2 Samuel 1-8

International Standard Version

David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan

1 Shortly after Saul had died, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and remained in Ziklag for two days. ² The next^[a] day, a man escaped from Saul’s camp! With torn clothes and dirty hair, he approached David, fell to the ground, and bowed down to him.

³ David asked him, “Where did you come from?

He answered him, “I just escaped from Israel’s encampment.”

⁴ David continued questioning him, “How did things go? Please tell me!”

He replied, “The army has fled the battlefield, many of the army are wounded^[b] or have died, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”

⁵ David asked the young man who related the story,^[c] “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ The young man who had been relating the story^[d] answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and there was Saul, leaning on his spear! Meanwhile, the chariots and horsemen were rapidly drawing near. ⁷ Saul^[e] glanced behind him, saw me, and called out to me, so I replied, ‘Here I am!’ ⁸ He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I’m an Amalekite!’ ⁹ He begged me, ‘Please—come stand here next to me and kill me, because I’m still alive.’ ¹⁰ So I stood next to him and killed him, because I knew that he wouldn’t live after he had fallen. I took the crown that had been on his head, along with the bracelet that had been on his arm, and I have brought them to your majesty.”^[f]

¹¹ On hearing this,^[g] David grabbed his clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were attending to him. ¹² They mourned and wept, and then decided to fast^[h] until dusk for Saul, for his son Jonathan, for the army of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen in battle.^[i]

¹³ Meanwhile, David asked the young man who had told him the story,^[j] “Where are you from?”

He answered, “I’m an Amalekite, the son of a foreign man.”

¹⁴ At this David asked him, “How is it that you weren’t afraid to raise your hand to strike the Lord’s anointed?”

¹⁵ Then David called out to one of his young men and ordered him, “Go up to him and cut him down!” So he attacked him and killed him.

¹⁶ David told him, “Your blood is on your own head, because your own words^[k] testified against you! After all, you said, ‘I myself have killed the Lord’s anointed!’”

David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ So David intoned this song of lament about Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and he gave orders^[l] to teach the descendants of Judah the art of warfare,^[m] as is recorded in the Book of Jashar:^[n]

David Becomes King over Judah

2 Some time later, David inquired of the Lord to ask, “Am I to move^[q] to any one of the cities of Judah?”

The Lord told him, “Go.”

So David asked, “To which one?”

He replied, “To Hebron.”

² So David went there, along with his two wives Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal from Carmel. ³ David brought his army^[r] with him, each soldier accompanied by his household, and they settled in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ After this, the army of Judah arrived, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

There they informed David, “The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.”

⁵ So David sent messengers to the people^[s] of Jabesh-gilead and told them, “May the Lord bless you, because you showed gracious love like^[t] this to your lord Saul by burying him. ⁶ Now may the Lord reward you with gracious love, as well as faithfulness, to you, too! And I will also reward you because you did this good thing. ⁷ So strengthen yourselves, and be valiant in heart, because your lord Saul has died, and the household of Judah has anointed me to be king over them.”

Abner’s Rebellion and the Battle at Gibeon

⁸ Meanwhile, Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth^[u] and brought him to Mahanaim. ⁹ He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of the rest of^[v] Israel. ¹⁰ Ish-bosheth began to reign over Israel at the age of 40 years, and he reigned for two years, even though Judah’s lineage followed David. ¹¹ The period of David’s kingship in Hebron lasted seven years and six months.

¹² Ner’s son Abner and the servants of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth set out from Mahanaim for Gibeon. ¹³ Zeruiah’s son Joab and some of David’s staff went out to meet them at the pool of Gibeon. One side encamped on one side of the pool while the other encamped on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴ Abner told Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and fight in our presence.”

Joab replied, “Let them come.”

¹⁵ So they got up and twelve were counted to represent Benjamin and Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and twelve to represent members of David’s staff. ¹⁶ Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged^[w] his sword into his opponent’s side, and then they both fell together. That’s why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords.^{[x] 17} The battle was very violent that day, with Abner and the men of Israel being defeated in the presence of David’s servants.

Abner Kills Joab’s Brother Asahel

¹⁸ Zeruiah’s three sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were there. As a runner, Asahel was fast, like one of the wild gazelles. ¹⁹ So Asahel ran straight^[y] after Abner, following him. ²⁰ When Abner looked behind him, he said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

He answered, “I am.”

²¹ Abner told him, “Go off to your right or left after one of the young men and grab some war spoils.” But Asahel would not stop following him, ²² so Abner told Asahel again, “Stop following me. Why should I strike you down? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”

²³ But Asahel^[z] refused to turn away, so Abner struck Asahel in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear protruded through his back. He collapsed to the ground and died where he fell. Everyone gathered round the place where Asahel had collapsed and died, and stood still there.

