Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was terrified by Samuel’s words and was also weak because he hadn’t had any food all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands^(A) and did what you told me to do. ²² Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.”

²³ He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them.^(B) He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.^(C)

²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it.^(D) She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. ²⁵ She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.

Philistines Reject David

29 The Philistines^(E) brought all their military units together at Aphek^(F) while Israel was camped by the spring in Jezreel.^{(G) 2} As the Philistine leaders were passing in review with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men^(H) were passing in review behind them with Achish. ³ Then the Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

Achish answered the Philistine commanders, “That is David, servant of King Saul of Israel. He has been with me a considerable period of time.^[a] From the day he defected until today, I’ve found no fault with him.”^(I)

⁴ The Philistine commanders, however, were enraged with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him.^(J) He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the battle.^(K) What better way could he regain his master’s favor than with the heads of our men? ⁵ Isn’t this the David they sing about during their dances:

⁶ So Achish summoned David and told him, “As the Lord lives, you are an honorable man. I think it is good^[b] to have you working^[c] with me in the camp, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until today.^(M) But the leaders don’t think you are reliable. ⁷ Now go back quietly and you won’t be doing anything the Philistine leaders think is wrong.”

⁸ “But what have I done?”^(N) David replied to Achish. “From the first day I was with you until today, what have you found against your servant to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish answered David, “I’m convinced that you are as reliable as the Angel of God.^(O) But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’^{(P) 10} So get up early in the morning, you and your masters’ servants who came with you.^[d](Q) When you’ve all gotten up early, go as soon as it’s light.” ¹¹ So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Defeat of the Amalekites

30 David and his men^(R) arrived in Ziklag^(S) on the third day. The Amalekites^(T) had raided the Negev and attacked and burned down Ziklag. ² They also had kidnapped the women and everyone^[e] in it from the youngest to the oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off^(U) as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned down. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. ⁴ David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives,^(V) Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. ⁶ David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him,^(W) for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.^(X)

⁷ David said to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.”^(Y) So Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David asked the Lord:^(Z) “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?”^(AA)

The Lord replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”^(AB)

⁹ David and the 600 men with him^(AC) went as far as the Wadi Besor, where 200 men who were to remain behind would stop.^{(AD) 10} They stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor. David and 400 of the men continued in pursuit.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. ¹² Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived,^(AE) for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

¹³ Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”

“I’m an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the south country of the Cherethites,^(AF) the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb,^(AG) and we burned down Ziklag.”^(AH)

¹⁵ David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?”

He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”

¹⁶ So he led him, and there were the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder^(AI) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. ¹⁷ David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day.^(AJ) None of them escaped, except 400 young men who got on camels and fled.^(AK)

¹⁸ David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, of all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.^{(AL) 20} He took all the sheep and cattle, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”^(AM)

²¹ When David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor,^(AN) they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, ²² but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

²³ But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the Lord has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. ²⁴ Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”^{(AO) 25} And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it continues to this very day.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you^(AP) from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”^{(AQ) 27} He sent gifts to those in Bethel,^(AR) in Ramoth of the Negev,^(AS) and in Jattir;^{(AT) 28} to those in Aroer,^(AU) in Siphmoth,^(AV) and in Eshtemoa;^{(AW) 29} to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites,^(AX) and in the towns of the Kenites;^{(AY) 30} to those in Hormah,^(AZ) in Bor-ashan,^(BA) and in Athach; ³¹ to those in Hebron,^(BB) and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.^(BC)

The Death of Saul and His Sons

31 The Philistines fought against Israel,^(BD) and Israel’s men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa.^{(BE) 2} The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul,^(BF) the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him.^{[f] 4} Then Saul said to his armor-bearer,^(BG) “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men^(BH) will come and run me through and torture me.” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.^{(BI) 5} When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. ⁶ So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.

⁷ When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸ The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news^(BJ) in the temples of their idols^(BK) and among the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths^(BL) and hung his body^(BM) on the wall of Beth-shan.^(BN)

¹¹ When the residents of Jabesh-gilead^(BO) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their brave men^(BP) set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.^{(BQ) 13} Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree^(BR) in Jabesh^(BS) and fasted seven days.

