The Lord’s Covenant with David

17 When David^(A) had settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under tent curtains.”^(B)

² So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”

³ But that night^(C) the word of God came to Nathan: ⁴ “Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in.^{(D) 5} From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another.^{[a](E) 6} In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’ ^(F)

⁷ “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.^{(G) 8} 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 on the earth. ⁹ I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them,^(H) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done ¹⁰ ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. ¹¹ When your time comes to be with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He is the one who will build a house for me,^(I) and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be his father, and he will be my son.^(J) I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you.^{(K) 14} I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”^(L)

¹⁵ Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

¹⁶ Then^(M) King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said,

Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ This was a little thing to you,^[b] God, for you have spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. You regard me as a man of distinction,^[c] Lord God. ¹⁸ What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant. ¹⁹ Lord, you have done this whole great thing, making known all these great promises for the sake of your servant and according to your will.^{(N) 20} Lord, there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms. ²¹ And who is like your people Israel? God, you came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for yourself, to make a name for yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before your people you redeemed from Egypt.^{(O) 22} You made your people Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.^(P)

²³ Now, Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house be confirmed forever, and do as you have promised. ²⁴ Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you. ²⁵ Since you, my God, have revealed to^[d](Q) your servant that you will build him a house, your servant has found courage to pray in your presence. ²⁶ Lord, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. ²⁷ So now, you have been pleased to bless your servant’s house that it may continue before you forever. For you, Lord, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.

David’s Military Campaigns

18 After this,^(R) David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its surrounding villages from Philistine control. ² He also defeated the Moabites, and they became David’s subjects and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath when he went to establish his control at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, hamstrung all the horses, and kept a hundred chariots.^[e]

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah,^(S) David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men. ⁶ Then he placed garrisons^[f](T) in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze basin,^[g] the pillars, and the bronze articles.^(U)

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations—from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites.

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. ¹³ He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel,^(V) administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

War with the Ammonites

19 Some time later,^(Z) King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. However, when David’s emissaries arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, haven’t his emissaries come in order to scout out, overthrow, and spy on the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved them, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.^(AA)

⁵ It was reported to David about his men, so he sent messengers to meet them, since the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized^(AB) they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty-eight tons^[i] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.^{(AC) 7} They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and camped near Medeba.^(AD) The Ammonites also came together from their cities for the battle.

⁸ David heard about this and sent Joab and all the elite troops. ⁹ The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance of the city while the kings who had come were in the field by themselves. ¹⁰ When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men^[j](AE) and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans. ¹¹ He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

¹² “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you’ll be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll help you. ¹³ Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God.^(AF) May the Lord’s will be done.”^[k]

¹⁴ Joab and the people with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Joab’s brother Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to summon the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River. They were led by Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. He came up to the Arameans and lined up against them. When David lined up to engage them, they fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, commander of the army. ¹⁹ When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. After this, the Arameans were never willing to help the Ammonites again.