²⁴ Meanwhile, Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. At dusk, as they approached the hill of Ammah that is located near Giah on the way to the Gibeon desert, ²⁵ the descendants of Benjamin rallied around Abner, forming a single military force. They took their stand on top of the hill.

²⁶ Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the battle sword keep on devouring forever? Don’t you realize that the end result is bitterness? How long will it take for you to order your army^[aa] to stop pursuing their own relatives?”

²⁷ Joab answered, “As God lives, if you hadn’t spoken up, by morning my army would have broken off their pursuit of their own relatives.” ²⁸ So Joab sounded his battle trumpet, his entire army stopped pursuing Israel any longer, and they quit fighting.

²⁹ Abner and his army traveled through the Arabah by night, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Mahanaim after marching all morning. ³⁰ Joab returned from his pursuit of Abner, and when he had mustered his entire army, nineteen of David’s soldiers^[ab] were missing besides Asahel. ³¹ Meanwhile, other^[ac] soldiers of David had killed 360 of Abner’s men from the tribe of^[ad] Benjamin. ³² They retrieved Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night until daybreak and arrived back in Hebron.

Abner Changes Loyalties

3 After this, a state of protracted war existed between Saul’s dynasty and David’s dynasty, and the dynasty of David continued to grow and become strong while the dynasty of Saul continued to grow weaker. ² During this time, sons were born to David while he was living in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam from Jezreel, ³ his second was Chileab by Abigail, widow of Nabal from Carmel, his third was Absalom by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai from Geshur, ⁴ his fourth was Adonijah by Haggith, his fifth was Shephatiah by Abital, ⁵ and his sixth was Ithream by David’s wife Eglah. They were all^[ae] born to David in Hebron.

⁶ While war continued between the dynasties of Saul and David, Abner was growing in influence within the dynasty of Saul. ⁷ Meanwhile, Saul had a mistress^[af] named Rizpah, who was the^[ag] daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth^[ah] asked Abner, “Why did you have sex with my father’s mistress?”

⁸ What Ish-bosheth^[ai] said made Abner furious, so he replied, “A dog’s head for Judah—is that what I am? Up until today I’ve kept on showing loyalty to your father Saul’s dynasty, to his relatives and friends, and I haven’t turned you over to David, but you’re charging me today with moral guilt regarding this woman! ⁹ Therefore may God do to me^[aj]—and more also!—just as the Lord has promised to David, since I’m doing this for him: ¹⁰ I will take away the kingdom from the dynasty of Saul by making the throne of David firm over Israel and Judah—from Dan to Beer-sheba!”

¹¹ Ish-bosheth^[ak] couldn’t say another word in response to Abner, because he was terrified of him. ¹² So Abner sent messengers to David at Hebron to ask him, “Who owns this land? Cut a deal^[al] with me, and look!—I’ll lend my hand in bringing all of Israel over to you!”

¹³ David replied, “Sounds good to me! I’ll cut a deal^[am] with you under one condition: you’re not to show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul’s daughter with you when you come to see me.” ¹⁴ Then David sent a delegation to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to say, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was engaged with a dowry of 100 Philistine foreskins.”^[an]

¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth ordered that she be taken away from her husband, Laish’s son Paltiel. ¹⁶ Her husband accompanied her, crying as he followed after her all the way to Bahurim, where Abner told him, “Leave! Go back!” So he went back.

David’s Dynasty is Strengthened

¹⁷ Later, Abner had a talk with the elders of Israel. He said, “In the past you were looking to see David made king over you. ¹⁸ So do it, then! Because the Lord has said this about David:

¹⁹ Abner also addressed the tribe of Benjamin. Furthermore, with David’s permission,^[ao] Abner said anything that seemed like it would be good for Israel and for the entire tribe of Benjamin.

²⁰ Afterwards, Abner brought 20 soldiers to David at Hebron, and David threw a party for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹ So Abner told David, “Give me permission to go out and rally all of Israel to your majesty the king so they can enter into a formal agreement with you to reign over everything that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner off, and he went away in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

²² Right about then, David’s servants returned from a raid, bringing plenty of war booty with them, but Abner wasn’t in Hebron with David, since David^[ap] had sent him away and Abner^[aq] had left in peace. ²³ When Joab returned with his entire army, Joab was informed, “Ner’s son Abner visited the king, and he has dismissed him. He has left in peace.”

²⁴ So Joab approached the king and asked him, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you! What’s this? You sent him away? He’s long gone now! ²⁵ You know Ner’s son Abner came to mislead you, to learn your troop movements,^[ar] and to learn everything you’re doing!”

²⁶ As soon as Joab left David, Joab^[as] sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah, but David was not aware of this. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab brought him aside within the gateway to talk to him alone and then stabbed him in the abdomen.^[at] So he died for shedding^[au] the blood of Joab’s^[av] brother Asahel.

