-
The neighbor women joined the celebration: “A son has been born to Naomi!” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
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Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
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III. Saul and David
Chapter 13
[Saul was…years old when he became king and he reigned…-two years over Israel.]
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Samuel Anoints David. Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
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Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.
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David Wins Saul’s Approval. The spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord.
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David Made Armor-Bearer. Accordingly, Saul dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the flock.
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Then Jesse took five loaves of bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.
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Thus David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him and made him his armor-bearer.
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Saul sent Jesse the message, “Let David stay in my service, for he meets with my approval.”
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Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him.
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When Saul and all Israel heard this challenge of the Philistine, they were stunned and terrified. David Comes to the Camp.
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David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah who had eight sons. In the days of Saul Jesse was old and well on in years.
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David was the youngest. While the three oldest had joined Saul,
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David would come and go from Saul’s presence to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
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Now Jesse said to his son David: “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves for your brothers, and bring them quickly to your brothers in the camp.
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Early the next morning, having left the flock with a shepherd, David packed up and set out, as Jesse had commanded him. He reached the barricade of the camp just as the army, on their way to the battleground, were shouting their battle cry.
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David entrusted what he had brought to the keeper of the baggage and hastened to the battle line, where he greeted his brothers.
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While he was talking with them, the Philistine champion, by name Goliath of Gath, came up from the ranks of the Philistines and spoke as before, and David listened.
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David now said to the men standing near him: “How will the man who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from disgrace be rewarded? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should insult the armies of the living God?”
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When Eliab, his oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he grew angry with David and said: “Why did you come down? With whom have you left those sheep in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and dishonest heart. You came down to enjoy the battle!”
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David protested, “What have I done now? I was only talking.”
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The words that David had spoken were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him.
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David Challenges Goliath. Then David spoke to Saul: “My lord should not lose heart. Let your servant go and fight this Philistine.”
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But Saul answered David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
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Then David told Saul: “Your servant used to tend his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or bear came to carry off a sheep from the flock,
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David continued: “The same Lord who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “Go! the Lord will be with you.”
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Preparation for the Encounter. Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic, putting a bronze helmet on his head and arming him with a coat of mail.
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David also fastened Saul’s sword over the tunic. He walked with difficulty, however, since he had never worn armor before. He said to Saul, “I cannot go in these, because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.
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Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.
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David’s Victory. With his shield-bearer marching before him, the Philistine advanced closer and closer to David.
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When he sized David up and saw that he was youthful, ruddy, and handsome in appearance, he began to deride him.
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He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
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David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have insulted.
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The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
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David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell on his face to the ground.
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Thus David triumphed over the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine dead, and did it without a sword in his hand.
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Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath he killed him, and cut off his head. Flight of the Philistines. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.
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David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he kept Goliath’s armor in his own tent.
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David Presented to Saul. As Saul watched David go out to meet the Philistine, he asked his general Abner, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “On your life, O king, I have no idea.”
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So when David returned from slaying the Philistine, Abner escorted him into Saul’s presence. David was still holding the Philistine’s head.
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Saul then asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
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Chapter 18
David and Jonathan. By the time David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan’s life became bound up with David’s life; he loved him as his very self.
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Saul retained David on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house.
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Jonathan and David made a covenant, because Jonathan loved him as his very self.
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Jonathan took off the cloak he was wearing and handed it over to David, along with his military dress, even his sword, bow, and belt.
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David then carried out successfully every mission on which Saul sent him. So Saul put him in charge of his soldiers; this met with the approval of the whole army, even Saul’s officers.
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Saul’s Jealousy. At the approach of Saul and David, on David’s return after striking down the Philistine, women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet Saul the king, singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and stringed instruments.
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The women played and sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, David his tens of thousands.”
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Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought: “They give David tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.”
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From that day on, Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
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The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raged in his house. David was in attendance, playing the harp as at other times, while Saul was holding his spear.
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Saul poised the spear, thinking, “I will nail David to the wall!” But twice David escaped him.
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Saul then began to fear David because the Lord was with him but had turned away from Saul.
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Saul sent him out of his presence and appointed him a field officer. So David led the people on their military expeditions
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Seeing how he prospered, Saul feared David.
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But all Israel and Judah loved David, since he led them on their expeditions.
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Saul Plots Against David. Saul said to David, “Look, I will give you my older daughter, Merob, in marriage if you become my warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” Saul thought, “I will not lay a hand on him. Let the hand of the Philistines strike him.”
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But David answered Saul: “Who am I? And who are my kindred or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”
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But when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merob to be given to David, she was given as wife to Adriel the Meholathite instead.
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Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. When this was reported to Saul, he was pleased.
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He thought, “I will offer her to him as a trap, so that the hand of the Philistines may strike him.” So for the second time Saul said to David, “You shall become my son-in-law today.”
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Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and say: The king favors you, and all his officers love you. You should become son-in-law to the king.”
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But when Saul’s servants mentioned this to David, he said: “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law a trivial matter in your eyes? I am poor and insignificant.”
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When his servants reported David’s answer to him,
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Saul commanded them, “Say this to David: The king desires no other price for the bride than the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, that he may thus take vengeance on his enemies.” Saul intended to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines.
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When the servants reported this offer to David, he was pleased with the prospect of becoming the king’s son-in-law. Before the year was up,
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David arose and went with his men and slew two hundred Philistines. He brought back their foreskins and counted them out before the king that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as wife.
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Then Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his own daughter Michal loved David.
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So Saul feared David all the more and was his enemy ever after.
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The Philistine chiefs continued to make forays, but each time they took the field, David was more successful against them than any of Saul’s other officers, and his name was held in great esteem.
