And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
And the battle was very sore that day: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
Go not forth hastily to strive,\par\tab Lest {\i thou know not} what to do in the end thereof,\par\tab When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.
Every purpose is established by counsel;\par\tab And by wise guidance make thou war.
The beginning of strife is {\i as} when one letteth out water:\par\tab Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.
It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness;\par\tab And {\i so is} wisdom to a man of understanding.
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.