6And now may the Lord reward you with mercy and truth. and I will do you a good deed because you have done this;

7Now let your hands be strong, and be of good courage; for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over him.

8But Abner the son of Ner, the captain of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim,

9And he made him king over Gilead, and Ashur, and Jezreel, and Ephraim, and Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ish-bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah remained with David.

11The whole time that David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Abner the son of Neer and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13Joab the son of Zeruiah also went out with David's servants and met at the pool of Gibeon, and they sat on one side of the pool, and these on the other side of the pool.

14Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men stand up and play before us." And Joab said, Let them arise.

15Twelve Benjamites arose and went to the number of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David's servants.

16They grabbed each other by the head, thrust their swords into each other's side, and fell down together. And the place was called Helkath-hatzurim in Gibeon.

17On that day there was a fierce battle, and Abner and the men of Israel were struck down by David's servants.

18And there were three sons of Zeruiah: Joab, Abishaisha, and Asahel. Asahel was light on his feet, like a chamois in the field.

19And Asahel pursued Abner and pursued him, avoiding neither to the right nor to the left the tracks of Abner.