Dāvids tiek svaidīts par Jūdas ķēniņu
1 Pēc tam Dāvids jautāja Kungam: “Vai man doties uz kādu no Jūdas pilsētām?” Un Kungs viņam atbildēja: “Dodies!” Tad Dāvids jautāja: “Kurp man doties?” Un viņš atbildēja: “Uz Hebronu.” 2 Un Dāvids devās turp kopā ar abām sievām – jizreēlieti Ahīnoamu un karmelieša Nābāla atraitni Abīgailu. 3 Tāpat Dāvids ņēma līdzi arī vīrus, kas turējās kopā ar viņu – ikkatru ar viņa saimi –, un tie apmetās Hebronas apkārtnes pilsētās.
4 Tad atnāca Jūdas vīri, un viņi tur svaidīja Dāvidu par ķēniņu Jūdas namam. Un Dāvidam pastāstīja, ka Saulu apbedījuši vīri no Jābēš-Gileādas. 5 Dāvids sūtīja vēstnešus pie vīriem, kas Jābēš-Gileādā, un sacīja: “Jūs esat Kunga svētīti par to, ka izrādījāt laipnību savam kungam Saulam, viņu apbedīdami. 6 Tad nu arī Kungs izrādīs jums žēlastību un būs uzticams un arī es būšu jums vēlīgs, tādēļ ka jūs tā esat darījuši. 7 Tad nu lai jūsu rokas ir stipras un sirdis drošas, jo jūsu kungs Sauls ir miris, bet mani Jūdas nams ir svaidījis par savu ķēniņu!”
Īš-Bošets – ķēniņš pār Israēlu
8 Abnērs, Nēra dēls, Saula karaspēka virspavēlnieks, ņēma Saula dēlu Īš-Bošetu un aizveda pāri Jardānai uz Mahanaimu. 9 Viņš to iecēla par ķēniņu Gileādam, Ašēram, Jizreēlai, Efraimam, Benjāminam un visam Israēlam. 10 Saula dēls Īš-Bošets bija četrdesmit gadus vecs, kad kļuva par Israēla ķēniņu, un viņš valdīja divus gadus. Vienīgi Jūdas nams sekoja Dāvidam. 11 Dāvida valdīšanas laiks Hebronā pār Jūdas namu bija septiņi gadi un seši mēneši.
12 Abnērs, Nēra dēls, kopā ar Saula dēla Īš-Bošeta kalpiem devās no Mahanaimas uz Gibeonu. 13 Ceļā devās arī Joābs, Cerūjas dēls, kopā ar Dāvida kalpiem, un viņi visi sastapās pie Gibeonas dīķa. Vieni apmetās dīķim vienā pusē un otri – otrā pusē. 14 Tad Abnērs teica Joābam: “Lai taču puiši ceļas un uzrīko mūsu priekšā sacīkstes!” Joābs atbildēja: “Lai notiek!” 15 Tad no Saula dēla Īš-Bošeta puses cēlās un iznāca divpadsmit benjāminieši un arī no Dāvida kalpiem – divpadsmit vīri. 16 Tie grāba viens otru aiz galvas un grūda viens otram sānos zobenu un krita visi reizē. Šo vietu Gibeonā sauc par Helkat-Cūrīmu .
