¹⁷ The two armies then began to fight each other, and by the end of the day Abner and the men of Israel had been defeated by Joab^[a] and the forces of David. ¹⁸ Joab’s brothers, Abishai and Asahel, were also in the battle. Asahel could run like a deer, ¹⁹ and he began chasing Abner. He wouldn’t stop for anything, but kept on, single-minded, after Abner alone.