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Chapter 19
Persecution of David. Saul discussed his intention to kill David with his son Jonathan and with all his servants. But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David,
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Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, telling him: “The king should not harm his servant David. He has not harmed you, but has helped you very much by his deeds.
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When he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the Lord won a great victory for all Israel, you were glad to see it. Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood by killing David without cause?”
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So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him. He then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
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David Escapes from Saul. When war broke out again, David went out to fight against the Philistines and inflicted such a great defeat upon them that they fled from him.
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Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with spear in hand while David was playing the harp nearby.
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Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David eluded Saul, and the spear struck only the wall, while David got away safely.
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The same night, Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it, planning to kill him in the morning. David’s wife Michal informed him, “Unless you run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
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Then Michal let David down through a window, and he made his escape in safety.
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When Saul sent officers to arrest David, she said, “He is sick.”
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Saul, however, sent the officers back to see David and commanded them, “Bring him up to me in his bed, that I may kill him.”
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David and Saul in Ramah. When David got safely away, he went to Samuel in Ramah, informing him of all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to stay in Naioth.
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When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
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he sent officers to arrest David. But when they saw the band of prophets presided over by Samuel in a prophetic state, the spirit of God came upon them and they too fell into the prophetic ecstasy.
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Saul Among the Prophets. Finally Saul went to Ramah himself. Arriving at the large cistern in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” Someone answered, “At Naioth in Ramah.”
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Chapter 20
David Consults with Jonathan. David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went to Jonathan. “What have I done?” he asked him. “What crime or what offense does your father hold against me that he seeks my life?”
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But David replied: “Your father is well aware that I am favored with your friendship, so he has decided, ‘Jonathan must not know about this or he will be grieved.’ Nevertheless, as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
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Jonathan then said to David, “I will do whatever you say.”
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David answered: “Tomorrow is the new moon, when I should in fact dine with the king. Let me go and hide in the open country until evening.
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If it turns out that your father misses me, say, ‘David urged me to let him go on short notice to his city Bethlehem, because his whole clan is holding its seasonal sacrifice there.’
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David then asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father gives you a harsh answer?”
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Mutual Agreement. Jonathan replied to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” When they were out in the open country together,
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Jonathan said to David: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow. Whether he is well disposed toward David or not, I will inform you.
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never cut off your kindness from my house. And when the Lord cuts off all the enemies of David from the face of the land,
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the name of Jonathan must never be cut off from the family of David, or the Lord will make you answer for it.”
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And in his love for David, Jonathan renewed his oath to him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
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So David hid in the open country. David’s Absence. On the day of the new moon, when the king sat down at the feast to dine,
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he took his usual place against the wall. Jonathan sat facing him, while Abner sat at the king’s side. David’s place was vacant.
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On the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to table yesterday or today?”
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Jonathan explained to Saul: “David pleaded with me to let him go to Bethlehem.
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At this Saul brandished his spear to strike him, and thus Jonathan learned that his father was determined to kill David.
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Jonathan sprang up from the table in a rage and ate nothing that second day of the month, because he was grieved on David’s account, and because his father had humiliated him.
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Jonathan’s Farewell. The next morning Jonathan, accompanied by a young boy, went out into the field for his appointment with David.
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The boy suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant.
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When the boy had gone, David rose from beside the mound and fell on his face to the ground three times in homage. They kissed each other and wept aloud together.
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At length Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, in keeping with what the two of us have sworn by the name of the Lord: ‘The Lord shall be between you and me, and between your offspring and mine forever.’”
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Chapter 21
Then David departed on his way, while Jonathan went back into the city.
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The Holy Bread. David went to Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, who came trembling to meet him. He asked, “Why are you alone? Is there no one with you?”
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David answered the priest: “The king gave me a commission and told me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I have sent you or the commission I have given you.’ For that reason I have arranged a particular meeting place with my men.
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But the priest replied to David, “I have no ordinary bread on hand, only holy bread; if the men have abstained from women, you may eat some of that.”
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David answered the priest: “We have indeed stayed away from women. In the past whenever I went out on a campaign, all the young men were consecrated—even for an ordinary campaign. All the more so are they consecrated with their weapons today!”
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The Sword of Goliath. David then asked Ahimelech: “Do you have a spear or a sword on hand? I brought along neither my sword nor my weapons, because the king’s business was urgent.”
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The priest replied: “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a garment behind an ephod. If you wish to take it, do so; there is no sword here except that one.” “There is none like it,” David cried, “give it to me!”
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David a Fugitive. That same day David fled from Saul, going to Achish, king of Gath.
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But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Is it not for him that during their dances they sing out, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his tens of thousands’?”
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David took note of these remarks and became very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath.
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Chapter 22
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his family heard about it, they came down to him there.
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From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Let my father and mother stay with you, until I learn what God will do for me.”
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He left them with the king of Moab; they stayed with him as long as David remained in the stronghold.
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But Gad the prophet said to David: “Do not remain in the stronghold! Leave! Go to the land of Judah.” And so David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
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Doeg Betrays Ahimelech. Now Saul heard that David and his men had been located. At the time he was sitting in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree on the high place, holding his spear, while all his servants stood by him.
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Ahimelech answered the king: “Who among all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your own house?
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The king then commanded his guards standing by him: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they gave David a hand. They knew he was a fugitive and yet failed to inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
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Abiathar Escapes. One son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.
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When Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord,
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David said to him: “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. I am responsible for the slaughter of all your family.
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Chapter 23
Keilah Liberated. David was informed that the Philistines were attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.
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But David’s men said to him: “Even in Judah we have reason to fear. How much more so if we go to Keilah against the forces of the Philistines!”
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Again David consulted the Lord, who answered: Go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your power.
