Bible in 90 Days
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life(A) in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”
23 He refused(B) and said, “I will not eat.”
But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.
24 The woman had a fattened calf(C) at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. 25 Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag
29 The Philistines gathered(D) all their forces at Aphek,(E) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.(F) 2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear(G) with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”
Achish replied, “Is this not David,(H) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,(I) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send(J) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn(K) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5 Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:
“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”(L)
6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day(M) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers(N) don’t approve of you. 7 Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”
8 “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel(O) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders(P) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ 10 Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave(Q) in the morning as soon as it is light.”
11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David Destroys the Amalekites
30 David and his men reached Ziklag(R) on the third day. Now the Amalekites(S) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned(T) it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.(U) 4 So David and his men wept(V) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives(W) had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning(X) him; each one was bitter(Y) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength(Z) in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar(AA) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.(AB)” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired(AC) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed(AD) in the rescue.(AE)”
9 David and the six hundred men(AF) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted(AG) to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived,(AH) for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”
He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite.(AI) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,(AJ) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.(AK) And we burned(AL) Ziklag.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”
He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,(AM) and I will take you down to them.”
16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling(AN) because of the great amount of plunder(AO) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought(AP) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.(AQ) 18 David recovered(AR) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted(AS) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”
23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.(AT)” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift(AU) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel,(AV) Ramoth(AW) Negev and Jattir;(AX) 28 to those in Aroer,(AY) Siphmoth,(AZ) Eshtemoa(BA) 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites(BB) and the Kenites;(BC) 30 to those in Hormah,(BD) Bor Ashan,(BE) Athak 31 and Hebron;(BF) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
Saul Takes His Life(BG)
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.(BH) 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons,(BI) and they killed his sons Jonathan,(BJ) Abinadab and Malki-Shua.(BK) 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded(BL) him critically.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through,(BM) or these uncircumcised(BN) fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died(BO) together that same day.
7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines(BP) came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news(BQ) in the temple of their idols and among their people.(BR) 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths(BS) and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.(BT)
11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead(BU) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men(BV) marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned(BW) them. 13 Then they took their bones(BX) and buried them under a tamarisk(BY) tree at Jabesh, and they fasted(BZ) seven days.(CA)
David Hears of Saul’s Death(CB)
1 After the death(CC) of Saul, David returned from striking down(CD) the Amalekites(CE) and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man(CF) arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.(CG) When he came to David, he fell(CH) to the ground to pay him honor.(CI)
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4 “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,(CJ)” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“‘An Amalekite,(CK)’ I answered.
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me!(CL) I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown(CM) that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore(CN) them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”
“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,(CO)” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?(CP)”
15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!”(CQ) So he struck him down, and he died.(CR) 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head.(CS) Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament(CT) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,(CU) 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):(CV)
20 “Tell it not in Gath,(CY)
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(CZ)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(DA) be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(DB)
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(DC)
may you have neither dew(DD) nor rain,(DE)
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](DF)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(DG)
22 “From the blood(DH) of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(DI) of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,(DJ)
they were stronger than lions.(DK)
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(DL)
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(DM) for you, Jonathan(DN) my brother;(DO)
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(DP)
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”(DQ)
David Anointed King Over Judah
2 In the course of time, David inquired(DR) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.
The Lord said, “Go up.”
David asked, “Where shall I go?”
“To Hebron,”(DS) the Lord answered.
2 So David went up there with his two wives,(DT) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,(DU) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were with him,(DV) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron(DW) and its towns. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,(DX) and there they anointed(DY) David king over the tribe of Judah.
When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead(DZ) who had buried Saul, 5 he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless(EA) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. 6 May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,(EB) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. 7 Now then, be strong(EC) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
War Between the Houses of David and Saul(ED)
8 Meanwhile, Abner(EE) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth(EF) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.(EG) 9 He made him king over Gilead,(EH) Ashuri(EI) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.(EJ)
10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. 11 The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.(EK)
12 Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.(EL) 13 Joab(EM) son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.”
“All right, let them do it,” Joab said.
15 So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger(EN) into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.[c]
17 The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated(EO) by David’s men.(EP)
18 The three sons of Zeruiah(EQ) were there: Joab,(ER) Abishai(ES) and Asahel.(ET) Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.(EU) 19 He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. 20 Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“It is,” he answered.
21 Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
22 Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”(EV)
23 But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach,(EW) and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.(EX)
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. 25 Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.
