004" class="ver">4</span>Then the men of Judah came there and anointed David king over the house of Judah.</p> <p>A report reached David that the people of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul.<a id="ren10002004-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002004-b">b</a> <span id="v10002005" class="ver">5</span>So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them: “May you be blessed by the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> for having done this kindness to your lord Saul in burying him. <span id="v10002006" class="ver">6</span>And now may the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> show you kindness and fidelity. For my part, I will show generosity to you for having done this. <span id="v10002007" class="ver">7</span>So take courage and prove yourselves valiant, for though your lord Saul is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”</p> <h1 class="bksect">IV. <span class="ac">The Reign of David</span></h1> <p class="paft"><span class="hemb">Ishbaal King of Israel.</span> <span id="v10002008" class="ver">8</span>Abner, son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, took Ishbaal,<a id="rfn10002008-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn10002008-1">*</a> son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim,<a id="ren10002008-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002008-c">c</a> <span id="v10002009" class="ver">9</span>where he made him king over Gilead, the Asherites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and the rest of Israel. <span id="v10002010" class="ver">10</span>Ishbaal, son of Saul, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years; but the house of Judah followed David. <span id="v10002011" class="ver">11</span>In all, David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah seven years and six months.<a id="ren10002011-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002011-d">d</a></p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Combat near Gibeon.</span> <span id="v10002012" class="ver">12</span>Now Abner, son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal, Saul’s son, set out from Mahanaim for Gibeon. <span id="v10002013" class="ver">13</span>Joab, son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David also set out and encountered them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other on the opposite side. <span id="v10002014" class="ver">14</span>Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men rise and perform for us.”<a id="rfn10002014-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn10002014-1">*</a> Joab replied, “All right.” <span id="v10002015" class="ver">15</span>So they rose and were counted off: twelve of the Benjaminites of Ishbaal, son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants. <span id="v10002016" class="ver">16</span>Then each one grasped his opponent’s head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell down together.<a id="rfn10002016-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn10002016-1">*</a> And so that place was named the Field of the Sides; it is in Gibeon.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Death of Asahel.</span> <span id="v10002017" class="ver">17</span>The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s servants. <span id="v10002018" class="ver">18</span>The three sons of Zeruiah were there—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel.<a id="ren10002018-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002018-e">e</a> Asahel, who was as fleet of foot as a gazelle in the open field, <span id="v10002019" class="ver">19</span>set out after Abner, turning neither right nor left in his pursuit. <span id="v10002020" class="ver">20</span>Abner turned around and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He replied, “Yes.” <span id="v10002021" class="ver">21</span>Abner said to him, “Turn right or left; seize one of the young men and take what you can strip from him.” But Asahel would not stop pursuing him. <span id="v10002022" class="ver">22</span>Once more Abner said to Asahel: “Stop pursuing me! Why must I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”<a id="ren10002022-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10002022-f">f</a> <span id="v10002023" class="ver">23</span>Still he refused to stop. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the heel of his spear, and the weapon protruded from his back. He fell there and died on the spot. All who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, halted. <span id="v10002024" class="ver">24</span>But Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit of Abner. The sun had gone down when they came to the hill of Ammah which lies east of the valley toward the wilderness near Geba.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Truce Between Joab and Abner.</span> <span id="v10002025" class="ver">25</span>Here the Benjaminites rallied around Abner, forming a single group, and made a stand on a hilltop. <span id="v10002026" class="ver">26</span>Then Abner called to Joab and said: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that afterward there will be bitterness? How long before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?” <span id="v10002027" class="ver">27</span>Joab replied, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, it would be morning before the people would be stopped from pursuing their brothers.” <span id="v10002028" class="ver">28</span>Joab then sounded the horn, and all the people came to a halt, pursuing Israel no farther and fighting no more. <span id="v10002029" class="ver">29</span>Abner and his men marched all night long through the Arabah, crossed the Jordan, marched all through the morning, and came to Mahanaim. <span id="v10002030" class="ver">30</span>Joab, coming from the pursuit of Abner, assembled all the men. Nineteen other servants of David were missing, besides Asahel. <span id="v10002031" class="ver">31</span>But David’s servants had struck down and killed three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, followers of Abner. <span id="v10002032" class="ver">32</span>They took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men made an all-night march, and dawn found them in Hebron.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../2_samuel/1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Samuel 1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../2_samuel/3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Samuel 3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>