22. So Abner spoke again to Asahel. “Stop following me,” he said. “Why should I kill you? How could I look your brother Joab in the face again?”
23. But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner struck him with the butt of the spear. The spear went into his belly and came out his back. He fell down there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stopped there.
24. But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. When the sun went down, they came to the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah on the road from Gibeon to the desert.
25. The men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner, banding together and taking their position on top of a hill.
26. Then Abner called to Joab, “Should this slaughter go on forever? Don’t you know this will end in bitterness? How long will it be before you will call off your troops from chasing their relatives?”
27. Joab answered, “I solemnly swear, as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would not have stopped chasing their relatives until morning.”
28. So Joab blew a ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped. They didn’t chase or fight Israel anymore.
29. Abner and his men marched through the plains all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and passed through the entire Bithron until they came to Mahanaim.
30. Joab returned from chasing Abner. When he had gathered all the troops, ⌊only⌋ 19 of David’s officers and Asahel were missing.
31. However, David’s officers had killed 360 of the men of Benjamin under Abner’s command.
32. They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.