Beginning

8 After this David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg-ammah out of the hands of the Philistines.

² He defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river [Euphrates].

⁴ David took from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except he reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.

⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew 22,000 of them.

⁶ David put garrisons in Syrian Damascus, and the Syrians became [his] servants and brought tribute. The Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went.

⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸ And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David exacted an immense amount of bronze.

⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard about David’s defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer,

¹⁰ [He] sent Joram his son to King David to salute and congratulate him about his battle and defeat of Hadadezer. For Hadadezer had had wars with Toi. Joram brought vessels of silver, gold, and bronze.

¹¹ These King David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he subdued:

¹² From Syria, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ David won renown. When he returned he slew 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹⁴ He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. And the Lord preserved and gave victory to [him] wherever he went.

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

¹⁶ Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

¹⁷ Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe;

¹⁸ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards]; and David’s sons were chief [confidential] assistants to the king.

9 And David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?

² And of the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba. When they had called him to David, he said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, I, your servant, am he.

³ The king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the [unfailing, unsought, unlimited] mercy and kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet.^(A)

⁴ And the king said, Where is he? Ziba replied, He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

⁵ Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar.

⁶ And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant!

⁷ David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father [grandfather], and you shall eat at my table always.

⁸ And [the cripple] bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹ Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given your master’s son [grandson] all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

¹⁰ And you shall till the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, that your master’s heir may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master’s son [grandson], shall eat always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, Your servant will do according to all my lord the king commands. So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table, [even though] he was lame in both feet.

10 Later, the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

² David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did to me. So David sent his servants to console him for his father’s death; and they came into the land of the Ammonites,

³ But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that it is because David honors your father that he has sent comforters to you? Has he not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?

⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards and cut off their garments in the middle at their hips and sent them away.

⁵ When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return.

⁶ And when the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves obnoxious and disgusting to David, they sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and of the king of Maacah 1,000 men, and of Tob 12,000 men.

⁷ When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

⁸ And the Ammonites came out and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate, but the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the open country.

⁹ When Joab saw that the battlefront was against him before and behind, he picked some of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.

¹⁰ The rest of the men Joab gave over to Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the Ammonites.

¹¹ Joab said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.

¹² Be of good courage; let us play the man for our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what seems good to Him.

¹³ And Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

¹⁴ And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab returned from battling against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered together.

¹⁶ Hadadezer sent and brought the Syrians who were beyond the river [Euphrates]; and they came to Helam, with Shobach commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them.

¹⁷ When David was told, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. Then the Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.

¹⁸ The Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of [them] the men of 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen and smote Shobach captain of their army, who died there.

¹⁹ And when all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.

11 In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

² One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold.

³ David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

⁴ And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her—for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house.

⁵ And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child.

⁶ David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent [him] Uriah.

⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed.

⁸ David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food [a gift] from the king.

⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.

¹⁰ When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?

¹¹ Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.

¹² And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

¹³ David invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die.

¹⁶ So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy’s most valiant men were.

¹⁷ And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite died also.

¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war.

¹⁹ And he charged the messenger, When you have finished reporting matters of the war to the king,

²⁰ Then if the king’s anger rises and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know they would shoot from the wall?

²¹ Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.^(B)

²² So the messenger went and told David all for which Joab had sent him.

²³ The messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in to the field, but we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate.

²⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, Say to Joab, Let not this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack upon the city and overthrow it. And encourage Joab.

²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for Uriah.

²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.

12 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came and said to him, There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.

² The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

³ But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own morsel, drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.

⁴ Now a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

⁵ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son [worthy] of death.

⁶ He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no pity.

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

⁸ And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again.

⁹ Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites.^(C)

¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because [you have not only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

¹¹ Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your ^[a]own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

¹² For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. [Fulfilled in II Sam. 16:21, 22.]

¹³ And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.^(D)

¹⁴ Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.

¹⁵ Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, and he was very sick.

¹⁶ David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night [repeatedly] on the floor.

¹⁷ His older house servants arose [in the night] and went to him to raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

¹⁸ And on the seventh day the child died. David’s servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?

¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is.

²⁰ Then David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.

²¹ Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food.

²² David said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live?

²³ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

²⁴ David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved [the child];

²⁵ He sent [a message] by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and [Nathan] called the boy’s [special] name Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord], because the Lord [loved the child].

²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.

²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

²⁸ Now therefore assemble the rest of the men, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

²⁹ So David gathered all the men, went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it.

³⁰ And he took the crown of their king [of Malcham] from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth exceedingly much spoil from the city.

³¹ And he brought forth the people who were there, and put them to [work with] saws and iron threshing sledges and axes, and made them labor at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then [he] and all the men returned to Jerusalem.