II Samuel 2

vayehi akhare-khen vayyishal david ba-Adonai lemor ha'e'eleh be'akhat are yehudah vayyomer Adonai elayw aleh vayyomer david anah e'eleh vayyomer khevronah

Sometime afterward, David inquired of GOD, “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” GOD answered, “Yes.” David further asked, “Which one shall I go up to?” And GOD replied, “To Hebron.”

vayya'al sham david vegam shete nashayw akhino'am hayyizre'elit va'avigayil eshet naval hakkarmeli

So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

va'anashayw asher-immo he'elah david ish uveto vayyeshevu be'are khevron

David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in the towns about Hebron.

vayyavo'u anshe yehudah vayyimshekhu-sham et-david lemelekh al-bet yehudah vayyaggidu ledavid lemor anshe yavesh gilad asher qaveru et-sha'ul

The people of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the House of Judah. David was told about the agents of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.

vayyishlakh david malakhim el-anshe yavesh gilad vayyomer alehem berukhim attem la-Adonai asher asitem hakhesed hazzeh im-adonekhem im-sha'ul vattiqberu oto

So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed of GOD because you performed this act of faithfulness to your lord Saul and buried him.

ve'attah ya'as-Adonai immakhem khesed ve'emet vegam anokhi e'eseh ittekhem hattovah hazzot asher asitem haddavar hazzeh

May GOD in turn show you true faithfulness; and I too will reward you generously because you performed this act.

ve'attah tekhezaqnah yedekhem vihyu livne-khayil ki-met adonekhem sha'ul vegam-oti mashekhu vet-yehudah lemelekh alehem

Now take courage and be brave; for your lord Saul is dead and the House of Judah have already anointed me king over them.”

ve'avner ben-ner sar-tsava asher lesha'ul laqakh et-ish boshet ben-sha'ul vayya'avirehu makhanayim

But Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him across to Mahanaim

vayyamlikhehu el-haggilad ve'el-ha'ashuri ve'el-yizre'el ve'al-efrayim ve'al-binyamin ve'al-yisra'el kulloh

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

ben-arba'im shanah ish-boshet ben-sha'ul bemolkho al-yisra'el ushetayim shanim malakh akh bet yehudah hayu akhare david

Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king of Israel, and he reigned two years. But the House of Judah supported David.

vayehi mispar hayyamim asher hayah david melekh bekhevron al-bet yehudah sheva shanim veshisha khodashim

The length of time that David reigned in Hebron over the House of Judah was seven years and six months.

vayyetse avner ben-ner ve'avde ish-boshet ben-sha'ul mimmakhanayim givonah

Once Abner son of Ner and the soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon,

veyo'av ben-tseruyah ve'avde david yatse'u vayyifgeshum al-berekhat givon yakhdav vayyeshevu elleh al-habberekhah mizzeh ve'elleh al-habberekhah mizzeh

and Joab son of Zeruiah and the soldiers of David [also] came out. They confronted one another at the pool of Gibeon: one group sat on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.

vayyomer avner el-yo'av yaqumu na hanne'arim visakhaqu lefanenu vayyomer yo'av yaqumu

Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and sport before us.” “Yes, let them,” Joab answered.

vayyaqumu vayya'avru vemispar shenem asar levinyamin ule'ish boshet ben-sha'ul ushenem asar me'avde david

They came forward and were counted off, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of David’s soldiers.

vayyakhaziqu ish berosh re'ehu vekharbo betsad re'ehu vayyippelu yakhdav vayyiqra lammaqom hahu khelqat hatsurim asher begivon

Each one grasped his opponent’s head [and thrust] his dagger into his opponent’s side; thus they fell together. That place, which is in Gibeon, was called Helkath-hazzurim.

vattehi hammilkhamah qashah ad-me'od bayyom hahu vayyinnagef avner ve'anshe yisra'el lifne avde david

A fierce battle ensued that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were routed by David’s soldiers.

