18. Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a deer in the field.
19. Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him.
20. Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”Asahel said, “Yes, it is.”
21. Then Abner said to Asahel, “Turn to your right or left and catch one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
22. Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me! If you don’t stop, I’ll have to kill you! Then I won’t be able to face your brother Joab again!”
23. But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So using the back end of his spear, Abner stabbed Asahel in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there, and everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel’s body lay.
24. But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. As the sun was going down, they arrived at the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the desert near Gibeon.
25. The men of Benjamin came to Abner, and all stood together at the top of the hill.
26. Abner shouted to Joab, “Must the sword kill forever? Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers!”
27. Then Joab said, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning.”
28. Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not fight them anymore.