Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length on the earth [floor of the medium’s house], and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words; ^[a]and he was thoroughly exhausted because he had not eaten all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, and she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to everything you said to me. ²² So now, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you, and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants together with the woman urged him, and he [finally] listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house; she quickly killed it, and took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went away that night.

The Philistines Mistrust David

29 Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. ² As the Philistine lords (governors) were proceeding on [marching] by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish [the king of Gath], ³ the Philistine commanders [having noticed David] said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish said to the Philistine commanders, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?” ⁴ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and they said to him, “Make this man return, so that he may go back to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may [turn and] become our adversary. For how could David reconcile himself to his lord [Saul]? Would it not be with the heads of these [Philistine] men? ⁵ Is this not David, of whom they used to sing in dances,

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright (righteous), and your ^[b]behavior in the army is pleasing in my sight. For from the day you came to me to this day I have found no evil in you. Nevertheless, ^[c]the [Philistine] lords do not approve of you. ⁷ So return now and go in peace [to your place], so that you do not displease the Philistine lords.” ⁸ David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day when I [first] came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” ⁹ Achish answered David, “I know that you are blameless in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ So now, get up early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up in the morning and have light, leave.” ¹¹ So David and his men got up early to leave in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel].

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

30 Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; ² and they had taken captive the women [and all] who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off [to be used as slaves] and went on their way. ³ When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until ^[d]they were too exhausted to weep [any longer]. ⁵ Now David’s two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁶ Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the Lord his God.

⁷ David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought him the ephod. ⁸ David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives].” ⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind. ¹⁰ But David pursued [the Amalekites], he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian [who had collapsed] in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink, ¹² and they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his ^[e]energy returned, for he had not eaten bread or had any water to drink for three days and three nights. ¹³ David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me [as useless] when I fell sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” ¹⁵ Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or turn me over to the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

¹⁶ When he brought David down, the Amalekites had disbanded and spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ Then David [and his men] struck them down [in battle] from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode camels and fled. ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing of theirs was missing whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered it all. ²⁰ So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

The Spoils Are Divided

²¹ David came to the two hundred men who were so exhausted that they could not follow him and had been left at the brook Besor [with the provisions]. They went out to meet David and the people with him, and when he approached the people, he greeted them. ²² Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will give them none of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children away and leave.” ²³ David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and has handed over to us the band [of Amalekites] that came against us. ²⁴ And who will listen to you in regard to this matter? For as is the share of him who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the provisions and supplies; they shall share alike.” ²⁵ So from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, “Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord: ²⁷ For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, ²⁸ Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, ²⁹ Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰ Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, ³¹ Hebron, and for [those elders in] all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.”

Saul and His Sons Slain

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons. ³ The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers. ⁴ Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me.” But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So ^[f]Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ And they put Saul’s weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ¹¹ When the ^[g]inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there. ¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days.

David Learns of Saul’s Death

1 Now it happened after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that he stayed two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission]. ³ Then David asked him, “Where do you come from?” He said, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.” He answered, “The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead.” ⁵ So David said to the young man who informed him, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ And the young man who told him explained, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen [of the Philistines] were close behind him. ⁷ When he turned to look behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me, ‘Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].’ ¹⁰ So I stood facing him ^[h]and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the ^[i]band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”^(A)

¹¹ Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord’s people and the house of ^[j]Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle]. ¹³ David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” So he struck the Amalekite and he died. ¹⁶ David said to the [fallen] man, “^[k]Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in ^[l]the Book of Jashar:

David Made King over Judah

2 So it happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.” ² So David went up there [to Hebron] with his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel [in Judah]. ³ And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

Then they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”^{(B) 5} So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord because you showed this graciousness and loyalty to Saul your lord (king), and buried him. ⁶ Now may the Lord show lovingkindness and truth and faithfulness to you. I too will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. ⁷ So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

⁸ Now [Saul’s cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to ^[q]Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, even over all Israel [except Judah]. ¹⁰ Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Civil War

¹² Now Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ Joab [David’s nephew] the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, with one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now stand and ^[r]have a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them stand.” ¹⁵ So they stood up and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponents side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim [that is, the Field of Sides], which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ There was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸ Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light and swift-footed as one of the [wild] gazelles in the field. ¹⁹ Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left as he followed him. ²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.” ²¹ So Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and grab one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to turn away from pursuing Abner. ²² Abner repeated again, “Turn away from following me. Why should I have to strike you to the ground? How would I ^[s]be able to face Joab your brother [and look him in the eye]?” ²³ But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner struck him in the abdomen with the ^[t]butt end of his spear, and the spear came out his back; and he fell there and died on that spot. And it came about that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still [and reflected].

