9. He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, over Israel in its entirety.
10. Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he ruled for two years. However, the house of Judah followed David.
11. The length of time during which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12. Abner the son of Ner, with the servants of Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim toward Gibeon.
13. And Joab the son of Zeruiah, with the servants of David, went out in order to meet together at the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the side of the pool opposite them.
14. Abner suggested to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and compete before us.”And Joab replied, “Let them come.”
15. So they stepped forward and were counted, twelve from Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth and twelve from the servants of David.
16. Each one grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.
17. The fighting was very fierce that day, but Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
18. Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as fast as a wild gazelle.
19. So Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20. Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”He answered, “It is I.”
21. Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or left, overtake one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself,” but Asahel was not willing to desist.
22. Abner continued still to reason with Asahel, “Abandon your pursuit. Why should I strike you down? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
23. But he refused to desist. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out of his back. He fell there and died on the spot. When all of the others came to the place where Asahel fell and died, they halted.
24. But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is next to Giah on the way to the Wilderness of Gibeon.
25. The sons of Benjamin gathered to the rear of Abner into a single formation, and they took their stand atop one of the hills.