1David spurgte nu Herren: „Skal jeg rejse tilbage til Judas land?” Herren svarede: „Ja!” „Hvilken by skal jeg slå mig ned i?” „Hebron,” svarede Herren.2Så tog David sine koner, Ahinoam fra Jizre’el, og Abigajil, Nabals enke fra Karmel,3samt sine trofaste mænd med deres familier, og de bosatte sig i Hebron og omegn.4Derefter kom Judas ledere til David og salvede ham til konge over Juda. Da David fik at vide, at indbyggerne i Jabesh i Gilead havde begravet Saul,5sendte han dem følgende budskab: „Må Herren velsigne jer, fordi I har været trofaste overfor jeres konge ved at give ham en anstændig begravelse.6Må Herren i sin trofasthed belønne jer for jeres storsind. Men også jeg vil gøre godt imod jer, fordi I gjorde dette.7Selvom Saul nu er død, må I ikke lade hænderne synke eller tabe modet. Judas stamme har allerede udråbt mig til konge.”
Ishboshet bliver konge over Nordriget
8Men Abner, Sauls hærfører, bragte Sauls søn, Ishboshet, til Mahanajim og udråbte ham til konge over Nordriget.9Han kom til at regere over Gilead, Asher, Jizre’el, Efraim og Benjamins stamme, ja, hele Israel* bortset fra Judas område.10Ishboshet var 40 år gammel, da han blev konge, og han regerede ud fra Mahanajim i to år. David regerede over Judas land i syv et halvt år fra Hebron.
Krigen mellem David og Ishboshet
12En dag tog Abner nogle af Ishboshets mænd med sig fra Mahanajim og kom til Gibeon.13Davids hærfører, Joab, Zerujas søn, gik dem i møde med nogle af Davids mænd. De to hære slog lejr på hver sin side af Gibeondammen.14Da foreslog Abner, at de unge krigere skulle åbne slaget med tvekamp. Joab gik med på idéen,15hvorefter man udpegede 12 mænd fra Benjamins stamme til at kæmpe for Ishboshet og 12 fra Judas stamme til at kæmpe for David.16Opgaven gik ud på at gribe modstanderen i håret og støde sværdet i siden på ham. På den måde blev samtlige 24 mænd dræbt. Siden har man kaldt dette sted ved Gibeon for „Sværdkampens mark”.17Derefter gik de to hære løs på hinanden med det resultat, at Abner samme dag måtte erkende sit nederlag til Joab og Davids mænd og tage flugten.18Joabs brødre, Abishaj og Asael, deltog også i slaget. Da Asael var hurtigløber,19satte han efter Abner uden at lade sig distrahere af noget som helst undervejs.20Da Abner så sig tilbage, var Asael ved at hale ind på ham. „Er det dig, Asael?” råbte Abner. „Ja, det er!” svarede Asael.21„Find et andet offer!” råbte Abner advarende. „Der er nok af unge krigere, du kan afvæbne!” Men Asael ville have fat i Abner.22Da råbte Abner: „Hold op med at forfølge mig! Hvis jeg slår dig ihjel, vil jeg aldrig kunne se din bror Joab i øjnene igen!”23Asael lod sig imidlertid ikke ryste af. Pludselig standsede Abner, jog sit spyd bagud og ramte sin forfølger i maven med en sådan kraft, at spydspidsen kom ud på den anden side. Da styrtede Asael omkuld og døde, og alle, som kom til stedet, hvor han lå, standsede op for at kigge på ham.24Nu satte både Joab og Abishaj efter Abner, og ved solnedgang nåede de frem til Amma-højen øst for Gia ved vejen til Gibeons ørken.25På toppen af højen samlede alle krigerne fra Benjamins stamme sig bag Abner,26og Abner råbte ned til Joab: „Skal vi blive ved med at dræbe hinanden? Hvor længe skal det vare, før du befaler dine mænd at holde op med at jagte deres landsmænd?”27Joab råbte tilbage: „Jeg sværger ved den levende Gud, at hvis du ikke havde sagt noget, ville vi have jagtet jer til i morgen tidlig!”28Så afblæste han forfølgelsen, og mændene standsede kampen.29Samme nat begav Abner og hans mænd sig på hjemvejen. De gik op gennem Jordandalen, krydsede floden og nåede næste morgen frem til Mahanajim.30Også Joab og hans mænd vendte hjem. Da Joab opgjorde tabene, fandt han ud af, at ud over Asael manglede der kun 19 mand,31hvorimod Abner havde mistet 360 mand, alle af Benjamins stamme.32Joab og hans mænd bar Asaels lig til Betlehem og begravede ham ved hans fars side. Derefter gik de hele natten og nåede frem til Hebron ved daggry.
King James Version
1And 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.2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal' wife the Carmelite.3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.4And 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 Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, 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.6And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.7Therefore 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.8But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul' host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;9And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.10Ishbosheth Saul' son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.13And 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.14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.15Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.16And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow' side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.17And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.18And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am .21And 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.22And 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?23Howbeit 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.24Joab 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.25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.26Then 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?27And 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.28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.29And 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.30And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David' servants nineteen men and Asahel.31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner' men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.32And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
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