26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour(EY) forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”
27 Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”
28 So Joab(EZ) blew the trumpet,(FA) and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.
29 All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah.(FB) They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours[d] and came to Mahanaim.(FC)
30 Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing. 31 But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb(FD) at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.
3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.(FE) David grew stronger and stronger,(FF) while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.(FG)
2 Sons were born to David in Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon(FH) the son of Ahinoam(FI) of Jezreel;
3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigail(FJ) the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom(FK) the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;(FL)
4 the fourth, Adonijah(FM) the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Goes Over to David
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner(FN) had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubine(FO) named Rizpah(FP) daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head(FQ)—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised(FR) him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”(FS) 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”
13 “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”(FT) 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,(FU) whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband(FV) Paltiel(FW) son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.(FX) Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.
17 Abner conferred with the elders(FY) of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines(FZ) and from the hand of all their enemies.(GA)’”
19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin(GB) wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast(GC) for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant(GD) with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”(GE) So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Joab Murders Abner
22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner(GF) returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him(GG) in the stomach, and he died.(GH)
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent(GI) before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood(GJ) fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family!(GK) May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore(GL) or leprosy[e] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth(GM) and walk in mourning(GN) in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept(GO) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
33 The king sang this lament(GP) for Abner:
“Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.(GQ)
You fell as one falls before the wicked.”
And all the people wept over him again.
35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(GR) if I taste bread(GS) or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part(GT) in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen(GU) in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah(GV) are too strong(GW) for me.(GX) May the Lord repay(GY) the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
Ish-Bosheth Murdered
4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner(GZ) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth(HA) is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim(HB) and have resided there as foreigners to this day.
4 (Jonathan(HC) son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news(HD) about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.(HE) His name was Mephibosheth.)(HF)
5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth,(HG) and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.(HH) 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed(HI) him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.(HJ) 8 They brought the head(HK) of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul,(HL) your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged(HM) my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered(HN) me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.(HO) That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood(HP) from your hand and rid the earth of you!”
12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.(HQ) They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
David Becomes King Over Israel(HR)
5 All the tribes of Israel(HS) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.(HT) 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(HU) And the Lord said(HV) to you, ‘You will shepherd(HW) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(HX)’”
3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant(HY) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(HZ) David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old(IA) when he became king, and he reigned(IB) forty(IC) years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,(ID) and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
David Conquers Jerusalem(IE)(IF)
6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem(IG) to attack the Jebusites,(IH) who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(II)—which is the City of David.(IJ)
8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft(IK) to reach those ‘lame and blind’(IL) who are David’s enemies.[f]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”
9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[g](IM) inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,(IN) because the Lord God Almighty(IO) was with him.(IP)
11 Now Hiram(IQ) king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom(IR) for the sake of his people Israel.
13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives(IS) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there:(IT) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,(IU) Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
David Defeats the Philistines(IV)
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.(IW) 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;(IX) 19 so David inquired(IY) of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[h](IZ) 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.(JA)
22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound(JB) of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front(JC) of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines(JD) all the way from Gibeon[i](JE) to Gezer.(JF)
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(JG)(JH)
6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 He and all his men went to Baalah[j](JI) in Judah to bring up from there the ark(JJ) of God, which is called by the Name,[k](JK) the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned(JL) between the cherubim(JM) on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart(JN) and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.(JO) Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it,[l] and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all Israel were celebrating(JP) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,[m] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.(JQ)
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of(JR) the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;(JS) therefore God struck him down,(JT) and he died there beside the ark of God.
