But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.

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

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

And there was a very grievous battle that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

And Asahel ran after Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

And Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am.

And Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take for yourself. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?

However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him with the blunt end of the spear in the belly, and the spear came out behind him. And he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it happened that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

And Joab and Abishai ran after Abner. And the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

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

Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long shall it be then before you command the people to return from chasing their brothers?

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

And Joab returned from following Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men and Asahel were missing from David's servants.

But the servants of David had stricken three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, who died.

And it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

So may God do to Abner, and more also, if I do not do to David as Jehovah has sworn,

And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? He said, Cut your covenant with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring about all Israel to you.

And her husband went along with her, weeping behind her, to Bahurim. And Abner said to him, Go, return! And he returned.

The word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, You sought for David in times past to be king over you.

And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and all that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

And Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men came with him. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and so that you may reign over all that your heart desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

And Joab and all the army with him came, and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.

And Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is this, that you have sent him away, and he has already gone?

You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.

And Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah. But David did not know.

And Abner returned to Hebron. And Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately. And he struck him there in the belly, and he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

And afterward David heard, and said, My kingdom and I are guiltless before Jehovah forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

And Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Tear your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier.

And they buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner. And all the people wept.

And the king mourned over Abner and said, Did Abner die like a fool dies?

For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

And Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron. And his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.