²⁸ Later on, David found out about it and proclaimed, “Let me and my kingdom remain guiltless forever in the Lord’s presence for the death^[aw] of Ner’s son Abner. ²⁹ May judgment^[ax] rest on Joab’s head and on his father’s entire household. May Joab’s dynasty never be without one who has a discharge,^[ay] who is a leper, who walks with a cane,^[az] who commits suicide,^[ba] or who lacks food!” ³⁰ He said this^[bb] because Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner after he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

³¹ David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David walked behind the funeral procession, ³² and they buried Abner at Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner’s grave, and all the people wept, too. ³³ The king composed this mourning song for Abner:

Then all the people cried again because of him. ³⁵ Everyone tried to persuade David to have a meal while there was still daylight, but David took an oath by saying, “May God to do like this to me and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”

³⁶ Everybody took note of this and was very pleased, just as everything else the king did pleased everyone. ³⁷ As a result, the entire army and all of Israel understood that day that the king had nothing to do with the murder of Ner’s son Abner.

³⁸ The king reminded his staff,^[bc] “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? ³⁹ Today, even though I’m anointed as king, I’m weak. These men, sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult^[bd] for me. May the Lord repay the one who acts wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!”

The Murder of Ish-bosheth

4 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage^[be] failed and all of Israel was disturbed. ² Now Saul’s son had two officers in charge of some raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other was named Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon, a descendant of Benjamin from Beeroth, which was considered to belong to the tribe of^[bf] Benjamin. ³ (The residents of Beeroth had evacuated to Gittaim and live there as resident aliens to this day.)

⁴ Meanwhile, Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. When he was five years old, news had arrived about Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up to flee, but in her hurry to leave, he happened to fall and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^[bg]

⁵ Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, left and arrived during the hottest part of the day at the home of Ish-bosheth while he was taking a noon day nap. ⁶ They entered the house as though they intended to obtain some grain and stabbed him in the abdomen. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. ⁷ While they were in the house, they struck him, killed him, and cut off his head while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They took his head, and traveled all night along the Arabah road.

David Punishes the Killers of Ish-bosheth

⁸ They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and told the king, “Look! Here’s the head of your enemy Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, who sought your life. Today the Lord has given your majesty the king vengeance on Saul and his descendants.”^[bh]

⁹ David responded to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite: “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life in every adversity, ¹⁰ when the man who told me ‘Look! Saul is dead!’ thought he was bringing me good news, I arrested him and had him killed at Ziklag as the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much worse will it be, then, when evil men kill an innocent man on his own bed in his own house! Shouldn’t I avenge his blood—which you are responsible for shedding^[bi]—by removing you from the earth?” ¹² So David commanded his personal guards,^[bj] and they killed Rechab and Baanah,^[bk] cut off their hands and feet, and hung up their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. They took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

David Becomes King over Israel^(A)

5 After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, “Look, we’re your own flesh and blood!^{[bl] 2} Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle^[bm] and bringing them back again.^[bn] The Lord told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief^[bo] over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.

David Establishes Jerusalem as His Capital^(B)

⁴ David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem. ⁶ Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time^[bp] and who had told David, “You’re not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!” because they were thinking^[bq] “David can’t come here.” ⁷ Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as^[br] the City of David.

⁸ At that time,^[bs] David had said, “Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David.”^[bt]

Therefore they say, “The blind and lame are never to come into the house.” ⁹ David occupied^[bu] the fortress, naming it the City of David. He^[bv] built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts^[bw] inward. ¹⁰ David became more and more esteemed because the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

¹¹ Later, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar^[bx] logs, carpenters, and stone masons. They built a palace for David. ¹² So David concluded^[by] that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom in order to benefit his people Israel. ¹³ But after arriving in Jerusalem after leaving Hebron, David took more wives and mistresses,^[bz] and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Battles the Philistines^(C)

¹⁷ When the Philistines eventually learned that Israel^[ca] had anointed David to be king over Israel, they marched out in search of him.^[cb] But David heard about it and retreated to his stronghold. ¹⁸ Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley, ¹⁹ so David asked the Lord, “Am I to go attack the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?”^[cc]

“Go get them,” the Lord replied to David, “because I’m going to put the Philistines right into your hand!”

²⁰ So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. He called the place Baal-perazim,^[cd] because he said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has jumped out in front of me to fight my enemies.” ²¹ The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his army carried them off.