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So David went with his men to Keilah and fought against the Philistines. He drove off their cattle and inflicted a severe defeat on them, and freed the inhabitants of Keilah.
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Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, who had fled to David, went down with David to Keilah, taking the ephod with him.
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Flight from Keilah. When Saul was told that David had entered Keilah, he thought: “God has put him in my hand, for he has boxed himself in by entering a city with gates and bars.”
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Saul then called all the army to war, in order to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
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When David found out that Saul was planning to harm him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.”
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“Lord God of Israel,” David prayed, “your servant has heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.
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David then asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” The Lord answered: They will deliver you.
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So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and wandered from place to place. When Saul was informed that David had fled from Keilah, he did not go forth.
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David and Jonathan in Horesh. David now lived in the strongholds in the wilderness, or in the barren hill country near Ziph. Though Saul sought him continually, the Lord did not deliver David into his hand.
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While David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh he was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life.
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Then Saul’s son, Jonathan, came down to David at Horesh and encouraged him in the Lord.
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The two of them made a covenant before the Lord in Horesh, where David remained, while Jonathan returned to his home.
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Treachery of the Ziphites. Some of the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon.
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So they went off to Ziph ahead of Saul. At this time David and his men were in the wilderness below Maon, in the Arabah south of the wasteland.
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Escape from Saul. When Saul and his men came looking for him, David got word of it and went down to the gorge in the wilderness below Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David into the wilderness below Maon.
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As Saul moved along one side of the gorge, David and his men took to the other. David was anxious to escape Saul, while Saul and his men were trying to outflank David and his men in order to capture them.
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Saul interrupted his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. This is how that place came to be called the Rock of Divisions.
-
Chapter 24
David Spares Saul. David then went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.
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When Saul returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, he was told that David was in the desert near Engedi.
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So Saul took three thousand of the best men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men in the direction of the wild goat crags.
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When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave, which he entered to relieve himself. David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.
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David’s servants said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you: I will deliver your enemy into your hand; do with him as you see fit.” So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s robe.
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Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off an end of Saul’s robe.
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With these words David restrained his men and would not permit them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
-
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked back, David bowed, his face to the ground in homage,
-
and asked Saul: “Why do you listen to those who say, ‘David is trying to harm you’?
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Saul’s Remorse. When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered, “Is that your voice, my son David?” And he wept freely.
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Saul then admitted to David: “You are more in the right than I am. You have treated me graciously, while I have treated you badly.
-
David gave Saul his oath and Saul returned home, while David and his men went up to the stronghold.
-
Chapter 25
Death of Samuel. Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn him; they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went down to the wilderness of Paran.
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While in the wilderness, David heard that Nabal was shearing his flock,
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Ask your servants and they will tell you. Look kindly on these young men, since we come at a festival time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can.’”
-
When David’s young men arrived, they delivered the entire message to Nabal in David’s name, and then waited.
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But Nabal answered the servants of David: “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays there are many servants who run away from their masters.
-
So David’s young men retraced their steps and on their return reported to him all that had been said.
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Thereupon David said to his men, “Let everyone strap on his sword.” And everyone did so, and David put on his own sword. About four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.
-
Abigail, Nabal’s wife, was informed of this by one of the servants, who said: “From the wilderness David sent messengers to greet our master, but he screamed at them.
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Hidden by the mountain, she came down riding on a donkey, as David and his men were coming down from the opposite direction. When she met them,
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David had just been saying: “Indeed, it was in vain that I guarded all this man’s possessions in the wilderness, so that nothing of his was missing. He has repaid good with evil.
-
May God do thus to David, and more, if by morning I leave a single male alive among all those who belong to him.”
-
As soon as Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey and, falling down, bowed low to the ground before David in homage.
-
David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today.
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David then took from her what she had brought him and said to her: “Go to your home in peace! See, I have listened to your appeal and have granted your request.”
-
Hearing that Nabal was dead, David said: “Blessed be the Lord, who has defended my cause against the insult from Nabal, and who restrained his servant from doing evil, but has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” David Marries Abigail and Ahinoam. David then sent a proposal of marriage to Abigail.
-
When David’s servants came to Abigail in Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to make his proposal of marriage to you.”
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She got up immediately, mounted a donkey, and followed David’s messengers, with her five maids attending her. She became his wife.
-
David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Thus both of them were his wives.
-
But Saul gave David’s wife Michal, Saul’s own daughter, to Palti, son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
-
Chapter 26
David Spares Saul Again. Men from Ziph came to Saul in Gibeah, reporting that David was hiding on the hill of Hachilah at the edge of Jeshimon.
-
So Saul went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand of the best warriors of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.
-
Saul camped beside the road on the hill of Hachilah, at the edge of Jeshimon. David, who was living in the wilderness, saw that Saul had come into the wilderness after him
-
David then went to the place where Saul was encamped and saw the spot where Saul and his general, Abner, son of Ner, had their sleeping quarters. Saul was lying within the camp, and all his soldiers were bivouacked around him.
-
David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai, son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” Abishai replied, “I will.”
-
So David and Abishai reached Saul’s soldiers by night, and there was Saul lying asleep within the camp, his spear thrust into the ground at his head and Abner and his troops sleeping around him.
-
Abishai whispered to David: “God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need to strike him twice!”
-
But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him, for who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?
-
As the Lord lives,” David declared, “only the Lord can strike him: either when the time comes for him to die, or when he goes out and perishes in battle.
-
So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, and they withdrew without anyone seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because a deep slumber from the Lord had fallen upon them.
-
David Taunts Abner. Crossing over to an opposite slope, David stood on a distant hilltop. With a great distance between them
-
David called to the army and to Abner, son of Ner, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner shouted back, “Who is it that calls me?”
