Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he ruled two years. But the people of Judah followed David. David was king in Hebron for seven years and six months.
Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men also went there and met Abner and Ish-Bosheth’s men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool; Joab’s group sat on the other.
Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men have a contest here.”
Joab said, “Yes, let them have a contest.”
Then the men got up and were counted—twelve from the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David’s men. Each man grabbed the one opposite him by the head and stabbed him in the side with a knife. So the men fell down together. For that reason, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of Knives. That day there was a terrible battle, and David’s men defeated Abner and the Israelites.
Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a deer in the field. Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him. Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”
Asahel said, “Yes, it is.”
Then Abner said to Asahel, “Turn to your right or left and catch one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me! If you don’t stop, I’ll have to kill you! Then I won’t be able to face your brother Joab again!”
But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So using the back end of his spear, Abner stabbed Asahel in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there, and everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel’s body lay.
But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. As the sun was going down, they arrived at the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the desert near Gibeon. The men of Benjamin came to Abner, and all stood together at the top of the hill.
Abner shouted to Joab, “Must the sword kill forever? Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers!”
Then Joab said, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning.” Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not fight them anymore.
Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and after marching all day, arrived at Mahanaim.
After he had stopped chasing Abner, Joab came back and gathered the people together. Asahel and nineteen of David’s men were missing. But David’s men had killed three hundred sixty Benjaminites who had followed Abner. David’s men took Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up as they reached Hebron.
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