Responses to Saul’s Death

1 After the death of Saul,^(BT) David returned from defeating the Amalekites^(BU) and stayed at Ziklag two days. ² On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head^(BV) came from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. ³ David asked him, “Where have you come from?”

He replied to him, “I’ve escaped from the Israelite camp.”

⁴ “What was the outcome? Tell me,” David asked him.

“The troops fled from the battle,” he answered. “Many of the troops have fallen and are dead. Also, Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”^(BW)

⁵ David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,”^(BX) he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear. At that very moment the chariots and the cavalry were closing in on him. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, so I answered: I’m at your service. ⁸ He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him: I’m an Amalekite.^{(BY) 9} Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded,^[g] but my life still lingers.’^{(BZ) 10} So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn’t survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them,^(CA) and all the men with him did the same. ¹² They mourned, wept, and fasted until the evening^(CB) for those who died by the sword—for Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s people, and the house of Israel.

¹³ David inquired of the young man who had brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I’m the son of a foreigner,” he said. “I’m an Amalekite.”

¹⁴ David questioned him, “How is it that you were not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”^{(CC) 15} Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him!” The servant struck him, and he died.^{(CD) 16} For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head^(CE) because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

¹⁷ David sang the following lament^(CF) for Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and he ordered that the Judahites be taught The Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:^[h](CG)

David, King of Judah

2 Some time later, David inquired of the Lord:^(CM) “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?”

The Lord answered him, “Go.”

Then David asked, “Where should I go?”

“To Hebron,”^(CN) the Lord replied.

² So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.^{(CO) 3} In addition, David brought the men who were with him, each one with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.^{(CP) 4} Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.^(CQ) They told David: “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”^(CR)

⁵ David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “The Lord bless you, because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. ⁶ Now, may the Lord show kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also show the same goodness to you because you have done this deed. ⁷ Therefore, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

⁸ Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army,^(CS) took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth^[k][l] and moved him to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin—over all Israel. ¹⁰ Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was 40 years old when he began his reign over Israel; he ruled for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. ¹¹ The length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.^(CT)

¹² Abner son of Ner and soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ So Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon.^(CU) The two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.

¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.”

“Let them get up,” Joab replied.

¹⁵ So they got up and were counted off—12 for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and 12 from David’s soldiers. ¹⁶ Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades.^[m]

¹⁷ The battle that day was extremely fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers. ¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel.^(CV) Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.^{(CW) 19} He chased Abner and did not turn to the right or the left in his pursuit of him. ²⁰ Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“Yes it is,” Asahel replied.

²¹ Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or left, seize one of the young soldiers, and take whatever you can get from him.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him. ²² Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face?”^(CX)

²³ But Asahel refused to turn away, so Abner hit him in the stomach with the end of his spear. The spear went through his body, and he fell and died right there. When all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stopped, ²⁴ but Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ The Benjaminites rallied to Abner; they formed a single unit and took their stand on top of a hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”

²⁷ “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops wouldn’t have stopped pursuing their brothers until morning.”^{(CY) 28} Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight. ²⁹ So Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning,^[n] and arrived at Mahanaim.^(CZ)

³⁰ When Joab had turned back from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, 19 of David’s soldiers were missing, ³¹ but they had killed 360 of the Benjaminites and Abner’s men. ³² Afterward, they carried Asahel to his father’s tomb in Bethlehem and buried him. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at dawn.

Civil War

3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long and drawn out, with David growing stronger and the house of Saul becoming weaker.

² Sons were born to David in Hebron:

These were born to David in Hebron.^(DD)

⁶ During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept acquiring more power in the house of Saul.^{(DE) 7} Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah^(DF) daughter of Aiah, and Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

⁸ Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I a dog’s head^[o](DG) who belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I’ve been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven’t handed you over to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman! ⁹ May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what the Lord swore to him: ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah^(DH) from Dan to Beer-sheba.” ¹¹ Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner because he was afraid of him.

¹² Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to hand all Israel over to you.”

¹³ David replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. However, there’s one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal^(DI) here when you come to see me.”

¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of 100 Philistine foreskins.”^(DJ)

¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent someone to take her away from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.^{(DK) 16} Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he went back.