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David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? Who in Israel is your equal? Why were you not guarding your lord the king when one of his subjects came to assassinate the king, your lord?
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Saul Admits His Guilt. Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David answered, “Yes, my lord the king.”
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Then Saul said: “I have done wrong. Come back, David, my son! I will not harm you again, because you considered my life precious today even though I have been a fool and have made a serious mistake.”
-
But David answered: “Here is the king’s spear. Let an attendant come over to get it.
-
Then Saul said to David: “Blessed are you, my son David! You shall certainly succeed in whatever you undertake.” David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
-
Chapter 27
David Flees to the Philistines. David said to himself: “I shall perish some day at the hand of Saul. I have no choice but to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will give up his continual search for me throughout the land of Israel, and I will be out of his reach.”
-
Accordingly, David departed with his six hundred soldiers and went over to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath.
-
David and his men lived in Gath with Achish; each one had his family, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.
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When Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
-
David said to Achish: “If I meet with your approval, let me have a place to live in one of the country towns. Why should your servant live with you in the royal city?”
-
In all, David lived a year and four months in Philistine territory.
-
David Raids Israel’s Foes. David and his men went out on raids against the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—peoples living in the land between Telam, on the approach to Shur, and the land of Egypt.
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In attacking the land David would not leave a man or woman alive, but would carry off sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and clothes. Then he would return to Achish,
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who would ask, “Against whom did you raid this time?” David would reply, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or “Against the Negeb of Jerahmeel,” or “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.”
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David never left a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath. He thought, “They will betray us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” This was his custom as long as he lived in Philistine territory.
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Achish trusted David, thinking, “His people Israel must certainly detest him. I shall have him as my vassal forever.”
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Chapter 28
In those days the Philistines mustered their military forces to fight against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You realize, of course, that you and your warriors must march out for battle with me.”
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David answered Achish, “Good! Now you shall learn what your servant can do.” Then Achish said to David, “I shall appoint you as my permanent bodyguard.”
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The Lord has done to you what he declared through me: he has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your neighbor David.
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Chapter 29
David’s Aid Rejected. Now the Philistines had mustered all their forces in Aphek, and the Israelites were encamped at the spring in Jezreel.
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As the Philistine lords were marching their units of a hundred and a thousand, David and his warriors were marching in the rear guard with Achish.
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The Philistine commanders asked, “What are those Hebrews doing here?” Achish answered them: “Why, that is David, the officer of Saul, king of Israel. He has been with me for a year or two, and from the day he came over to me until now I have never found fault in him.”
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Is this not the David for whom they sing during their dances, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his tens of thousands’?”
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So Achish summoned David and said to him: “As the Lord lives, you are honest, and I would want you with me in all my battles. To this day I have found nothing wrong with you since you came to me. But in the view of the chiefs you are not welcome.
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But David said to Achish: “What have I done? What fault have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until today, that I cannot go to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
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“I recognize,” Achish answered David, “that you are trustworthy, like an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are saying, ‘He must not go with us into battle.’
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So David and his warriors left early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went on up to Jezreel.
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Chapter 30
Ziklag in Ruins. Before David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negeb and Ziklag. They stormed Ziklag, and set it on fire.
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David and his men arrived at the city to find it burned to the ground and their wives, sons, and daughters taken captive.
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Then David and those who were with him wept aloud until they could weep no more.
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David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, had also been carried off.
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Now David found himself in great danger, for the soldiers spoke of stoning him, so bitter were they over the fate of their sons and daughters. David took courage in the Lord his God
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David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue these raiders? Can I overtake them?” The Lord answered him: Go in pursuit, for you will certainly overtake them and bring about a rescue.
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Raid on the Amalekites. So David went off with his six hundred as far as the Wadi Besor, where those who were to remain behind halted.
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David continued the pursuit with four hundred, but two hundred were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor and remained behind.
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An Egyptian was found in the open country and brought to David. They gave him food to eat and water to drink;
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Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where did you come from?” “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite,” he replied. “My master abandoned me three days ago because I fell sick.
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David then asked him, “Will you lead me down to these raiders?” He answered, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will lead you down to the raiders.”
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The Plunder Recovered. From dawn to sundown the next day David attacked them, allowing no one to escape except four hundred young men, who mounted their camels and fled.
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David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
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Nothing was missing, small or great, plunder or sons or daughters, of all that the Amalekites had taken. David brought back everything.
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Moreover, David took all the sheep and oxen, and as they drove these before him, they shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”
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Division of the Plunder. When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him, whom he had left behind at the Wadi Besor, they came out to meet David and the men with him. As David approached, he greeted them.
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But all the greedy and worthless among those who had accompanied David said, “Since they did not accompany us, we will not give them anything from the plunder, except for each man’s wife and children.”
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But David said: “You must not do this, my brothers, after what the Lord has given us. The Lord has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders that came against us.
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David’s Gifts to Judah. When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “This is a gift to you from the plunder of the enemies of the Lord,” namely,
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Hebron, and to all the places that David and his men had frequented.
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Chapter 1
Report of Saul’s Death. After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.
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On the third day a man came from the field of battle, one of Saul’s people, with his garments torn and his head covered with dirt. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.
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David asked him, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From the Israelite camp: I have escaped.”
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“What happened?” David said. “Tell me.” He answered that the soldiers had fled the battle and many of them had fallen and were dead; and that Saul and his son Jonathan were dead.
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Then David said to the youth who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
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David seized his garments and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
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David said to the youth who had reported to him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.”
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David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand to desecrate the Lord’s anointed?”
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David then called one of the attendants and said to him, “Come, strike him down”; so he struck him and he died.
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David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I put the Lord’s anointed to death.’”
