David learns of Saul’s death

1 After Saul’s death, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed in Ziklag two days. ² On the third day, a man showed up from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he reached David, he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect.

³ “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

“I’ve escaped from the Israelite army!” he answered.

⁴ “What’s the report?” David asked him. “Tell me!”

The man answered, “The troops fled from the battle! Many of the soldiers have fallen and died. What’s more, Saul and his son Jonathan have also died!”

⁵ “How do you know,” David asked the young man who brought the news, “that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ The young man who brought the news replied, “I just happened to be on Mount Gilboa and Saul was there, leaning on his spear, with chariots and horsemen closing in on him. ⁷ He turned around and saw me, then he called to me. ‘Yes, sir,’ I answered. ⁸ ‘Who are you?’ he asked, and I told him, ‘I’m an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me, ‘Please come over here and kill me, because convulsions have come over me but I’m still alive.’^{[a] 10} So I went over to him and killed him, because I knew he couldn’t survive after being wounded like that. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to you, my master.”

¹¹ Then David grabbed his clothes and ripped them—and all his soldiers did the same. ¹² They mourned and cried and fasted until evening for Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the whole house of Israel, because they had died by the sword.

¹³ “Where are you from?” David asked the young man who brought him the news.

“I’m the son of an immigrant,” he answered. “An Amalekite.”

¹⁴ Then David said to him, “How is it that you weren’t afraid to raise your hand and destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ Then David called for one of the young servants. “Come here!” he said. “Strike him down!” So the servant struck the Amalekite down, and he died.

¹⁶ “Your blood is on your own head,” David said to the Amalekite, “because your own mouth testified against you when you admitted, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David mourns Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David sang this funeral song^[b] for Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸ David ordered everyone in Judah to learn the Song of the Bow.^[c] (In fact, it is written in the scroll from Jashar.)

David made king in Hebron

2 Some time later, David questioned the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns in Judah?”

“Yes, go,” the Lord told him.

“Which one should I go to?” David asked.

“To Hebron,” the Lord replied.

² So David went there, along with his two wives: Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow, from Carmel. ³ David also took the soldiers who were with him, each with his family, and they lived in the towns around Hebron. ⁴ Then the people of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When David was informed that it was the people of Jabesh-gilead who had buried Saul, ⁵ he sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead. “The Lord bless you,” he said to them, “for doing this loyal deed for your master Saul by burying him. ⁶ May the Lord now show you loyal love and faithfulness. I myself will also reward you because you did this. ⁷ So now take courage and be brave—yes, your master Saul is dead, but the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Israel’s King Ishbosheth

⁸ Meanwhile, Abner, Ner’s son, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth,^[i] Saul’s son, and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹ There he made him king over Gilead, the Geshurites,^[j] Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel. ¹⁰ Saul’s son Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel, and he ruled for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. ¹¹ The amount of time David ruled in Hebron over the house of Judah totaled seven and a half years.

Conflict between Judah and Israel

¹² Abner, Ner’s son, along with the soldiers of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, left Mahanaim to go to Gibeon. ¹³ Joab, Zeruiah’s son, and David’s soldiers also came out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool; the other sat on the opposite side of the pool. ¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men fight in a contest^[k] before us.”

“All right,” Joab said, “let’s do it.” ¹⁵ So the men came forward and were counted as they passed by: twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, Saul’s son; and twelve of David’s soldiers. ¹⁶ Each man grabbed his opponent by the head and stuck^[l] his sword into his opponent’s side so that they both fell dead together. That’s why that place is called The Field of Daggers,^[m] which is located in Gibeon. ¹⁷ A fierce battle took place that day, and Abner and the Israelite troops were defeated by David’s soldiers.

¹⁸ Now Zeruiah’s three sons were present at the battle: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a gazelle in an open field. ¹⁹ Asahel went after Abner, staying completely focused in his pursuit of Abner.

²⁰ Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Asahel answered.

²¹ “Break off your pursuit!” Abner told him. “Fight one of the young warriors and take his gear for yourself!” But Asahel wouldn’t stop chasing him.

²² So Abner repeated himself to Asahel: “Stop chasing me. Why should I kill you? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?” ²³ But Asahel wouldn’t turn back, so Abner hit him in the stomach with the back end of his spear. But the spear went through Asahel’s back. He fell down and died right there.

Everyone who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died just stood there, ²⁴ but Joab and Abishai went after Abner. The sun was setting when they came to the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the road to the Gibeon wilderness. ²⁵ The Benjaminites rallied behind Abner, forming a single unit. Then they took their positions on the top of a hill. ²⁶ Abner yelled down to Joab, “Must the sword keep killing forever? Don’t you realize that this will end bitterly? How long before you order the troops to stop chasing their brothers?”

²⁷ “As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you hadn’t just said that, the soldiers would have continued after their brothers until morning.” ²⁸ Joab blew the trumpet,^[n] and all the soldiers stopped. They didn’t pursue Israel anymore, nor did they continue to fight.

²⁹ Abner and his men then marched all night through the wilderness, crossing the Jordan River and marching all morning^[o] until they got to Mahanaim. ³⁰ Joab, meanwhile, returned from pursuing Abner and assembled the troops. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were counted missing in addition to Asahel. ³¹ But David’s soldiers had defeated the Benjaminites, killing three hundred sixty of Abner’s soldiers. ³² They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. When daylight came, they were in Hebron.