1 Depois disto consultou Davi a Jeová, dizendo: Subirei a alguma das cidades de Judá? Respondeu-lhe Jeová: Sobe. Perguntou Davi: Para onde subirei? Respondeu Jeová: Para Hebrom.
2 Subiu Davi, e também suas mulheres, Ainoã a jezreelita e Abigail que fora mulher de Nabal o carmelita.
3 Davi fez subir os homens que estavam com ele, cada um com a sua família; e habitaram nas cidades de Hebrom.
4 Vieram os homens de Judá, e ungiram ali a Davi rei sobre a casa de Judá. Noticiaram a Davi que os homens de Jabes-Gileade tinham sepultado a Saul.
5 Então enviou Davi mensageiros aos homens de Jabes-Gileade, e disse-lhes: Benditos sejais vós de Jeová, porque fizestes esta beneficência ao vosso senhor, a Saul, e o sepultastes.
6 Agora use Jeová de beneficência e fidelidade para convosco; eu também vos farei o bem, porque fizestes isto.
7 Agora esforcem-se as vossas mãos, e sede homens de valor, porque Saul, vosso senhor, é morto, e os da casa de Judá me ungiram por seu rei.
8 Abner, filho de Ner, capitão do exército de Saul, tomara a Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, e o fizera passar a Maanaim.
9 Depois o constituiu rei sobre Gileade, sobre os asuritas, sobre Jezreel, sobre Efraim, sobre Benjamim e sobre todo o Israel.
10 (Tinha Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, quarenta anos quando começou a reinar sobre Israel, e reinou dois anos.) Só a casa de Judá seguiu a Davi.
11 Foi o tempo que reinou Davi em Hebrom sobre a casa de Judá sete anos e seis meses.
12 Abner, filho de Ner, com os servos de Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, saiu de Maanaim para Gibeom.
13 Joabe, filho de Zeruia, e os servos de Davi saíram e encontraram-se com eles ao tanque de Gibeom. Pararam, estes da banda de cá do tanque, e aqueles da banda de lá.
14 Disse Abner a Joabe: Levantem-se os moços e batam-se diante de nós. Respondeu Joabe: Levantem-se.
15 Levantaram-se e passaram em igual número: doze homens por Benjamim, e por Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, e doze dos servos de Davi.
16 Cada um, tomando pela cabeça ao seu competidor, meteu-lhe a espada no lado; assim caíram juntos. Pelo que aquele lugar que está em Gibeom foi chamado Helcate-Hazurim.
17 Seguiu-se uma crua peleja naquele dia, e foi derrotado Abner, e os homens de Israel, diante dos servos de Davi.
18 Estavam ali os três filhos de Zeruia: Joabe, Abisai e Asael. Asael era ligeiro de pés, como uma gazela selvagem.
19 Perseguia Asael a Abner, e não declinou de detrás de Abner nem para a direita nem para a esquerda.
20 Então olhou Abner para trás e perguntou: És tu Asael? Ele respondeu: Sou eu.
21 Disse-lhe Abner: Desvia-te para a direita ou para a esquerda, apanha um dos mancebos e toma-lhe os despojos. Asael, porém, não quis desviar-se de detrás dele.
22 Abner tornou a dizer a Asael: Desvia-te de detrás de mim, por que te feriria e daria contigo em terra? como levantaria eu o meu rosto diante de Joabe, teu irmão?
23 Todavia recusou desviar-se; pelo que Abner, com um golpe de lança para trás, o feriu na barriga, e saiu-lhe a lança pelas costas. Asael caiu ali e morreu no mesmo lugar. Todos quantos chegavam ao lugar em que Asael caiu e morreu, paravam.
24 Mas Joabe e Abisai perseguiram a Abner, e pôs-se o sol, quando chegaram ao outeiro de Amá, que está defronte de Gia, pelo caminho do deserto de Gibeão.
25 Os filhos de Benjamim ajuntaram-se atrás de Abner e, cerrados num batalhão, fizeram alto no cume dum outeiro.
26 Então gritou Abner a Joabe e disse: Devorará a espada para sempre? não sabes que serão amargas as suas conseqüências? até quando te demorarás em ordenar ao povo que deixe de perseguir a seus irmãos?
27 Joabe respondeu: Pela vida de Deus, se não tivesses falado, só amanhã cedo o povo cessaria de perseguir, cada um a seu irmão.
28 Tocou Joabe a trombeta, e fez alto todo o povo; não perseguiram mais a Israel, nem tão pouco pelejaram mais.
29 Abner e seus homens marcharam toda aquela noite pela Arabá; passaram o Jordão e, percorrido todo o Bitrom, chegaram a Maanaim.
30 Joabe voltou de seguir a Abner; e tendo ele ajuntado todo o povo, faltavam dos servos de Davi dezenove homens, e Asael.
31 Mas os servos de Davi tinham ferido trezentos e sessenta homens dentre os de Benjamim, e dentre os de Abner, de tal maneira que morreram.
32 Levantaram a Asael, e enterraram-no na sepultura de seu pai, o qual estava em Belém. Marcharam toda a noite Joabe e seus homens, e amanheceu-lhes o dia em Hebrom.
1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. 2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? 23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. 24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? 27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. 30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.