12. Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13. Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s servants went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
14. Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and play before us!”Joab said, “Let them arise!”
15. Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.
16. They each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.
17. The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.
18. The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19. Asahel pursued Abner; and in going he didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20. Then Abner looked behind him, and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”He answered, “It is.”
21. Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armour.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
22. Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?”
23. However he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24. But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. The sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25. The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
26. Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”
27. Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.”