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Lament for Saul and Jonathan. Then David chanted this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan
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Chapter 2
David Is Anointed King. After this, David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord replied to him: Go up. Then David asked, “Where shall I go?” He replied: To Hebron.
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So David went up there, with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
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David also brought up his men with their families, and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron.
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Then the men of Judah came there and anointed David king over the house of Judah. A report reached David that the people of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul.
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So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them: “May you be blessed by the Lord for having done this kindness to your lord Saul in burying him.
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IV. The Reign of David
Ishbaal King of Israel. Abner, son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, took Ishbaal, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim,
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Ishbaal, son of Saul, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years; but the house of Judah followed David.
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In all, David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah seven years and six months.
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Joab, son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David also set out and encountered them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other on the opposite side.
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So they rose and were counted off: twelve of the Benjaminites of Ishbaal, son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.
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Death of Asahel. The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s servants.
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Joab, coming from the pursuit of Abner, assembled all the men. Nineteen other servants of David were missing, besides Asahel.
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But David’s servants had struck down and killed three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, followers of Abner.
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Chapter 3
There followed a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, in which David grew ever stronger, but the house of Saul ever weaker.
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Sons Born in Hebron. Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam from Jezreel;
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and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
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Ishbaal and Abner Quarrel. During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was gaining power in the house of Saul.
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Enraged at the words of Ishbaal, Abner said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? As of today, I have been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and I have kept you out of David’s clutches; and today you charge me with a crime involving a woman!
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May God do thus to Abner, and more, if I do not carry out for David what the Lord swore to him—
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that is, take away the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.”
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Abner and David Reconciled. Then Abner sent messengers to David in Telam, where he was at the moment, to say, “Make a covenant with me, and you have me on your side, to bring all Israel over to you.”
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At the same time David sent messengers to Ishbaal, son of Saul, to say, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed by paying a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
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Abner then had a word with the elders of Israel: “For some time you have been wanting David as your king.
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Now take action, for the Lord has said of David: By David my servant I will save my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and from the power of all their enemies.”
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Abner also spoke with Benjamin, and then went to speak with David in Hebron concerning all that would be agreeable to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
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When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him.
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Then Abner said to David, “I will now go to assemble all Israel for my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you; you will then be king over all whom you wish to rule.” So David let Abner go on his way in peace.
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Death of Abner. Just then David’s servants and Joab were coming in from an expedition, bringing much plunder with them. Abner, having been dismissed by David, was no longer with him in Hebron but had gone on his way in peace.
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When Joab and the whole force he had with him arrived, he was informed, “Abner, son of Ner, came to David, and he let him go on his way in peace.”
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Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner to bring him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know.
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Later David heard of it and said: “Before the Lord, I and my kingdom are forever innocent.
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David Mourns Abner. Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” King David himself followed the bier.
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Then they went to console David with food while it was still day. But David swore, “May God do thus to me, and more, if before the sun goes down I eat bread or anything else.”
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The Murder Avenged. They brought the head of Ishbaal to David in Hebron and said to the king: “This is the head of Ishbaal, son of your enemy Saul, who sought your life. Thus has the Lord this day avenged my lord the king on Saul and his posterity.”
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But David replied to Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite: “As the Lord lives, who rescued me from every distress:
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So at David’s command, the young men killed them and cut off their hands and feet, hanging them up near the pool in Hebron. But he took the head of Ishbaal and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
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Chapter 5
David King of Israel. All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, and they said: “Look! We are your bone and your flesh.
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Then all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and at Hebron King David made a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel.
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David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years:
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Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. They told David, “You shall not enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David shall not enter here.”
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David nevertheless captured the fortress of Zion, which is the City of David.
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On that day David said: “All who wish to strike at the Jebusites must attack through the water shaft. The lame and the blind shall be the personal enemies of David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”
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David took up residence in the fortress which he called the City of David. David built up the city on all sides, from the Millo toward the center.
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David became ever more powerful, for the Lord of hosts was with him.
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Hiram, king of Tyre, sent envoys to David along with cedar wood, and carpenters and masons, who built a house for David.
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David now knew that the Lord had truly established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
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David’s Family in Jerusalem. David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
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Rout of the Philistines. When the Philistines had heard that David was anointed king over Israel, they marched out in force to come after him. When David heard this, he went down to the refuge.
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David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I attack the Philistines, and will you deliver them into my power?” The Lord answered David: Attack, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your power.
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So David went to Baal-perazim, and he defeated them there. He said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me just as water breaks through a dam.” Therefore that place was called Baal-perazim.
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The Philistines abandoned their gods there, and David and his men carried them away.
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and again David inquired of the Lord, who replied: Do not attack the front—circle behind them and come against them near the balsam trees.
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David did as the Lord commanded him, and routed the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.
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Chapter 6
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem. David again assembled all the picked men of Israel, thirty thousand in number.
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Then David and all the people who were with him set out for Baala of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the name “the Lord of hosts enthroned above the cherubim.”
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while David and all the house of Israel danced before the Lord with all their might, with singing, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
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David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah. Therefore that place has been called Perez-uzzah even to this day.
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David became frightened of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”
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So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David. David deposited it instead at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
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When it was reported to King David that the Lord had blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he possessed because of the ark of God, David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with joy.
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Then David came dancing before the Lord with abandon, girt with a linen ephod.
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David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and sound of horn.
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As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David jumping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
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They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place within the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings before the Lord.
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When David had finished sacrificing burnt offerings and communion offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts,
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When David went home to bless his own house, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, “How well the king of Israel has honored himself today, exposing himself to the view of the slave girls of his followers, as a commoner might expose himself!”
