2 Samuel 2 - Simple English

1After this, David asked the LORD, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" The LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron."

2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, who had been the wife of Nabal.

3David also brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.

4Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, "It was the men of Jabeshgilead who buried Saul."

5So David sent messengers to the men of Jabeshgilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and buried him."

6"Now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. And I also will repay you for this kindness, because you have done this thing."

7"So now let your hands be strong, and be brave. Your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

8But Abner the son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

9He made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out, and they met together by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, one group on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side.

14Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men get up now and play before us." And Joab said, "Let them get up."

15Then they got up and went over by number: twelve of Benjamin, who belonged to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16Each man caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent's side. So they fell down together. That is why the place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17There was a very hard battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild deer.

19Asahel chased after Abner. As he went, he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

20Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Are you Asahel?" And he answered, "I am."

21Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left. Take hold of one of the young men, and take his armour for yourself." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

22Abner said to Asahel again, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

23But he refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him with the back end of his spear, under the fifth rib, and the spear came out behind him. He fell down there and died on that very spot. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24Joab and Abishai went on chasing Abner. The sun went down as they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies in front of Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25The children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and they stood on the top of a hill.

26Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword go on devouring for ever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will it be before you tell the people to stop chasing their brothers?"

27Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, then surely in the morning the people would have gone up, every one of them, from chasing his brother."

28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still. They chased Israel no more, and they fought no more.

29Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain. They crossed the Jordan, went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

30Joab came back from chasing Abner. When he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants were missing, and Asahel.

31But the servants of David had struck down the men of Benjamin and Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died.

32They took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.