4. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. There they anointed David to be king over the people of Judah. David was told that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul's body.
5. So he sent messengers to them to speak for him. The messengers said, "You were kind to bury the body of your master Saul. May the Lord bless you for that.
6. And may he now be kind and faithful to you. David will treat you well for being kind to Saul's body.
7. Now then, be strong and brave. Your master Saul is dead. And the people of Judah have anointed David to be king over them."
8. Abner, the son of Ner, was commander of Saul's army. He had brought Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim.
9. There he made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel. He also made him king over Ephraim, Benjamin and other areas of Israel.
10. Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled for two years. But the people of Judah followed David.
11. David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years.
12. Abner, the son of Ner, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. The men of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, went with him.
13. Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David's men also went out. All of them met at the pool in Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool. The other group sat on the other side.
14. Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight. Let's tell them to fight hand to hand in front of us." "All right. Let them do it," Joab said.