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai [Asahel’s brothers] pursued Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵ And the sons of [the tribe of] Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and took their stand on the top of a hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long [will it be] before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people certainly would have stopped pursuing their brothers in the morning.” ²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore. ²⁹ Then Abner and his men went through the Arabah (desert region) all that night, crossed the Jordan, went through Bithron and walked the whole morning and came to Mahanaim [where Ish-bosheth ruled Israel].

³⁰ Joab returned from pursuing Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David’s servants were missing, besides Asahel. ³¹ But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men; so that three hundred and sixty men died. ³² And they picked up [the body of] Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and they arrived in Hebron at daybreak.

The House of David Strengthened

3 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker [to the point of being powerless].

² Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; ³ his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of [his wife] Maacah, daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur; ⁴ the fourth, Adonijah the son of [his wife] Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of [his wife] Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These [sons] were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins David

⁶ Now while war continued between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was proving himself strong in the house of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had a ^[u]concubine whose name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, ^[v]“Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” ⁸ Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, “Am I a dog’s head [a despicable traitor] that belongs to Judah? ^[w]Today I show loyalty and kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, by not having you handed over to David; and yet you charge me today with guilt concerning this woman. ⁹ May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just as the Lord has sworn to him, ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south].” ¹¹ And Ish-bosheth could not say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David [who was] in his place [at Hebron], saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant (treaty) with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.” ¹³ David said, “Good! I will make a covenant (treaty) with you, but I require one thing of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see ^[x]me.” ¹⁴ So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “^[y]Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was ^[z]betrothed for [the price of] a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her]. ¹⁶ But her husband went with her, weeping continually behind her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner told him, “Go, return.” And he did so.

¹⁷ Abner talked with the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. ¹⁸ Now then, do it [and make him king]! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’”^{(C) 19} Abner also spoke ^[aa]to [the men of] Benjamin. Then he also went to ^[ab]tell David at Hebron everything that seemed good ^[ac]to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.

²⁰ So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him. ²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me stand up and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant (treaty) with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²² Then the servants of David came with Joab from a raid and brought a great quantity of spoil with them; but Abner was not with David at Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” ²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone? ²⁵ You know Abner the son of Ner, that he [only] came to deceive you [with flattering words] and to learn of your going out and coming in, and to find out what you are doing.”

Joab Murders Abner

²⁶ When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew nothing [about Joab’s action]. ²⁷ So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he struck Abner in the abdomen so that he died, ^[ad]to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother. ²⁸ Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹ Let ^[ae]the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house (family); and may there never disappear from the house of Joab one who suffers with a discharge or one who is a leper or one who walks with a crutch [being unfit for war], or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks food.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. ³² They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said,

And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵ All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.” ³⁶ And all the people took notice of it and it ^[af]pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. ³⁸ Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!”

Ish-bosheth Murdered

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

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

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

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

David King over All Israel

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

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

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

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

War with the Philistines

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

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

Peril in Moving the Ark

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

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

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

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

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

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

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

David Plans to Build a Temple

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

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

God’s Covenant with David

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

David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat [in prayer] before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord ^[aw]God, and what is my house (family), that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was very insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house (royal dynasty) in the distant future. And this is the law and custom of man, O Lord God. ²⁰ What more can David say to You? For You know (acknowledge, choose) Your servant, O Lord God. ²¹ Because of Your word (promise), and in accordance with Your own heart, You have done all these great and astounding things to let Your servant know (understand). ²² Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ What one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do great and awesome things for Yourself and for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? ²⁴ You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God. ²⁵ Now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word [of the covenant] that You have spoken in regard to Your servant and his house (royal dynasty); and do just as You have spoken, ²⁶ so that Your Name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts (armies) is God over Israel;’ and may the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant David be established ^[ax]before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have ^[ay]revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house (royal dynasty).’ For that reason Your servant has found ^[az]courage to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ Therefore now, may it please You to bless the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

David’s Triumphs

8 Now it came about after this that David defeated the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them, and he took control of Metheg-ammah [the main city] from the hand of the Philistines.

² He defeated ^[ba]Moab, and ^[bb]measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³ Then David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^[bc]Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River [Euphrates]. ⁴ David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses (making them lame), but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots. ⁵ When the Arameans (Syrians) of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Arameans. ⁶ Then David put garrisons among the Arameans in Damascus, and the Arameans became his servants and brought tribute. The Lord helped David wherever he went. ⁷ David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took an immense quantity of bronze.

⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard about David’s defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Toi sent ^[bd]Joram his son to King David to ^[be]greet and congratulate him for his battle and defeat of Hadadezer; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze [as gifts]. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these [gifts] to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he subdued: ¹² from Aram (Syria), Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 ^[bf]Arameans (Syrians) in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put garrisons in Edom; in all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped him wherever he went.

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel, and continued to administer justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab the son of Zeruiah was [commander] over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder (secretary); ¹⁷ Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe; ¹⁸ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was [head] over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards]; and David’s sons were ^[bg]chief [confidential] advisers (officials) [to the king].^(G)

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ² There was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, so they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am your servant.” ³ And the king said, “Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?” Ziba replied to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan, [one] whose feet are crippled.”^{(H) 4} So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba replied to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” ⁵ Then King David sent word and had him brought from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell face down and lay himself down [in respect]. David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” ⁷ David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table.” ⁸ Again Mephibosheth lay himself face down and said, “What is your servant, that you would be concerned for a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house (family). ¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do according to everything that my lord the king commands.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. And he was lame in both feet.

Ammon and Aram Defeated

10 Now it happened later that [Nahash] the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father did to me.” So David sent [a letter along with] some of his servants to console him in regard to his father’s death; and David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. ³ But the princes of the Ammonites [were suspicious and] said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. ⁵ When David was informed, he sent [messengers] to meet them [before they reached Jerusalem], for the men were greatly ashamed and humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites saw that they had become an object of hatred to David, they sent word and hired the Arameans (Syrians) of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men [to fight for them]. ⁷ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and the entire army, the strong and brave men. ⁸ The Ammonites came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the [city] gate, but the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were [stationed] by themselves in the field.

⁹ Now when Joab saw that the battlefront was against him in front and in the rear, he selected some of all the choice men in Israel and set them in battle formation to meet the Arameans (Syrians). ¹⁰ But he placed the rest of the men in the hand of his brother Abishai, and he placed them in battle formation to meet the Ammonites. ¹¹ Joab said [to Abishai], “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to help you. ¹² Be courageous, and let us show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him approached the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab returned from battling against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered together. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River [Euphrates]; and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them. ¹⁷ When David was informed, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. Then the Arameans assembled in battle formation to meet David and fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans (Syrians) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

Bathsheba, David’s Great Sin

11 Then it happened in the spring, ^[bh]at the time when the kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all [the fighting men of] Israel, and they destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

² One evening David got up from his couch and was walking on the [flat] ^[bi]roof of the king’s palace, and from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very beautiful in appearance. ³ David sent word and inquired about the woman. Someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. And ^[bj]when she was purified from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. ⁵ The woman conceived; and she sent word and told David, “I am pregnant.”

⁶ Then David sent word to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him ^[bk]how Joab was, how the people were doing, and how the war was progressing. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet (spend time at home).” Uriah left the king’s palace, and a ^[bl]gift from the king was sent out after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not [just] come from a [long] journey? Why did you not go to your house?” ¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in huts (temporary shelters), and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” ¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today as well, and tomorrow I will let you leave.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ Now David called him [to dinner], and he ate and drank with him, so that he ^[bm]made Uriah drunk; in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, and [still] did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it ^[bn]with Uriah. ¹⁵ He wrote in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and leave him, so that he may be struck down and die.” ¹⁶ So it happened that as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew the [enemy’s] valiant men were positioned. ¹⁷ And the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among the servants of David fell; Uriah the Hittite also died. ¹⁸ Then Joab sent word and informed David of all the events of the war. ¹⁹ And he commanded the messenger, “When you have finished reporting all the events of the war to the king, ²⁰ then if the king becomes angry and he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot [arrows] from the wall? ²¹ Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”^(I)

²² So the messenger left, and he came and told David everything that Joab had sent him to report. ²³ The messenger said to David, “The men indeed prevailed against us and came out to us in the field, but we were on them and pushed them as far as the entrance of the [city] gate. ²⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” ²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab this, ‘Do not let this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one [side] as well as another. Strengthen your battle against the city and overthrow it’; and so encourage Joab.”

²⁶ When Uriah’s wife [Bathsheba] heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband. ²⁷ And when the time of mourning was past, David sent word and had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done [with Bathsheba] was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Nathan Rebukes David

12 And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him,

⁵ Then David’s anger burned intensely against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die. ⁶ He shall make restitution for the ewe lamb four times as much [as the lamb was worth], because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I spared you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I also gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your ^[bp]care and under your protection, and I gave you the house (royal dynasty) of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have given you much more! ⁹ Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.^{(J) 10} Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’