vayyihyu-sham sheloshah bene tseruyah yo'av va'avishay va'asahel va'asahel qal beraglayw ke'akhad hatsevayim asher bassadeh

The three sons of Zeruiah were there—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was swift of foot, like a gazelle in the open field.

vayyirdof asahel akhare avner velo-natah lalekhet al-hayyamin ve'al-hassemovl me'akhare avner

And Asahel ran after Abner, swerving neither right nor left in his pursuit of Abner.

vayyifen avner akharayw vayyomer ha'attah zeh asahel vayyomer anokhi

Abner looked back and shouted, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it is,” he called back.

vayyomer lo avner neteh lekha al-yeminekha o al-semolekha ve'ekhoz lekha ekhad mehanne'arim veqakh-lekha et-khalitsato velo-avah asahel lasur me'akharayw

Abner said to him, “Turn to the right or to the left, and seize one of our boys and strip off his tunic.” But Asahel would not leave off.

vayyosef od avner lemor el-asahel sur lekha me'akharay lammah akkekkah artsah ve'ekh essa fanay el-yo'av akhikha

Abner again begged Asahel, “Stop pursuing me, or I’ll have to strike you down. How will I look your brother Joab in the face?”

vayema'en lasur vayyakkehu avner be'akhare hakhanit el-hakhomesh vattetse hakhanit me'akharayw vayyippol-sham vayyamot takhtav vayehi kol-habba el-hammaqom asher-nafal sham asahel vayyamot vayya'amodu

When he refused to desist, Abner struck him in the belly with a backward thrust of his spear and the spear protruded from his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died halted;

vayyirdefu yo'av va'avishay akhare avner vehashemesh ba'ah vehemmah ba'u ad-givat ammah asher al-pene-giakh derekh midbar givon

but Joab and Abishai continued to pursue Abner. And the sun was setting as they reached the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.

vayyitqabbetsu vene-vinyamin akhare avner vayyihyu la'aguddah ekhat vayya'amdu al rosh-givah ekhat

The Benjaminites rallied behind Abner, forming a single company; and they took up a position on the top of a hill.

vayyiqra avner el-yo'av vayyomer halanetsakh tokhal kherev halo yadatah ki-marah tihyeh ba'akharonah ve'ad-matay lo-tomar la'am lashuv me'akhare akhehem

Abner then called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? You know how bitterly it’s going to end! How long will you delay ordering your troops to stop the pursuit of their own kindred?”

vayyomer yo'av khay ha'elohim ki lule dibbarta ki az mehabboqer na'alah ha'am ish me'akhare akhiv

And Joab replied, “As God lives, if you hadn’t spoken up, the troops would have given up the pursuit of their kindred only the next morning.”

vayyitqa yo'av bashofar vayya'amdu kol-ha'am velo-yirdefu od akhare yisra'el velo-yasefu od lehillakhem

Joab then sounded the horn, and all the troops halted; they ceased their pursuit of Israel and stopped the fighting.

ve'avner va'anashayw halekhu ba'aravah kol hallaylah hahu vayya'avru et-hayyarden vayyelekhu kol-habbitron vayyavo'u makhanayim

Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night and, after crossing the Jordan, they marched through all of Bithron until they came to Mahanaim.

veyo'av shav me'akhare avner vayyiqbots et-kol-ha'am vayyippaqedu me'avde david tishah-asar ish va'asahel

After Joab gave up the pursuit of Abner, he assembled all the troops and found nineteen of David’s soldiers missing, besides Asahel.

ve'avde david hikku mibbinyamin uve'anshe avner shelosh-me'ot veshishim ish metu

David’s soldiers, on the other hand, defeated the Benjaminites and the men under Abner and killed three hundred and sixty of them.

vayyisu et-asahel vayyiqberuhu beqever aviv asher bet lakhem vayyelekhu khol-hallaylah yo'av va'anashayw vayye'or lahem bekhevron

They bore Asahel away and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night; day broke upon them in Hebron.