8 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath(JU) had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.[n](JV)
9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How(JW) can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom(JX) the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.(JY)
12 Now King David(JZ) was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed(KA) a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod,(KB) David was dancing(KC) before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts(KD) and the sound of trumpets.(KE)
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David,(KF) Michal(KG) daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it,(KH) and David sacrificed burnt offerings(KI) and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing(KJ) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed(KK) the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins(KL) to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.(KM) And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked(KN) in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed(KO) me ruler(KP) over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
God’s Promise to David(KQ)
7 After the king was settled in his palace(KR) and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies(KS) around him,(KT) 2 he said to Nathan(KU) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house(KV) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”(KW)
3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,(KX) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you(KY) the one to build me a house to dwell in?(KZ) 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day.(LA) I have been moving from place to place with a tent(LB) as my dwelling.(LC) 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites,(LD) did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd(LE) my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house(LF) of cedar?(LG)”’
8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,(LH) and appointed you ruler(LI) over my people Israel.(LJ) 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone,(LK) and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.(LL) Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.(LM) 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant(LN) them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.(LO) Wicked(LP) people will not oppress them anymore,(LQ) as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders[o](LR) over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.(LS)
“‘The Lord declares(LT) to you that the Lord himself will establish(LU) a house(LV) for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest(LW) with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood,(LX) and I will establish his kingdom.(LY) 13 He is the one who will build a house(LZ) for my Name,(MA) and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.(MB) 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.(MC) When he does wrong, I will punish him(MD) with a rod(ME) wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him,(MF) as I took it away from Saul,(MG) whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[p]; your throne(MH) will be established(MI) forever.(MJ)’”
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
David’s Prayer(MK)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I,(ML) Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree,(MM) Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human![q]
20 “What more can David say(MN) to you? For you know(MO) your servant,(MP) Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22 “How great(MQ) you are,(MR) Sovereign Lord! There is no one like(MS) you, and there is no God(MT) but you, as we have heard with our own ears.(MU) 23 And who is like your people Israel(MV)—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name(MW) for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders(MX) by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed(MY) from Egypt?[r] 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own(MZ) forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.(NA)
25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise(NB) you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name(NC) will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established(ND) in your sight.
27 “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,(NE) and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing(NF) the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
David’s Victories(NG)
8 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines(NH) and subdued(NI) them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.
2 David also defeated the Moabites.(NJ) He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.(NK)
3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer(NL) son of Rehob, king of Zobah,(NM) when he went to restore his monument at[s] the Euphrates(NN) River. 4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers[t] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung(NO) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus(NP) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisons(NQ) in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject(NR) to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.(NS)
7 David took the gold shields(NT) that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebah[u] and Berothai,(NU) towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9 When Tou[v] king of Hamath(NV) heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,(NW) 10 he sent his son Joram[w] to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.
11 King David dedicated(NX) these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12 Edom[x](NY) and Moab,(NZ) the Ammonites(OA) and the Philistines,(OB) and Amalek.(OC) He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David became famous(OD) after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites[y] in the Valley of Salt.(OE)
14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites(OF) became subject to David.(OG) The Lord gave David victory(OH) wherever he went.(OI)
David’s Officials(OJ)
15 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right(OK) for all his people. 16 Joab(OL) son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat(OM) son of Ahilud was recorder;(ON) 17 Zadok(OO) son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar(OP) were priests; Seraiah was secretary;(OQ) 18 Benaiah(OR) son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites(OS) and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.[z]
David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”(OT)
2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.(OU) They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“At your service,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;(OV) he is lame(OW) in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir(OX) son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.(OY)
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.(OZ) I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.(PA)”
8 Mephibosheth(PB) bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog(PC) like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson(PD) may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[aa] table like one of the king’s sons.(PE)
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.(PF) 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
David Defeats the Ammonites(PG)
10 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash,(PH) just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out(PI) and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard,(PJ) cut off their garments at the buttocks,(PK) and sent them away.
5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(PL) to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean(PM) foot soldiers from Beth Rehob(PN) and Zobah,(PO) as well as the king of Maakah(PP) with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.(PQ)
7 On hearing this, David sent Joab(PR) out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.
9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(PS) his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong,(PT) and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”(PU)
13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites(PV) realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.[ab] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject(PW) to them.
So the Arameans(PX) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
David and Bathsheba
11 In the spring,(PY) at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab(PZ) out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.(QA) They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.(QB) But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof(QC) of the palace. From the roof he saw(QD) a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba,(QE) the daughter of Eliam(QF) and the wife of Uriah(QG) the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her.(QH) She came to him, and he slept(QI) with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)(QJ) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah(QK) the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”(QL) So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark(QM) and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[ac] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love(QN) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter(QO) to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down(QP) and die.(QQ)”
16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelek(QR) son of Jerub-Besheth[ad]? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall,(QS) so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”
22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning(QT) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased(QU) the Lord.
Nathan Rebukes David(QV)
12 The Lord sent Nathan(QW) to David.(QX) When he came to him,(QY) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”
5 David(QZ) burned with anger(RA) against the man(RB) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,(RC) the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over,(RD) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(RE) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(RF) you(RG) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you,(RH) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise(RI) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down(RJ) Uriah(RK) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed(RL) him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword(RM) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
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