Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground, and became so terrified because of the words of Samuel that there was absolutely no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. ²¹ Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was so agitated, so she told him, “Behold, your maidservant obeyed you; I put my life in my hand by listening to your words, which you spoke to me. ²² Please you too listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a morsel of bread before you, so you can eat and have strength to go on your way.”

²³ But he refused and said, “I won’t eat.” But when his courtiers and the woman urged him, he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fatted calf in the house, so she hurried and butchered it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his courtiers, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

David Sent Back from Battle

29 Now the Philistines mustered all their armies at Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring in Jezreel. ² As the Philistine lords were proceeding ahead of their hundreds and thousands, David and his men were bringing up the rear with Achish. ³ Then the Philistine commanders said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

Achish said to the Philistine commanders, “No! That’s David, servant of Israel’s King Saul—he’s been with me today for over a year, and I’ve not found any fault in him since the day he defected to me until now.”

⁴ But the Philistine commanders got angry with him, and the Philistine commanders said to him, “Make this man go back—back to his place you assigned him. He must not go down with us to the battle, or in the battle he might become our adversary. For how would this fellow appease his lord? Wouldn’t it be with the heads of our men? ⁵ Isn’t this one David, about whom they were singing in dances saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”

⁶ So Achish called David and said to him, “As Adonai lives, you have been upright and your going out and your coming in with me, in the army are pleasing in my eyes. For I never found fault with you since the day of your coming to me up to this day. However, the other lords do not approve of you. ⁷ So now, turn around and go back in peace, and you won’t be doing anything to displease the Philistine lords.”

⁸ “But what have I done?” David said to Achish. “What have you found in your servant from the day I have been before you to this day, that I shouldn’t go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ “I know,” Achish answered saying to David. “You are as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ So now, rise up early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord that came with you, and as soon you rise, early in the morning, once there is light, leave.” ¹¹ So David rose up early, he and his men, leaving in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. Meanwhile, the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Raid on Amalek

30 Now it came to pass, when David and his men returned to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire; ² taking the women in it captive, young and old, without killing anyone, but carried them off as they went their way. ³ So when David and his men came to the town, behold, it was burned with fire—and their wives, their sons and their daughters had been taken captives. ⁴ Then David and the troops with him lifted up their voice and wept until they there was no more strength in them to weep. ⁵ Even David’s two wives were taken captive—Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.

⁶ So David was in a serious bind, for the troops were calling for his stoning, for all the troops were bitter of soul, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Adonai his God. ⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the kohen son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I pursue after this raiding band? Shall I overtake them?”

He answered him, “Pursue! For you will surely overtake and you will surely rescue!” ⁹ So David went, he and the 600 men with him, and came to the Wadi Besor, where those left behind remained— ¹⁰ for 200 men stayed behind because they were too exhausted to cross Wadi Besor. Yet David pursued, he and the other 400 men.

¹¹ Then they found an Egyptian in the open field and brought him to David, gave him bread to eat and water to drink, ¹² and they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two cakes of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came back to him, for he had eaten no bread and drunk no water for three days and three nights. ¹³ Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?”

“I am a young Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite,” he said. “My master abandoned me three days ago because I fell sick. ¹⁴ We made a raid in the Negev of the Cherethites, and on Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb; also we burned Ziklag with fire.”

¹⁵ Then David asked him, “Will you lead me to this raiding band?”

“Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or deliver me into my master’s hands,” he said, “and I will lead you to this marauding band.” ¹⁶ So he led him down, and behold, they were scattered over all the area, eating, drinking and feasting because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ David attacked them from the twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except 400 young men who rode on camels and fled.

¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ There was nothing of theirs missing, whether young or old, sons or daughters, spoils or anything else that had been carried off—David recovered everything. ²⁰ David took all the flocks and the herd that they had driven ahead of the other cattle, so they said, “This is David’s spoil.”

²¹ When David reached the 200 men—who had been too exhausted to follow David and were left at Wadi Besor—they came out to meet David and to meet the men with him, so David approached these people and greeted them. ²² But all the wicked men and worthless fellows among those who accompanied David said, “Because they did not accompany us, we shouldn’t give them any of the spoil that we’ve recovered, except every man may take his wife and his children and leave.”

²³ “You must not do so, my brothers with what Adonai has given us,” David said. “It is He who has protected us and gave into our hands the raiding band that attacked us. ²⁴ Who would listen to you in this matter? The share of him who went down to the battle is to be the same as that of him who remained by the baggage. They will share alike.” ²⁵ So it has been from that day forward—he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶ When David arrived at Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Look, a blessing for you from the spoil of the enemies of Adonai,” ²⁷ to those in Beth-el, Ramoth-Negev, Jattir, ²⁸ Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, ²⁹ Racal, to those in the towns of Jerahmeelite, to those in the towns of the Kenites, ³⁰ Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, ³¹ Hebron and to all the places where David and his men had roamed.

