²⁵ The descendants^[a] of Benjamin rallied after Abner, and they became as one fighting group and stood on the top of a certain hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Will the sword devour forever? Do you not know that there will be bitterness in the end? How long^[b] will you not tell the people to turn away from pursuing^[c] their brothers?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives,^[d] for if you had not spoken, the people would surely have gone up in the morning, each one of them from following after^[e] his brother.”