2 Samuel 2:12-32 - War Between Judah And Israel

¹² Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!"

¹⁵ So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶ As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. So that place is called the Field of Flints; it is in Gibeon.

¹⁷ Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David's soldiers. ¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there -- Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) ¹⁹ Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner. ²⁰ Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!"

²¹ Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!" But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. ²² So Abner spoke again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother?"

²³ But Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect. ²⁴ So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?"

²⁷ Joab replied, "As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers!" ²⁸ Then Joab blew the ram's horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. ²⁹ Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and went through the whole region of Bitron and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David's soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. ³¹ But David's soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner's men -- in all, 360 men had died! ³² They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.

⁸ Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Sound the alarm in Beth Aven! Tremble in fear, O Benjamin! ⁹ Ephraim will be ruined in the day of judgment! What I am declaring to the tribes of Israel will certainly take place! ¹⁰ The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary markers. I will pour out my rage on them like a torrential flood! ¹¹ Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed under judgment, because he was determined to pursue worthless idols. ¹² I will be like a moth to Ephraim, like wood rot to the house of Judah. ¹³ When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound! ¹⁴ I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear them to pieces, then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them! ¹⁵ Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me.