Saul Killed on Mt. Gilboa

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. Israel’s men fled before the Philistines and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers hit him, so he was severely wounded by the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, or else these uncircumcised will come and thrust me through after torturing me.” But his armor-bearer refused, for he was too afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ It was the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to spread the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹ Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men set out and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, then went to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.

David Mourns Saul and Jonathan

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul—when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites—that David stayed two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. Now when he approached David, he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

³ Then David asked him, “Where are you coming from?”

“I’ve escaped from the camp of Israel,” he answered.

⁴ “How did things go?” David asked him. “Please, tell me.”

He answered, “The troops fled the battlefield—also many of the troops fell and died. And even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

⁵ David asked the young man informing him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ The young man informing him answered, “I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, and look, Saul was leaning on his spear, while the chariots and the horsemen were closing in on him. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called me. So I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ Then he asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ So he said to me, ‘Stand now over me and kill me! For I’m in agony, yet I’m still alive.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew he couldn’t survive after he had fallen. Then I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and brought them here—to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men that were with him, ¹² and they mourned, wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, for the troops of Adonai and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ Then David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?”

“I am a son of an Amalekite outsider,” he replied.

¹⁴ Then David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Adonai’s anointed one?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come and strike him down.” And he struck him down and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your mouth testified against you saying, ‘I killed Adonai’s anointed.’”

¹⁷ Then David chanted this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the “Song of the Bow.” (Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar):

Judah Anoints David King

2 Now it came to pass after this that David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”

Adonai said to him, “Go up.”

“Where shall I go up?” David asked.

“To Hebron,” He said.

² So David went up there, along with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ David also brought up his men that were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.

Then they told David saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “Blessed are you of Adonai for showing this kindness to Saul your lord, by burying him. ⁶ So now may Adonai show you kindness and faithfulness; and I also will show you goodness because you have done this thing. ⁷ Now therefore, be strong and brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Forces of Abner and Joab Battle

⁸ Now Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹ Then he made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel. ¹⁰ Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹² Once Abner son of Ner and the troops of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ Meanwhile Joab son of Zeruiah and the troops of David went out—they met each other by the pool of Gibeon, so they sat down, one group on one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men get up and compete before us.”

“Let them get up,” Joab replied. ¹⁵ Then they got up and came forward by number—12 for Benjamin and for Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and 12 from David’s servants. ¹⁶ Then each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they all fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim^[a], which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before David’s servants.

¹⁸ Now the three sons of Zeruiah were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles of the field. ¹⁹ Asahel pursued Abner, not swerving to the right or to the left from pursuing Abner. ²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is it you, Asahel?”

“It is I,” he answered.

²¹ So Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. ²² Once again Abner warned Asahel, “Turn away from pursuing me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How would I ever look your brother Joab in the face?” ²³ But he refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him with the butt end of the spear in the groin, so that the spear came out through his back, and he fell down there and died on the spot. When all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stood still. ²⁴ But Joab and Abishai continued pursuing Abner. As the sun was setting, they reached the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ Then the sons of Benjamin rallied to Abner and became one group, taking their stand on top of one of the hills. ²⁶ Then Abner called out to Joab and said, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize how bitter it will be in the end? How long until you order the people to stop pursuing their kinsmen?”

²⁷ “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken, then surely the people would have gone up until the morning, everyone after his kinsman.” ²⁸ So Joab blew the shofar, and all the soldiers halted, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they continue to fight any longer. ²⁹ So Abner and his men marched all that night through the Arabah, then they crossed over the Jordan, and marched through all morning until they reached Mahanaim. ³⁰ Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the troops, nineteen of David’s soldiers besides Asahel were missing. ³¹ But David’s soldiers had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. ³² Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Beth-lehem. Joab and his men marched all night, until the day dawned on them at Hebron.

Betrayal of Abner

3 Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. While David grew steadily stronger, the house of Saul grew steadily weaker. ² Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; ³ his second was Chileab by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; ⁴ the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner strengthened his position in the house of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?”

⁸ But Abner became very angry over Ish-bosheth’s words and said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? To this day I’ve been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his kinsmen, and to his friends, and I haven’t handed you over to David—yet today you are accusing me of wrongdoing with this woman. ⁹ May God do so to Abner and even more if, as Adonai has sworn to David, I don’t accomplish this for him— ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba!” ¹¹ But Ish-bosheth could not respond to Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and see, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”

¹³ “Good!” said David. “I will cut a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see my face.”

¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for 100 Philistine foreskins.” ¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. ¹⁶ But her husband accompanied her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return!” So he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner had a word with the elders of Israel saying, “In times past you wanted David to be king over you. ¹⁸ So now do it! For Adonai has spoken of David saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will deliver My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” ¹⁹ Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner went to Hebron to speak in the hearing of David about all that was agreeable to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰ When Abner came to David in Hebron along with 20 other men, David held a banquet for Abner and the men with him. ²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me get up and go rally all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may cut a covenant with you, and you may reign over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he departed in shalom.

²² Just then, David’s soldiers and Joab came from a raid, bringing with them much spoil. By then Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he departed in shalom. ²³ When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in shalom.”

²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you—why did you send him away? Now he is getting away! ²⁵ You know Abner son of Ner—surely he came to deceive you, to spy on your goings and comings, and to find out all that you are doing.”

²⁶ When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, so they brought him back from the well of Sirah, though David knew nothing about it. ²⁷ Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside within the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the groin, so that he died—on account of the blood of his brother Asahel. ²⁸ When David heard about it afterward, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Adonai forever from the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May it whirl on Joab’s head and on all his father’s house. May the house of Joab never be without someone with discharge or tza’arat, lame or one fallen by the sword or one who lacks food.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle.

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Rend your clothes, gird with sackcloth, and lament before Abner.” King David walked behind the platform. ³² When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept aloud at Abner’s grave, and all the people wept. ³³ Then the king chanted a lament for Abner and said,

Then all the people wept again over him. ³⁵ Then all the people came to urge David to eat some food while it was still day, but David vowed saying, “May God do so to me and even more if I taste food or anything else before the sun sets.” ³⁶ All the people took note of it and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king’s will to kill Abner son of Ner. ³⁸ Then the king said to his soldiers, “Don’t you realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel today? ³⁹ So today I am vulnerable, even though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me to handle. May Adonai reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

Assassination of Ish-bosheth

4 Now when Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage sank, and all the Israelites were disturbed. ² Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of raiding bands: the name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin, ³ though the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and live there as outsiders to this day).

⁴ (Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose legs were crippled. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. It came about, as she was hurrying to flee, that he fell and was crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

⁵ Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came to the house of Ish-bosheth at the heat of the day, as he was taking his midday nap. ⁶ When they came within the house, as though to get wheat, they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. ⁷ When they had gotten within the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they stabbed him and killed him, then beheaded him and took his head, and traveled by the way of the Arabah all night. ⁸ Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, your enemy, who sought your life. Today Adonai has avenged my lord the king of Saul and his offspring.”

⁹ Then David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, saying to them, “As Adonai lives, who redeemed my soul out of all distress, ¹⁰ when someone informed me saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead!’ thinking he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, instead of rewarding him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house and on his bed! Should I not now require his blood from your hands and rid the earth of you?” ¹² Then David commanded the young men, and they slew them, cut off their hands and their legs, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

All Israel Anoints David King

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke saying, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. ² Even before, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and back. Also Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them at Hebron before Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

Securing Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his soldiers marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the region. But they said to David, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and the lame could ward you off,” thinking, “David can’t get in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David did capture the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸ On that day David said, “Whoever would conquer the Jebusites must strike through the water shaft to those ‘lame and blind’ whom David’s soul despises.” That is why they used to say, “The blind or lame couldn’t get into the house.” ⁹ So David occupied the stronghold and renamed it the City of David. Then David fortified it all round from the Millo inward. ¹⁰ David continued to grow stronger, for Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot was with him.

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, carpenters and masons; and they built a palace for David. ¹² David then realized that Adonai had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ Then David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Now 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.

Master of Breakthroughs

¹⁷ Now when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines marched up searching for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?”

Adonai answered David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines over into your hand.”

²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim^[b] and David struck them down there. So he said, “Adonai has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters!” That is why he named that place Baal-perazim. ²¹ They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men removed them.

²² But the Philistines marched up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim again. ²³ When David inquired of Adonai, He said, “Do not go up; instead circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ Now it will be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you must act, for then Adonai will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. ²⁵ David did just as Adonai had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

Ark Comes Into Jerusalem

6 Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. ² Then David and all the people who were with him arose and set out from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name^[c], the very Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot who is enthroned between the cheruvim. ³ So they loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, drove the new cart ⁴ as they brought it from the house of Abinadab (which was on the hill) with the ark of God, and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

⁵ Meanwhile David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before Adonai with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, lyres, tambourines, three-stringed instruments and cymbals^[d]. ⁶ But when they reached the threshing floor of Nahon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Uzzah. God struck him down there for his irreverence, so that he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ David was upset because of Adonai’s outburst against Uzzah. That place is called Perez-uzzah^[e] to this day.

