³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother put Abner to death, because he had put to death their brother Asahel in the fight at Gibeon.

¹⁹ Asahel went running after Abner, not turning to the right or to the left.

²⁰ Then Abner, looking back, said, Is it you, Asahel? And he said, It is I.

²¹ And Abner said, Then go to the right or to the left and put your hands on one of the fighting-men and take his arms. But Asahel would not be turned away from going after Abner.

²² Then again Abner said to Asahel, Go to one side, do not keep on coming after me: why will you make me put an end to you? for then I will be shamed before your brother Joab.

²³ But still he did not go to one side: so Abner gave him a back blow in the stomach with his spear, so that the spear came out at his back; and he went down on the earth, wounded to death: and all those who came to the place where Asahel went down dead, came to a stop.

¹⁷ One who has been the cause of a man's death will go in flight to the underworld: let no man give him help.

⁴ And when the people saw it hanging on his hand, they said to one another, Without doubt this man has put someone to death, and though he has got safely away from the sea, God will not let him go on living.