Historical

Chapter 7

The Oracle of Nathan. ^1 (A)After the king had taken up residence in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from his enemies on every side,^{(B) 2} the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent!”^{(C) 3} Nathan answered the king, “Whatever is in your heart, go and do, for the Lord is with you.”^{(D) 4} But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵ Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: Is it you who would build me a house to dwell in?^{(E) 6} I have never dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up from Egypt to this day, but I have been going about in a tent or a tabernacle. ⁷ As long as I have wandered about among the Israelites, did I ever say a word to any of the judges whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

⁸ Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts:^[a] I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel.^{(F) 9} I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you. And I will make your name like that of the greatest on earth.^{(G) 10} I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, ¹¹ and from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you:^{(H) 12 (I)}when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He it is^[b] who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments;^{(J) 15} but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul who was before you.^{(K) 16} Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.^{[c](L) 17} In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving. ¹⁸ 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?^{(M) 19} And yet even this is too little in your sight, Lord God! For you have made a promise regarding your servant’s house reaching into the future, and giving guidance to the people, Lord God! ²⁰ What more can David say to you? You know^[d] your servant, Lord God! ²¹ For your servant’s sake and as you have had at heart, you have brought about this whole magnificent disclosure to your servant. ²² Therefore, great are you, Lord God! There is no one like you, no God but you, as we have always heard.^{(N) 23} What other nation on earth is there like your people Israel? What god has ever led a nation, redeeming it as his people and making a name by great and awesome deeds, as you drove out the nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?^{(O) 24 (P)}You have established for yourself your people Israel as your people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God. ²⁵ Now, Lord God, confirm the promise that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house forever. Bring about what you have promised ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ Because you, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, ‘I will build you a house,’ your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer before you. ²⁸ Since you, Lord God, are truly God and your words are truth and you have made this generous promise to your servant,^{(Q) 29} do, then, bless the house of your servant, that it may be in your presence forever—since you, Lord God, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.”

Chapter 8

Summary of David’s Wars. ^1 (R)After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took…^[e] from the Philistines. ² 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.^[f] Thus the Moabites became subject to David, paying tribute. ^3 (S)David then defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to re-establish his dominion at the River.^{(T) 4} 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.^{(U) 5} The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David also defeated twenty-two thousand of them in Aram. ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.) ⁸ From Tebah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David removed a very large quantity of bronze. ⁹ When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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: ¹² from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ On his return,^[g] David made a name for himself by defeating eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.^{(V) 14} He set up garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. Thus the Lord brought David victory in all his undertakings.

David’s Officials. ^15 (W)David was king over all Israel; he dispensed justice and right to all his people. ¹⁶ Joab, son of Zeruiah, was in command of the army. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was chancellor. ¹⁷ Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests.^[h] Shavsha was scribe. ¹⁸ Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.^(X)

Chapter 9

David and Meribbaal. ¹ David asked, “Is there any survivor of Saul’s house to whom I may show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”^{(Y) 2} 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.”^{(Z) 3} Then the king asked, “Is there any survivor of Saul’s house to whom I may show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son, the one whose feet are crippled.”^{(AA) 4} The king asked him, “Where is he?” and Ziba answered the king, “He is in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.”^{(AB) 5} So King David sent for him and had him brought from the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. ⁶ 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.” ⁷ “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.” ⁸ Bowing low, he answered, “What am I, your servant, that you should pay attention to a dead dog like me?”^{(AC) 9} The king then called Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him: “All that belonged to Saul and to his entire house, I am giving to your lord’s son. ¹⁰ You and your sons and servants must till the land for him. You shall bring in the produce, which shall be food for your lord’s household to eat. But Meribbaal, your lord’s son, shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ 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.^{(AD) 12} Meribbaal had a young son whose name was Mica; and all the tenants of Ziba’s household worked for Meribbaal.^{(AE) 13} But Meribbaal lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. He was lame in both feet.^(AF)

Chapter 10

Campaigns Against Ammon. ^1 (AG)After this,^[i] the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son succeeded him as king. ² 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, ³ 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?” ⁴ 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.^{(AH) 5} 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.”

^6 [j]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.^(AI)

⁷ When David heard of this, he sent Joab and his whole army of warriors against them.^{(AJ) 8} The Ammonites marched out and lined up for battle at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah remained apart in the open field. ⁹ When Joab saw that there was a battle line both in front of and behind him, he chose some of the best fighters of Israel and lined them up against the Arameans; ¹⁰ the rest of the army he placed under the command of his brother Abishai and lined up to oppose the Ammonites. ¹¹ And he said, “If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you must come and save me; and if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I will come to save you. ¹² Hold firm and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in his sight.” ¹³ Joab therefore advanced with his men for battle with the Arameans, but they fled before him. ¹⁴ And when the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai, and reentered their city. Joab then ceased his attack on the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem. ^15 (AK)Seeing themselves vanquished by Israel, the Arameans held a full muster of troops. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent for and brought Arameans from beyond the River. They came to Helam, with Shobach, the captain of Hadadezer’s army, at their head. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ When Hadadezer’s vassal kings saw themselves vanquished by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to give further aid to the Ammonites.