The Assassination of Abner

¹⁷ Abner conferred with the elders of Israel: “In the past you wanted David to be king over you. ¹⁸ Now take action, because the Lord has spoken concerning David: ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the power of the Philistines and the power of all Israel’s enemies.’”

¹⁹ Abner also informed the Benjaminites and went to Hebron to inform David about all that was agreed on by Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.^{(DL) 20} When Abner and 20 men came to David at Hebron, David held a banquet for him and his men.

²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me now go and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you,^(DM) and you will rule over all you desire.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

²² Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid and brought a large amount of plundered goods with them. Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all his army arrived, Joab was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, the king dismissed him, and he went in peace.”

²⁴ Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he’s getting away. ²⁵ You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to find out about your activities and everything you’re doing.” ²⁶ Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well^[p] of Sirah, but David was unaware of it. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside to the middle of the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died in revenge for the death of Asahel,^[q] Joab’s brother.^(DN)

²⁸ David heard about it later and said: “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May it hang over Joab’s head and his father’s whole house, and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge or a skin disease,^(DO) or a man who can only work a spindle,^[r] or someone who falls by the sword or starves.” ³⁰ Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.^(DP)

³¹ David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth,^(DQ) and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the funeral procession.^[s]

³² When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept, ³³ and the king sang a lament for Abner:^(DR)

And all the people wept over him even more.

³⁵ Then they came to urge David to eat bread while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!”^{(DS) 36} All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷ On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸ Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today. ³⁹ As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me.^(DT) May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil!”^(DU)

The Assassination of Ish-bosheth

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. ² Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties: one named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the Benjaminites. Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin, ³ and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and still live there as foreigners to this very day.

⁴ Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. The one who had nursed him^[t] picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^(DV)

⁵ Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at Ish-bosheth’s house during the heat of the day while the king was taking his midday nap. ⁶ They entered the interior of the house as if to get wheat and stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. ⁷ They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom and stabbed and killed him. Then they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled by way of the Arabah^(DW) all night. ⁸ They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

⁹ But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, the One who has redeemed my life from every distress,^{(DX) 10} when the person told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was a bearer of good news, but I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag.^(DY) That was my reward to him for his news! ¹¹ How much more when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house on his own bed! So now, should I not require his blood from your hands and wipe you off the earth?”^(DZ)

¹² So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.^(EA)

David, King of Israel

5 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron^(EB) and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.^{[u](EC) 2} Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out to battle and brought us back.^(ED) The Lord also said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.’”

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them^(EE) at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴ David was 30 years old when he began his reign;^(EF) he reigned 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites^(EG) who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you”; thinking, “David can’t get in here.”

⁷ Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.^{(EH) 8} He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.”^[v] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.”^[w]

⁹ David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward. ¹⁰ David became more and more powerful,^(EI) and the Lord God of Hosts was with him.^{(EJ) 11} King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David; he also sent cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons,^(EK) 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 for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,^(EL) Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.^(EM)

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel,^(EN) they all went in search of David, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold.^{(EO) 18} So the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹ Then David inquired of the Lord:^(EP) “Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied to David, “Go, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰ So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me.”^(EQ) Therefore, he named that place the Lord Bursts Out.^{[x] 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

²² The Philistines came up again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ So David inquired of the Lord, and He answered, “Do not make a frontal assault. Circle around behind them and attack them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then the Lord will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines.”^{(ER) 25} So David did exactly as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

David Moves the Ark

6 David again assembled all the choice men in Israel,^(ES) 30,000. ² He and all his troops set out^(ET) to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.^[y] The ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim.^{(EU) 3} They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,^[z] sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart^{(EV) 4} and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,^[aa] lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^[ab] and cymbals.^(EW)

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah,^(EX) and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,^(EY) and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,^[ac] as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰ So he was not willing to move the ark of the Lord to the city of David;^(EZ) instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom^(FA) and his whole family.