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But David replied to Michal: “I was dancing before the Lord. As the Lord lives, who chose me over your father and all his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people, Israel, not only will I make merry before the Lord,
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Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: Is it you who would build me a house to dwell in?
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Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel.
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In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.
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David’s Thanksgiving. Then King David went in and sat in the Lord’s presence and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house, that you should have brought me so far?
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What more can David say to you? You know your servant, Lord God!
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so that your name may be forever great. People will say: ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ when the house of your servant David is established in your presence.
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Chapter 8
Summary of David’s Wars. After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took… from the Philistines.
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He also defeated Moab and measured them with a line. Making them lie down on the ground, he measured two lengths of line for death, and a full length for life. Thus the Moabites became subject to David, paying tribute.
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David then defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to re-establish his dominion at the River.
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David captured from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left one hundred for his chariots.
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The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David also defeated twenty-two thousand of them in Aram.
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David then placed garrisons in the Damascus region of Aram, and the Arameans became David’s subjects, paying tribute. The Lord brought David victory in all his undertakings.
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David took the golden shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s attendants and brought them to Jerusalem. (These Shishak, king of Egypt, took away when he came to Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam, son of Solomon.)
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From Tebah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David removed a very large quantity of bronze.
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When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
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Toi sent his son Hadoram to wish King David well and to congratulate him on having waged a victorious war against Hadadezer; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Hadoram also brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze.
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These also King David consecrated to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he had taken for this purpose from all the nations he had subdued:
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On his return, David made a name for himself by defeating eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
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He set up garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. Thus the Lord brought David victory in all his undertakings.
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David’s Officials. David was king over all Israel; he dispensed justice and right to all his people.
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Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
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Chapter 9
David and Meribbaal. David asked, “Is there any survivor of Saul’s house to whom I may show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”
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Now there was an official of the house of Saul named Ziba. He was summoned to David, and the king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “Your servant.”
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So King David sent for him and had him brought from the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
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When Meribbaal, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he fell face down in homage. David said, “Meribbaal,” and he answered, “Your servant.”
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“Do not be afraid,” David said to him, “I will surely be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore to you all the lands of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table always.”
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Ziba answered the king, “Whatever my lord the king commands his servant, so shall your servant do.” And so Meribbaal ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
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David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” Therefore David sent his servants to Hanun to console him concerning his father. But when David’s servants had entered the land of the Ammonites,
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the Ammonite princes said to their lord Hanun, “Do you think David is doing this—sending you these consolers—to honor your father? Is it not rather to explore the city, to spy on it, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to you?”
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So Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved off half their beards, cut away the lower halves of their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
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David was told of it and he sent word for them to be intercepted, for the men had been greatly disgraced. “Remain at Jericho,” the king told them, “until your beards have grown again; then come back here.”
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When the Ammonites realized that they were in bad odor with David, they sent for and hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob.
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When David heard of this, he sent Joab and his whole army of warriors against them.
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When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. The Arameans drew up in formation against David and gave battle.
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But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their chariot fighters and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He struck down Shobach, commander of the army, and he died on the field.
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Chapter 11
David’s Sin. At the turn of the year, the time when kings go to war, David sent out Joab along with his officers and all Israel, and they laid waste the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. David himself remained in Jerusalem.
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One evening David rose from his bed and strolled about on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman bathing; she was very beautiful.
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David sent people to inquire about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Uriah the Hittite, Joab’s armor-bearer.”
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Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he took her to bed, at a time when she was just purified after her period; and she returned to her house.
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But the woman had become pregnant; she sent a message to inform David, “I am pregnant.”
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So David sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.
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And when he came, David asked him how Joab was, how the army was, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
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David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.” Uriah left the king’s house, and a portion from the king’s table was sent after him.
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David was told, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So he said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why, then, did you not go down to your house?”
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Uriah answered David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my lord Joab and my lord’s servants are encamped in the open field. Can I go home to eat and to drink and to sleep with my wife? As the Lord lives and as you live, I will do no such thing.”
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Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day. On the following day,
-
David summoned him, and he ate and drank with David, who got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his house.
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The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah.
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When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
-
Then Joab sent David a report of all the details of the battle,
-
The messenger set out, and on his arrival he reported to David everything Joab had sent him to tell.
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He told David: “The men had the advantage over us and came out into the open against us, but we pushed them back to the entrance of the city gate.
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David said to the messenger: “This is what you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this be a great evil in your sight, for the sword devours now here and now there. Strengthen your attack on the city and destroy it.’ Encourage him.”
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But once the mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her into his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. But in the sight of the Lord what David had done was evil.
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Chapter 12
Nathan’s Parable. The Lord sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him, he said: “Tell me how you judge this case: In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
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David grew very angry with that man and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves death!
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Then Nathan said to David: “You are the man! Nathan’s Indictment. “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel. I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
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David’s Repentance. Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan answered David: “For his part, the Lord has removed your sin. You shall not die,
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Then Nathan returned to his house. The Lord struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it became desperately ill.
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David pleaded with God on behalf of the child. He kept a total fast, and spent the night lying on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
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On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said: “When the child was alive, we spoke to him, but he would not listen to what we said. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do some harm!”
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But David noticed his servants whispering among themselves and realized that the child was dead. He asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “Yes.”
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Rising from the ground, David washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. He returned to his own house and asked for food; they set it before him, and he ate.
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Then David consoled Bathsheba his wife. He went and slept with her; and she conceived and bore him a son, who was named Solomon. The Lord loved him
-
He sent messengers to David to say: “I have fought against Rabbah and have taken the water-city.
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So David assembled the rest of the soldiers, went to Rabbah, fought against it, and captured it.
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He took the crown of Milcom from the idol’s head, a talent of gold in weight, with precious stones; this crown David wore on his own head. He also brought out a great amount of spoil from the city.