17 Kauja todien bija briesmīgi nežēlīga, un Dāvida kalpi sakāva Abnēru un Israēla vīrus. 18 Tur bija arī trīs Cerūjas dēli – Joābs, Abīšajs un Asā-Ēls. Asā-Ēls bija tik ātrs kā gazele laukā – 19 Asā-Ēls dzinās pakaļ Abnēram, nenovērsdamies no Abnēra soļiem ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi. 20 Abnērs atskatījās un teica: “Vai tas esi tu, Asā-Ēl?” Un tas atbildēja: “Es!” 21 Abnērs viņam sacīja: “Nogriezies uz vienu vai otru pusi, satver kādu no puišiem un ņem sev viņa ieročus.” Bet Asā-Ēls negribēja beigt viņu vajāt. 22 Abnērs viņam vēlreiz sacīja: “Novērsies taču no manis! Kādēļ man tevi notriekt pie zemes, kā lai es pēc tam skatos acīs tavam brālim Joābam!” 23 Bet viņš neatstājās, un Abnērs ar šķēpa otru galu iedūra viņam vēderā. Šķēps izdūrās viņam cauri, viņš pakrita un uz vietas bija beigts. Ikviens, kas nonāca līdz vietai, kur Asā-Ēls bija pakritis un miris, apstājās. 24 Bet Joābs un Abīšajs dzinās pakaļ Abnēram, un saule jau bija norietējusi, kad viņi nonāca pie Olekts pakalna, kas pirms Gīhas ceļā uz Gibeonas tuksnesi. 25 Benjāminieši sapulcējās pie Abnēra – kopā sanāca vesels pulks, un tie nostājās kalna galā. 26 Un Abnērs sauca Joābam: “Vai lai zobens rij bez mitas? Vai tad tu nezini, ka beigās būs rūgti? Cik ilgi tu vēl neteiksi ļaudīm, lai pārtrauc vajāt savus brāļus?” 27 Joābs atbildēja: “Dzīvs Dievs! Ja tu nebūtu runājis, tad tikai no rīta vīri beigtu vajāt savus brāļus.” 28 Joābs pūta ragu, un visi ļaudis apstājās un vairs nedzinās pakaļ israēliešiem un neturpināja cīņu. 29 Tad Abnērs ar saviem vīriem visu nakti gāja cauri Arābai, šķērsoja Jardānu, izgāja cauri aizai un nonāca Mahanaimā. 30 Joābs atgriezās no Abnēra vajāšanas, sapulcināja visus ļaudis, un no Dāvida kalpiem bez Asā-Ēla trūka tikai deviņpadsmit vīru. 31 Bet no Abnēra vīriem benjāminiešiem Dāvida kalpi bija nokāvuši trīs simti sešdesmit vīru. 32 Asā-Ēlu viņi aiznesa un apbedīja viņa tēva kapā Betlēmē. Tad Joābs un viņa vīri gāja visu nakti, un rītausmā tie nonāca Hebronā.
David Is Made King of Judah
1 After this, David asked the Lord, “Shall I go and take control of one of the towns of Judah?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered.
“Which one?” David asked.
“Hebron,” the Lord said. 2 So David went to Hebron, taking with him his two wives: Ahinoam, who was from Jezreel, and Abigail, Nabal's widow, who was from Carmel. 3 He also took his men and their families, and they settled in the towns around Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David as king of Judah.
When David heard that the people of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul, 5 he sent some men there with the message: “May the Lord bless you for showing your loyalty to your king by burying him. 6 And now may the Lord be kind and faithful to you. I too will treat you well because of what you have done. 7 Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
Ishbosheth Is Made King of Israel
8 The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim. 9 There Abner made Ishbosheth king of the territories of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel. 10 He was forty years old when he was made king of Israel, and he ruled for two years.
But the tribe of Judah was loyal to David, 11 and he ruled in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years.
War between Israel and Judah
12 Abner and the officials of Ishbosheth went from Mahanaim to the city of Gibeon. 13 Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and David's other officials met them at the pool, where they all sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the opposite side. 14 Abner said to Joab, “Let's have some of the young men from each side fight an armed contest.”
“All right,” Joab answered.
15 So twelve men, representing Ishbosheth and the tribe of Benjamin, fought twelve of David's men. 16 Each man caught his opponent by the head and plunged his sword into his opponent's side, so that all twenty-four of them fell down dead together. And so that place in Gibeon is called “Field of Swords.”
17 Then a furious battle broke out, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David's men. 18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, who could run as fast as a wild deer, 19 started chasing Abner, running straight for him. 20 Abner looked back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“Yes,” he answered.
21 “Stop chasing me!” Abner said. “Run after one of the soldiers and take what he has.” But Asahel kept on chasing him. 22 Once more Abner said to him, “Stop chasing me! Why force me to kill you? How could I face your brother Joab?” 23 But Asahel would not quit; so Abner, with a backward thrust of his spear, struck him through the stomach so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead, and everyone who came to the place where he was lying stopped and stood there.
24 But Joab and Abishai started out after Abner, and at sunset they came to the hill of Ammah, which is to the east of Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner again and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Abner called out to Joab, “Do we have to go on fighting forever? Can't you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your relatives. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?”
27 “I swear by the living God,” Joab answered, “that if you had not spoken, my men would have kept on chasing you until tomorrow morning.” 28 Then Joab blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to stop pursuing the Israelites; and so the fighting stopped.
29 Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley all that night; they crossed the Jordan River, and after marching all the next morning, they arrived back at Mahanaim.
30 When Joab gave up the chase, he gathered all his men and found that nineteen of them were missing, in addition to Asahel. 31 David's men had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32 Joab and his men took Asahel's body and buried it in the family tomb at Bethlehem. Then they marched all night and at dawn arrived back at Hebron.