⁹ So David was frightened of Adonai that day. Then he said, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” ¹⁰ David was unwilling to move the ark of Adonai to him, to the City of David; instead, David diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ So the ark of Adonai remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; meanwhile Adonai blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

¹² Then it was reported to King David saying, “Adonai has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. ¹³ Now when the bearers of the ark of Adonai had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ Meanwhile, David was dancing before Adonai with all his might while he was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and with the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ But as the ark of Adonai entered the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Adonai, so she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of Adonai and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people—to the whole multitude of Israel, men and women alike—to everyone a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his home.

²⁰ David returned to bless his own household. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today, when he uncovered himself today in the eyes of the slave girls of his subjects, as any vulgar fellow would shamelessly uncover himself!”

²¹ “It was before Adonai,” David said to Michal, “who chose me instead of your father and all his household, appointing me ruler over the people of Adonai, over Israel! So I danced Before Adonai, ²² and will dishonor myself even more than this, and will be low in my own eyes. Yet in the eyes of the slave girls whom you mentioned, I will be honored.” ²³ So Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day of her death.

Adonai’s Promise to David

7 Now it came about when the king lived in his palace and Adonai had granted him rest from all his enemies around him, ² that the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, yet the ark of God remains within curtains.”

³ “Go, do all that is in your heart,” Nathan said to the king, “for Adonai is with you.”

⁴ But it came to pass the same night that the word of Adonai came to Nathan saying: ⁵ “Go, tell My servant David: Thus says Adonai: Are you to build Me a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ Since the day that I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt to this day I have not dwelt in a house, but have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all My journeying among all the children of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ⁸ So now, thus you shall say to My servant David: Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name as great as the greatest on earth. ¹⁰ I will also set up a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again. Nor will the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as in the past, ¹¹ since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed, who will come forth from you after you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ^{[f] 14} I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^[g] If he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the strokes from sons of men. ¹⁵ Yet My lovingkindness will not be withdrawn from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ So your house and your kingship will be secure forever before you; your throne will be established forever.” ^{[h] 17} Just so Nathan spoke all these words and all this vision to David.

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai and said, “Who am I, my Lord Adonai, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, my Lord Adonai—for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for the distant future. This is a revelation^[i] for humanity, my Lord Adonai. ²⁰ What more can David add in speaking to You? For You already know Your servant, my Lord Adonai. ²¹ For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have done everything great, revealing this to Your servant. ²² Therefore You are great, my Lord Adonai! For there is none like You, and there is no other God besides You, as we all have heard with our ears. ²³ What one nation on earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a Name, to do for You a great thing and awesome deeds for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt—driving out nations and their gods? ²⁴ So You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your very own people forever, and You, Adonai, have become their God.

²⁵ “So now, my Lord Adonai, confirm the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house forever, and do as You have promised. ²⁶ Let Your Name be magnified forever by saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot is God over Israel!’ May the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ So now, my Lord Adonai, You alone are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised Your servant this good thing. ²⁹ So now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, to continue forever before You. For You, my Lord Adonai, have spoken, and with Your blessing Your servant’s house will be blessed forever.”

David’s Kingdom Expands

8 Now afterward David attacked the Philistines and subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah^[j] from the hand of the Philistines. ² He also defeated Moab. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them with a cord. Every two measures of them were put to death, and the third measure was kept alive. So the Moabites became vassals to David, bringing tribute.

³ David also defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah, as he went to restore his dominion along the River^[k]. ⁴ David captured from him 1700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, while reserving 100 of them for chariots. ⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Aramean men. ⁶ Then David stationed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became vassals to David, bringing tribute. So Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went ⁷ David also took the golden shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Betah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a vast amount of bronze.

⁹ Now when King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer—for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold and bronze. ¹¹ These too King David consecrated to Adonai, along with the silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations that he had subdued: ¹² from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ Then David made a name for himself when he returned from striking 18,000 down from Edom in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ Then he stationed garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom he stationed garrisons, so that all the Edomites became vassals to David. So Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went.

¹⁵ David reigned over all Israel, and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁷ Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were kohanim; Seraiah was scribe; ¹⁸ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief ministers.

Covenant Loyalty to Mephibosheth

9 Then David inquired, “Is there anyone still left from the house of Saul, so that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ² Now there was a servant from Saul’s house whose name was Ziba, so they summoned him to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?”