¹² It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.^{(FB) 13} When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.^{(FC) 14} David was dancing^[ad] with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.^{(FD) 15} He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. ¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,^(FE) Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it.^(FF) Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Hosts. ¹⁹ Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women.^(FG) Then all the people left, each to his own home.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,^(FH) Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”

²¹ David replied to Michal, “I was dancing^[ae] before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel.^(FI) I will celebrate before the Lord, ²² and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself.^[af][ag] I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about.” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

The Lord’s Covenant with David

7 When the king had settled into his palace^(FJ) and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ² the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”^(FK)

³ So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is on your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵ “Go to My servant David and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you to build a house for Me to live in?^{(FL) 6} From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not lived in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as My dwelling.^{(FM) 7} In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked anyone among the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel: Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

⁸ “Now this is what you are to say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep to be ruler over My people Israel.^{(FN) 9} I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest in the land.^{(FO) 10} I will establish a place for My people Israel and plant them,^(FP) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not afflict them as they have done ¹¹ ever since the day I ordered judges to be over My people Israel.^(FQ) I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord Himself will make a house for you. ¹² When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.^{(FR) 13} He will build a house for My name,^(FS) and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.^{(FT) 14} I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^(FU) When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod and with blows from others. ¹⁵ But My faithful love will never leave him^(FV) as I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way.^{(FW) 16} Your house and kingdom will endure before Me^[ah] forever,^(FX) and your throne will be established forever.’”^(FY)

¹⁷ Nathan spoke all these words and this entire vision to David.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

¹⁸ Then King David went in,^(FZ) sat in the Lord’s presence, and said,

David’s Victories

8 After this, David defeated the Philistines,^(GH) subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah^[al] from Philistine control.^{[am](GI) 2} He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one length of those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.^(GJ)

³ David also defeated Hadadezer^(GK) son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who went to restore his control at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured 1,700 horsemen^[an] and 20,000 foot soldiers from him, and he hamstrung all the horses^(GL) and kept 100 chariots.^[ao]

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(GM) came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Aramean men. ⁶ Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.^(GN)

⁷ David took the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem.^{(GO) 8} King David also took huge quantities of bronze from Betah^[ap] and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.

⁹ When King Toi of Hamath^(GP) heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued^(GQ)— ¹² from Edom,^[aq] Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ David made a reputation for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites^[ar] in the Valley of Salt.^{[as](GR) 14} He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David.^(GS) The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?”^{(GU) 2} There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

³ So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?”

Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.”^(GV)

⁴ The king asked him, “Where is he?”

Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” ⁵ So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

⁶ Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s^[au] table just like one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica.^(GW) All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³ However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.

War with the Ammonites

10 Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.^{(GX) 2} Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?”^{(GY) 4} So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.^(GZ)

⁵ When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.

⁷ David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men. ⁸ The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves. ⁹ When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans. ¹⁰ He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.

¹¹ “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you. ¹² Be strong! We must prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God.^(HA) May the Lord’s will be done.”^[av]

¹³ Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were across the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

¹⁷ When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up in formation to engage David in battle and fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 of their charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.^[aw] He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.

David’s Adultery with Bathsheba

11 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.^(HB)

² One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. ³ So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he reported, “This is Bathsheba,^(HC) daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah^(HD) the Hittite.”^[ax]

⁴ David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness.^(HE) Afterward, she returned home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

⁶ David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going. ⁸ Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

¹⁰ When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?”

¹¹ Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers^[ay] are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!”^(HF)

¹² “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

Uriah’s Death Arranged

¹⁴ The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. ¹⁵ In the letter he wrote:

¹⁶ When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. ¹⁷ Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hittite also died.

¹⁸ Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle. ¹⁹ He commanded the messenger, “When you’ve finished telling the king all the details of the battle— ²⁰ if the king’s anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall? ²¹ At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth?^[az][ba] Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died?^(HH) Why did you get so close to the wall?’—then say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’” ²² Then the messenger left.

When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. ²³ The messenger reported to David, “The men gained the advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we counterattacked right up to the entrance of the gate. ²⁴ However, the archers shot down on your soldiers from the top of the wall, and some of the king’s soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

²⁵ David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

²⁶ When Uriah’s^(HI) wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him.^{[bb] 27} When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.^(HJ)

Nathan’s Parable and David’s Repentance

12 So the Lord sent Nathan to David.^(HK) When he arrived, he said to him:

⁵ David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”^(HL)

⁷ Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel,^(HM) and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms,^[bd] and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider^[be] evil?^(HN) You struck down Uriah^(HO) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.^{(HP) 10} Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house^(HQ) because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’