2 Samuel 4-7

Amplified Bible

Ish-bosheth Murdered

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth [king of Israel], heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he ^[a]lost courage, and all Israel was horrified. ² Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of [raiding] bands [of soldiers]. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons (tribe) of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of [the tribe of] Benjamin, ³ and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been resident aliens there to this day).

⁴ Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. And the boy’s nurse picked him up and fled; but it happened that while she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. ⁶ They came into the interior of the house as if to get wheat [for the soldiers], and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [unnoticed]. ⁷ Now when they entered the house he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They [not only] struck and killed him, [but] they also beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled all night by way of the Arabah. ⁸ They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Look, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the Lord has granted my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and on his descendants.”

⁹ David replied to Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every adversity, ¹⁰ when a man told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ ^[b]thinking that he was bringing good news, I seized and killed him in Ziklag, to reward him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous and just man in his own house on his bed, shall I not require his blood from your hand and remove you from the earth?” ¹² So David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative].

David King over All Israel

5 Then ^[c]all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. ² In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out [to war] and brought Israel in [from battle]. And the Lord told you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over them.’”^{(A) 3} So all the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶ Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You shall not enter here, for the blind and the lame [even the weakest among us] will turn you away”; they thought, “David cannot come in here [because the walls are impenetrable].” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold (fortress) of Zion, that is, the City of David. ⁸ Then David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up through the [underground] water shaft to strike the lame and the blind, who are detested by David’s soul [because of their arrogance].” So [for that reason] they say, “The blind or the lame (Jebusites) shall not come into the [royal] house [of Israel].”^{(B) 9} So David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built all around [the surrounding area] from the ^[d]Millo [fortification] and inward. ¹⁰ David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts (armies), was with him.

¹¹ Now Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a house (palace) for David. ¹² And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.

¹³ David took more ^[e]concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

War with the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to look for him, but he heard about it and went down to the ^[f]stronghold. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread out [for battle] in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly hand them over to you.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim, and he defeated them there, and said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” So he named that place Baal-perazim (master of breakthroughs). ²¹ The Philistines abandoned their [pagan] idols there, so David and his men took them away [to be burned].

²² The Philistines came up once again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ When David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go up, but circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall pay attention and act promptly, for at that time the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” ²⁵ David did just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

Peril in Moving the Ark

6 Again David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all those who were with him to Baale-judah [Kiriath-jearim], to bring up from there [to Jerusalem] the ark of God which is called by the Name—the very Name of the Lord of hosts, who dwells enthroned above the cherubim. ³ They placed the ark of God on ^[g]a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. ⁴ So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.^{(C) 5} Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating and dancing before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir or cypress wood, with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it. ⁷ And ^[h]the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ David became ^[i]angry and grieved and offended because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place has been called Perez-uzzah (outburst against Uzzah) to this day. ⁹ So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the City of David with him; instead he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ So the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household (family).

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

¹² Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing and gladness. ¹³ And when those who were carrying the ark of the Lord [by its poles] had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ And David was dancing before the Lord with ^[j]great enthusiasm, and David was ^[k]wearing a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment]. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing the ark of the Lord up [to the City of David] with shouts [of joy] and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Then, as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, ^[l]Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife], looked down from the window above and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she felt contempt for him in her heart [because she thought him undignified].

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts (armies), ¹⁹ and distributed to all the people, the entire multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a [ring-shaped] loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. But [his wife] Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How glorious and distinguished was the king of Israel today, ^[m]who uncovered himself and stripped [off his kingly robes] in the eyes of his servants’ maids like one of the riffraff who shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord [that I did this], who chose me above your father and all his house, to appoint me as ruler over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore I will celebrate [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord. ²² Yet I will demean myself even more than this, and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them I shall be held in honor.” ²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no ^[n]child to the day of her death.

David Plans to Build a Temple

7 When King David lived in his house (palace) and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, ² the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” ³ And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do everything that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Should you be the one to build Me a house in which to dwell? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought the sons (descendants) of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have gone with all the Israelites, did I speak a word to any from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, asking, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

God’s Covenant with David

⁸ So now, say this to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like that of the great men of the earth. ¹⁰ I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in a place of their own and not be disturbed again. The ^[o]wicked will not afflict them again, as formerly, ¹¹ even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that He will make a house (royal dynasty) for you. ¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down [in death] with your fathers (ancestors), I will raise up your descendant after you, who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He [is the one who] shall build a house for My ^[p]Name and My Presence, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity (wrongdoing), I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of man. ¹⁵ But My lovingkindness and mercy will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ Your house (royal dynasty) and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.”’” ¹⁷ Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all these words and all of this vision.

David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat [in prayer] before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord ^[q]God, and what is my house (family), that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was very insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house (royal dynasty) in the distant future. And this is the law and custom of man, O Lord God. ²⁰ What more can David say to You? For You know (acknowledge, choose) Your servant, O Lord God. ²¹ Because of Your word (promise), and in accordance with Your own heart, You have done all these great and astounding things to let Your servant know (understand). ²² Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ What one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do great and awesome things for Yourself and for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? ²⁴ You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God. ²⁵ Now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word [of the covenant] that You have spoken in regard to Your servant and his house (royal dynasty); and do just as You have spoken, ²⁶ so that Your Name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts (armies) is God over Israel;’ and may the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant David be established ^[r]before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have ^[s]revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house (royal dynasty).’ For that reason Your servant has found ^[t]courage to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ Therefore now, may it please You to bless the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”