“Your servant,” he said.

³ The king asked him, “Is there still anyone from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

“There is still a son of Jonathan,” Ziba said to the king, “with crippled legs.”

⁴ “Where is he?” the king said to him.

Ziba said to the king, “He’s there, in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” ⁵ So King David sent word and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

⁶ Then Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. “Mephibosheth!” David said.

“Behold your servant!” he answered.

“Don’t be afraid,” ⁷ David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat bread at my table.”

⁸ Then he bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should turn to look at such a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his household I have given to your master’s son. ¹⁰ So you, you and your sons and your servants will till the land for him, and you will bring in the yield so that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” Thus Mephibosheth used to eat at the table just like one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³ But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly, though he was crippled in both his legs.

Aram Vanquished

10 It came about after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son Hanun reigned in his place. ² Then David thought, “Let me show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent word by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived at the land of the children of Ammon, ³ the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David is really honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has not David sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved off one side of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵ When they informed David, he sent word to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow, then return.” ⁶ Now when the children of Ammon saw that they had become a stench to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-Rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, plus 12,000 men from Tob.

⁷ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and the whole army—the mighty warriors. ⁸ The children of Ammon came out and lined up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. ⁹ When Joab saw that there was a battle line against him front and rear, he chose of all the best troops of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans, ¹⁰ but the rest of the troops he committed to the command of his brother Abishai, and he arrayed them against the children of Ammon. ¹¹ Then he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you will help me, but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. ¹² Chazak! And let us take courage for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God, and may Adonai do what is good in His eyes.”

¹³ So Joab and the troops with him advanced to battle against the Arameans—and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and withdrew into the city. Then Joab returned from assaulting the children of Ammon, and went to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans from across the River^[l], and they came to Helam, with Hadadezer’s army commander Shobach before them. ¹⁷ When David was told, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans arrayed their lines against David and fought him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel—David killed 700 charioteers of the Arameans and 40,000 horsemen, and struck down Shobach the commander of their army, so he died there.

¹⁹ When the vassal kings of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became servants to them. Then the Arameans were afraid to help the children of Ammon anymore.

David Commits Adultery and Murder

11 Now it came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his officials with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. ² One evening David rose from his bed and strolled on the roof of the royal palace. Then from the roof he saw a woman washing—a very beautiful woman. ³ So David sent someone to inquire about the woman, and he reported, “Isn’t this Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

⁴ Then David sent messengers and took her when she came to him, and he lay with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”

⁶ So David sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the troops fared, and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” When Uriah left the royal palace, a present from the king followed him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the royal palace with all his master’s servants, and did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ When they informed David saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”

¹¹ But Uriah answered David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my lord Joab and the officers of my lord are camping in the open field. Should I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you off.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day. The next day, ¹³ David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. But in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his master’s servants, but did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah’s hand. ¹⁵ In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.” ¹⁶ So it came to pass, when Joab was besieging the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. ¹⁷ Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the troops of David’s officers fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.

¹⁸ When Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war, ¹⁹ he charged the messenger saying, “When you finish reporting all the events of the war to the king, ²⁰ if it happens that the king’s wrath flares up and he says to you, ‘Why did you come so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you come so close to the wall?’ Then you will say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead, too.’”

²² So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to report. ²³ The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the open field, but we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate. ²⁴ Then the archers shot at your troops from the wall, and some of the king’s officers fell dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite died, too.”

²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Don’t let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Press your attack against the city and overthrow it!’ So tell him, chazak!”

²⁶ Now when the wife of Uriah heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned over her husband. ²⁷ When the time of mourning was over, David sent someone who brought her to his palace. So she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done was evil in Adonai’s eyes.

Nathan Confronts David

12 Then Adonai sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said to him, “There were two men in the same city—one was rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had an exceedingly huge flock and herd, ³ but the poor man had nothing at all, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished, and it grew up together with him and his children. It ate from his own morsel and drank from his own cup, and nestled in his bosom, and it was to him like a daughter. ⁴ Now a traveler came to the rich man, but he was unwilling to take one from his own flock or herd to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him. Rather, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man that had come to him.”

⁵ Then David’s anger blazed hot against the man and he said to Nathan, “As Adonai lives, the man that did this deserves to die! ⁶ So he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did such a thing and showed no pity.”

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Adonai, God of Israel: It is I who anointed you king over Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. Now if that were too little, then I would have added to you so much more. ⁹ Why then have you despised the word of Adonai by doing such evil in My eyes? Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to be your wife, and him you have slain with the sword of the children of Ammon ¹⁰ So now the sword will never depart from your house—because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.