Beginning
4 5 Baanah and Rechab slay Ishbosheth the son of Saul. 12 David commandeth them to be slain.
1 And when Saul’s [a]son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, then his hands were [b]feeble, and all Israel was afraid,
2 And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the one called Baanah, and the other called Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin: (for [c]Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin,
3 Because the Beerothites fled to [d]Gittaim, and sojourned there, unto this day.)
4 And Jonathan Saul’s son had a son that was lame on his feet: he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Israel: then his nurse took him, and fled away. And as she made haste to flee, the child fell, and began to halt, and his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth (who slept on a bed at noon.)
6 And behold, Rechab and Baanah his brother came into the midst of the house, as they [e]would have wheat, and they [f]smote him under the fifth rib, and fled.
7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got them away through the [g]plain all the night.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth Saul’s son thine enemy, who sought after thy life: and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9 Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all adversity,
10 When one (A)told me, and said that Saul was dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings) I took him and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11 How [h]much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house, and upon his bed? shall I not now therefore require his blood at your hand, and take you from the earth?
12 Then David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulcher of (B)Abner in Hebron.
5 3 David is made King over all Israel. 7 He taketh the fort of Zion. 19 He asketh counsel of the Lord. 23 And overcometh the Philistines twice.
1 Then (C)came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and said thus, Behold, we are thy [i]bones and thy flesh.
2 And in time past when Saul was our King, thou leddest Israel in and out: and the Lord hath said to thee, (D)Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
3 So all the Elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron: and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron [j]before the Lord, and they anointed David King over Israel.
4 ¶ David was thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned forty years.
5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah (E)seven years, and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 ¶ The King also and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the [k]blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking that David could not come thither:
7 But David took the fort of Zion: this is the city of David.
8 Now David had said the same day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutters and smiteth the lame and blind, which David’s soul hateth, I will prefer him: (F)therefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not [l]come into that house.
9 So David dwelt in that fort, and called it the city of David, and David built round about it, from [m]Millo, and inward.
10 And David prospered and grew: for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
11 ¶ Hiram also king of [n]Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walls: and they built David an house.
12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him King over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.
13 And David took him more (G)concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.
14 (H)And these be the names of the sons, that were born unto him in Jerusalem, Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 ¶ (I)But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David: and when David heard, he went down to a fort.
18 But the Philistines came, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19 Then David [o]asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hands? And the Lord answered David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hands.
20 ¶ (J)Then David came to Baal Perazim, and smote them there, and said, The Lord hath divided mine enemies asunder before me, as waters be divided asunder: therefore he called the name of that place, [p]Baal Perazim.
21 And there they left their images, and David and his men (K)burnt them.
22 Again the Philistines came up, and spread themselves in the valley of [q]Rephaim.
23 And when David asked counsel of the Lord, he answered, Thou shalt not go up, but turn about behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
24 And when thou hearest the noise of one going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then remove: for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
25 Then David did so as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba, until thou come to [r]Gezer.
6 3 The Ark is brought forth of the house of Abinadab. 7 Uzzah is stricken, and dieth. 14 David danceth before it, 16 and is therefore despised of his wife Michal.
1 Again David gathered together all the [s]chosen men of Israel, even thirty thousand
2 (L)And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from [t]Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the Ark of God, whose Name is called by the Name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth upon it between the Cherubims.
3 And they put the Ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, that was in [u]Gibeah. And Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab did drive the new cart.
4 And when they brought the Ark of God out of the house of (M)Abinadab, that was at Gibeah, Ahio went before the Ark.
5 And David and all the house of Israel [v]played before the Lord on all instruments made of fir, and on harps, and on Psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6 ¶ (N)And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put his hand to the Ark of God, and held it: for the oxen did shake it.
7 And the Lord was very wroth with Uzzah, and God [w]smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he died by the Ark of God.