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He deported the people of the city and set them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, or put them to work at the brickmold. He dealt thus with all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and his whole army returned to Jerusalem.
-
Chapter 13
Amnon’s Rape of Tamar. After this, the following occurred. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David’s son Amnon loved her.
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Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shimeah, who was very clever.
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David then sent home a message to Tamar, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.”
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King David, when he heard of the whole affair, became very angry. He would not, however, antagonize Amnon, his high-spirited son; he loved him, because he was his firstborn.
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While they were still on the road, a report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons and not one of them is left.”
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But Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “Let not my lord think that all the young men, the king’s sons, have been killed! Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom was set on this ever since Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar.
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Absalom also sent to Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, an invitation to come from his town, Giloh, for the sacrifices he was about to offer. So the conspiracy gained strength, and the people with Absalom increased in numbers.
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David Flees Jerusalem. An informant came to David with the report, “The Israelites have given their hearts to Absalom, and they are following him.”
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At this, David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem: “Get up, let us flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave at once, or he will quickly overtake us, and then bring disaster upon us, and put the city to the sword.”
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while the whole army marched past him. David and Ittai. As all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had entered his service from that city, were passing in review before the king,
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David and the Priests. Zadok, too, and all the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of God set down the ark of God until the whole army had finished marching out of the city; and Abiathar came up.
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As David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. All those who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went.
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When David was told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom,” he said, “O Lord, turn the counsel of Ahithophel to folly!”
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David and Hushai. When David reached the top, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with garments torn and dirt upon his head.
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David said to him: “If you come with me, you will be a burden to me;
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So David’s friend Hushai went into the city, Jerusalem, as Absalom was about to enter it.
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Chapter 16
David and Ziba. David went a little beyond the top and Ziba, the servant of Meribbaal, was there to meet him with saddled donkeys laden with two hundred loaves of bread, an ephah of cakes of pressed raisins, an ephah of summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
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David and Shimei. As King David was approaching Bahurim, there was a man coming out; he was of the same clan as the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei, son of Gera. He kept cursing as he came out,
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and throwing stones at David and at all King David’s officers, even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard, were on David’s right and on his left.
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But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours, sons of Zeruiah, that he curses? Suppose the Lord has told him to curse David; who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
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Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants: “If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this Benjaminite do so! Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
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David and his men continued on the road, while Shimei kept up with them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
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When David’s friend Hushai the Archite came to Absalom, he said to him: “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
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Counsel of Ahithophel. Now the counsel given by Ahithophel at that time was as though one sought the word of God. Such was all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.
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Chapter 17
Ahithophel went on to say to Absalom: “Let me choose twelve thousand men and be off in pursuit of David tonight.
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David Told of the Plan. Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “This is the counsel Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I counseled.
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So send a warning to David immediately: ‘Do not spend the night at the fords near the wilderness, but cross over without fail. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.’”
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Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel. A maidservant was to come with information for them, and they in turn were to go and report to King David. They could not risk being seen entering the city,
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As soon as they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the cistern and went on to report to King David. They said to him: “Leave! Cross the water at once, for Ahithophel has given such and such counsel in regard to you.”
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So David and all his people moved on and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed.
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Now David had arrived at Mahanaim while Absalom crossed the Jordan accompanied by all the Israelites.
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When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir, son of Ammiel from Lodebar, and Barzillai, the Gileadite from Rogelim,
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honey, and butter and cheese from the flocks and herds, for David and those who were with him to eat; for they said, “The people will be hungry and tired and thirsty in the wilderness.”
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Chapter 18
Preparation for Battle. After mustering the troops he had with him, David placed officers in command of units of a thousand and units of a hundred.
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David then divided the troops three ways, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai, son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I intend to go out with you myself.”
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Defeat of Absalom’s Forces. David’s army then took the field against Israel, and a battle was fought in the forest near Mahanaim.
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The forces of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the casualties there that day were heavy—twenty thousand men.
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Death of Absalom. Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large oak tree, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule under him kept going.
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David Told of Absalom’s Death. Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, “Let me run to take the good news to the king that the Lord has set him free from the power of his enemies.”
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Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout mounted to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked out and saw a man running all alone.
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Joab Reproves David. Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom,”
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David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Say to the elders of Judah: ‘Why should you be last to restore the king to his palace?
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David and Shimei. So the king returned, and when he reached the Jordan, Judah had come to Gilgal to meet him and to bring him across the Jordan.
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Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the Judahites to meet King David,
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David replied: “What has come between you and me, sons of Zeruiah, that you would become my adversaries this day? Should anyone die today in Israel? Am I not aware that today I am king over Israel?”
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David and Meribbaal. Meribbaal, son of Saul, also went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet nor trimmed his mustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until he returned safely.
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David and Barzillai. Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim and escorted the king to the Jordan for his crossing, taking leave of him at the Jordan.
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But then all these Israelites began coming to the king and saying, “Why did our brothers the Judahites steal you away and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, along with all David’s men?”
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Chapter 20
Sheba’s Rebellion. Now a scoundrel named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the horn and cried out, “We have no share in David, nor any heritage in the son of Jesse. Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”
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So all the Israelites left David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the Judahites, from the Jordan to Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king.
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David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left behind to care for the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but never again saw them. And so they remained shut away to the day of their death, lifelong widows.
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Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may now do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and take shelter while we look on.”
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One of Joab’s attendants stood by Amasa and said, “Let him who favors Joab and is for David follow Joab.”
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That is not the case at all. A man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name is Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Give him up, just him, and I will withdraw from the city.” Then the woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown to you across the wall.”
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David’s Officials. Joab was in command of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and Pelethites.
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Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.