²² Later, the Philistines once again marched out and encamped in the Rephaim Valley. ²³ When David asked the Lord about it, he said, “Don’t attack them directly. Instead, go around to the rear and attack them opposite those balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the balsam trees, then be sure to act quickly, since the Lord will have gone out ahead of you to cut down the Philistine army.” ²⁵ So David did exactly what the Lord ordered him to do, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

Troubles in Mishandling the Ark^(D)

6 After this, David gathered together again 30,000 men from all of the choicest men of Israel. ² Then David and all the people with him set out from Baal-judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, who is called the Name, the name of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, and who is enthroned on the cherubim. ³ They mounted the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s home in Gibeah,^[ce] with Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio^[cf] driving the new cart. ⁴ As they left Abinadab’s house in Gibeah accompanied by the Ark of God, Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. ⁵ David and the entire assembly^[cg] of Israel were dancing in the presence of the Lord with all of their strength, accompanied by all sorts of wood instruments,^[ch] harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ When they arrived at Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Ark of God because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Just then, the anger of the Lord blazed against Uzzah, and God struck him down right there because of his failure, and he died there beside the Ark of God.

⁸ David flew into a rage because the Lord had killed^[ci] Uzzah. That’s why that place is called Perez-uzzah^[cj] to this day. ⁹ But David feared the Lord that day, and asked, “How can the Ark of God come to me?” ¹⁰ As a result, David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the City of David. Instead, David left it at the home of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ So the ark of the Lord remained for three months in the household of Obed-edom the Gittite while the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

¹² Later on, David was informed, “The Lord has blessed the home of Obed-edom and everything he has since he’s in possession^[ck] of the Ark of God.” So David went out joyfully and brought up the Ark of God to the City of David from Obed-edom’s home. ¹³ After those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed oxen and fattened animals, ¹⁴ dancing in front of the Lord with all of his strength and wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and the entire assembly^[cl] of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and trumpet blasts.

David’s Wife Michal Disrespects David’s Worship

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was coming into the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal was peering out a window, watching King David jumping and dancing in the Lord’s presence, and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the Lord, set it in place inside the tent that David had erected for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings in the presence of the Lord.

¹⁸ After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies ¹⁹ and distributed to all the people—the entire multitude of Israel, including both men and women—a cake made of bread, one made of dates, and one made of raisins to each one. Then all the people left, each headed for home.

²⁰ When David returned to bless his household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him and called out, “How the king of Israel honored himself today by undressing himself right in front of his women staff members, just like any pervert^[cm] would dare to expose himself!”

²¹ But David replied to Michal, “It was in front of the Lord, who appointed me to replace your father and his entire household by selecting me as Commander-in-Chief^[cn] over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I danced in front of the Lord. ²² I’m going to act more shamelessly than this, even to humbling myself in my own eyes. Now as to the women staff members about whom you have spoken, they are to hold me in honor!” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal bore no children from that day on until the day she died.

David Plans to Build the Temple^(E)

7 After the king had settled down in his palace and the Lord had given him respite from all of his surrounding enemies, ² he^[co] told the prophet Nathan, “Look now, I’m living in a cedar palace, but the Ark of God resides behind^[cp] a tent^[cq] curtain.”

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Go do everything you have in mind,^[cr] because the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But later that same night, this message came to Nathan from the Lord:

¹⁷ Nathan communicated this complete oracle to David with precisely these words.

David’s Prayer^(F)

¹⁸ Then King David went in to the presence of the Lord, sat down, and said:

David’s Military Victories^(G)

8 Sometime later, David defeated and subdued the Philistines, taking Metheg-ammah away from the Philistines. ² David also conquered Moab, then measured them with a cord, making them lie down on the ground. He executed everyone measured out in each two lengths’ measurement of the cord, but spared the ones measured out by every third length. Then the Moabites were placed under servitude to David, and made to pay tribute.

³ David also attacked King Hadadezer, Rehob’s son from Zobah, when he was attempting to restore his hegemony^[dn] over the Euphrates^[do] River. ⁴ David captured 1,000 of his chariots, 1,700^[dp] horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses except for enough to supply^[dq] 100 chariots. ⁵ When Arameans came from Damascus to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ David erected garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, placing the Arameans under servitude to him,^[dr] and they paid tribute to him. ⁷ David also confiscated the gold shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s officers and took them to Jerusalem. ⁸ He^[ds] also confiscated a vast quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, cities under Hadadezer’s control.

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath learned that David had conquered the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ Tou sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory over Hadadezer, because he had been at war with Tou. Joram brought articles of silver, gold, and bronze with him, ¹¹ and King David dedicated them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that had been dedicated from all the nations that he had conquered, ¹² including from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and spoil from King Hadadezer, Rehob’s son from Zobah.

¹³ David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley. ¹⁴ He erected garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subservient to David, while the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David’s Leaders^(H)

¹⁵ David reigned over all of Israel, administering^[dt] justice and equity to every one of his people. ¹⁶ Zeruiah’s son Joab served in charge of the army, Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was his personal archivist,^{[du] 17} Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were priests, Seraiah^[dv] was his personal secretary,^{[dw] 18} Jehoida’s son Benaiah supervised the special forces^[dx] and mercenaries,^[dy] and David’s sons were priests.^[dz]