8 And David was displeased because the Lord had [x]smitten Uzzah: and he called the name of the place [y]Perez Uzzah until this day.
9 Therefore David that day feared the Lord, and said, How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me?
10 So David would not bring the Ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David, but David carried it into the house of Obed-Edom [z]a Gittite.
11 And the Ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and all his household.
12 And one told King David, saying, (O)The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he hath, because of the Ark of God: therefore David went and [aa]brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom, into the city of David with gladness.
13 And when they that bare the Ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he offered an ox, and a fat beast.
14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and was girded with a linen [ab]Ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought the Ark of the Lord with shouting, and sound of trumpet.
16 And as the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw King David leap, and dance before the Lord, and she [ac]despised him in her heart.
17 And when they had brought in the Ark of the Lord, they set it in his place, in the midst of the Tabernacle that David had pitched for it: then David offered burnt offerings, and peace offerings before the Lord.
18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he (P)blessed the people in the Name of the Lord of hosts,
19 And gave among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a piece of flesh, and a bottle of wine: so all the people departed every one to his house.
20 ¶ Then David returned to [ad]bless his house, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, O how glorious was the King of Israel this day, which was uncovered today in the eyes of the maidens of his servants, as a [ae]fool uncovereth himself!
21 Then David said unto Michal, [af]It was before the Lord, which chose me rather than thy father, and all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord, even over Israel: and therefore will I play before the Lord,
22 And will yet be more vile than thus, and will be low in mine own sight, and of the very same maidservants, which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honor.
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had [ag]no child unto the day of her death.
7 2 David would build God an house, but is forbidden by the Prophet Nathan. 8 God putteth David in mind of his benefits. 12 He promiseth continuance of his kingdom and posterity.
1 Afterward (Q)when the King sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies,
2 The King said unto Nathan the Prophet, Behold, now I dwell in an house of cedar trees, and the Ark of God remaineth within the [ah]curtains.
3 Then Nathan said unto the king, Go, and do all that is in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee.
4 ¶ And the same night the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, [ai]Shalt thou build me an house for my dwelling?
6 For I have dwelt in no house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt unto this day, but have walked in a tent and Tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I one [aj]word with any of the tribes of Israel when I commanded the Judges to feed my people Israel? or said I, Why build ye not me an house of cedar trees?
8 Now therefore so say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, (R)I took thee from the sheepcote following the sheep, that thou mightest be ruler over my people, over Israel.
9 And I was with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a [ak]great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10 (Also I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move [al]no more, neither shall wicked people trouble them anymore as beforetime,
11 And since the time that I set Judges over my people of Israel) and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies: also the Lord telleth thee, that he will make thee an house.
12 (S)And when thy days be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy body, and will establish his kingdom.
13 (T)He shall build an house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 (U)I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and if he (V)sin, I will chasten him with the [am]rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men.
15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul whom I have put away before thee.
16 And thine house shall be established and thy kingdom forever before thee, even thy throne shall be [an]established forever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, Nathan spake thus unto David.
18 ¶ Then King David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, therefore thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while: but [ao]doth this appertain to [ap]man, O Lord God?
20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.
21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things, to make them known unto thy servant.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23 (W)And what one people in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? whose God went and redeemed them to himself, that they might be his people, and that he might make him a name, and do for [aq]you great things, and terrible for [ar]thy land, O Lord, even for thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt, from the [as]nations, and their gods?
24 For thou hast [at]ordained to thyself thy people Israel to be thy people forever: and thou Lord art become their God.
25 Now therefore, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and his house, and do as thou hast said.
26 And let thy Name be magnified forever by them that shall say, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel, and let the [au]house of thy servant David be established before thee.
27 For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed unto thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant [av]been bold to pray this prayer unto thee.
28 Therefore now, O Lord God, (for thou art God, and thy words be true, and thou hast told this goodness unto thy servant.)
29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast [aw]spoken it: and let the house of thy servant be blessed forever with thy blessing.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.