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V. Appendixes
Chapter 21
Gibeonite Vengeance. In David’s time there was a famine for three years, year after year. David sought the presence of the Lord, who said: There is bloodguilt on Saul and his family because he put the Gibeonites to death.
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David said to the Gibeonites, “What must I do for you and how must I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?”
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The king, however, spared Meribbaal, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that formed a bond between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.
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When David was informed of what Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, the concubine of Saul, had done,
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Exploits in Philistine Wars. There was another battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his servants and fought the Philistines, but David grew tired.
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Dadu, a descendant of the Rephaim, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels, was about to take him captive. Dadu was girt with a new sword and thought he would kill David,
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but Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to help him, and struck and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must not go out to battle with us again, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
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And when he insulted Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, struck him down.
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These four were descended from the Rephaim in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his servants.
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Chapter 22
Song of Thanksgiving. David proclaimed the words of this song to the Lord when the Lord had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul.
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You have given great victories to your king, and shown kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever.
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Chapter 23
The Last Words of David. These are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son of Jesse; the oracle of the man God raised up, Anointed of the God of Jacob, favorite of the Mighty One of Israel.
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David’s Warriors. These are the names of David’s warriors. Ishbaal, the son of Hachamoni, chief of the Three. He brandished his spear over eight hundred whom he had slain in a single encounter.
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Next to him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the Three warriors with David at Ephes-dammim, when they insulted the Philistines who had massed there for battle. The Israelites had retreated,
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Three of the Thirty chiefs went down to David in the cave of Adullam during the harvest, while a Philistine clan was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
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David was then in the stronghold, and there was a garrison of Philistines in Bethlehem.
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Now David had a craving and said, “If only someone would give me a drink of water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem!”
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Thereupon the three warriors broke through the encampment of the Philistines, drew water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it, and instead poured it out to the Lord,
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but was more famous than any of the Thirty. However, he did not attain to the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
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Chapter 24
David’s Census; the Plague. The Lord’s anger against Israel flared again, and he incited David against them: “Go, take a census of Israel and Judah.”
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Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people. David said to the Lord: “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. Take away, Lord, your servant’s guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”
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When David rose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
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Go, tell David: Thus says the Lord: I am offering you three options; choose one of them, and I will give you that.
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Gad then went to David to inform him. He asked: “Should three years of famine come upon your land; or three months of fleeing from your enemy while he pursues you; or is it to be three days of plague in your land? Now consider well: what answer am I to give to him who sent me?”
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David answered Gad: “I am greatly distressed. But let us fall into the hand of God, whose mercy is great, rather than into human hands.”
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Thus David chose the plague. At the time of the wheat harvest it broke out among the people. The Lord sent plague over Israel from morning until the time appointed, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand of the people died.
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When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the Lord: “It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Strike me and my father’s family!”
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David Offers Sacrifices. On the same day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
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According to Gad’s word, David went up as the Lord had commanded.
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Then Araunah asked, “Why does my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”
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But Araunah said to David: “Let my lord the king take it and offer up what is good in his sight. See, here are the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of oxen for wood.
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The king, however, replied to Araunah, “No, I will buy it from you at the proper price, for I cannot sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty silver shekels.
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Then David built an altar to the Lord there, and sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings. The Lord granted relief to the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.
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I. The Reign of Solomon
Chapter 1
David’s Old Age. When King David was old and advanced in years, though they covered him with blankets he could not get warm.
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However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei, and David’s warriors did not support Adonijah.
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Solomon Proclaimed King. Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother: “Have you not heard that Adonijah, son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David does not know?
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Go, visit King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord king, swear to your handmaid: Your son Solomon shall be king after me; it is he who shall sit upon my throne? Why, then, has Adonijah become king?’
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King David answered, “Call Bathsheba here.” When she entered the king’s presence and stood before him,
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Bowing to the floor in homage to the king, Bathsheba said, “May my lord, King David, live forever!”
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Then King David said, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada.” When they had entered the king’s presence,
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As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne even greater than that of my lord, King David!”
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So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites went down, and mounting Solomon on King David’s mule, escorted him to Gihon.
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Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Hardly! Our lord, King David, has made Solomon king.
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and moreover the king’s servants have come to pay their respects to our lord, King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than your name, his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king in his bed did homage.
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Chapter 2
David’s Last Instructions and Death. When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to Solomon his son:
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David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
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David was king over Israel for forty years: he was king seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. The Kingdom Made Secure.
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Then Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingship was established.
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And now, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and made for me a house as he promised, this day shall Adonijah be put to death.”
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The king said to Abiathar the priest: “Go to your estate in Anathoth. Though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father and shared in all the hardships my father endured.”
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The Lord will bring blood upon his own head, because he struck down two men better and more just than himself, and slew them with the sword without my father David’s knowledge: Abner, son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa, son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
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Their blood will be upon the head of Joab and his descendants. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.”
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And the king said to Shimei: “In your heart you know very well the evil that you did to David my father. Now the Lord is bringing your own evil upon your head.
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But King Solomon shall be blessed, and David’s throne shall be established before the Lord forever.”
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Chapter 3
Early Promise of Solomon’s Reign. Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He married the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her to the City of David, until he should finish building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.
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Although Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, he offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places.
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Solomon answered: “You have shown great kindness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you with fidelity, justice, and an upright heart; and you have continued this great kindness toward him today, giving him a son to sit upon his throne.
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Now, Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed David my father; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act—
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And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments, as David your father did, I will give you a long life.
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When Hiram, king of Tyre, heard that Solomon had been anointed king in place of his father, he sent an embassy to him; for Hiram had always been David’s friend.
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“You know that David my father, because of the wars that beset him, could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God until such time as the Lord should put his enemies under the soles of his feet.