Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ At once Saul fell to the ground with his whole body. He was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was filled with fear. She said to him, “See, your woman servant has obeyed you. I have put my life in danger and have listened to what you said to me. ²² So now I beg you, let me give you a piece of bread. Eat, so you may have strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he said, “I will not eat.” But his servants together with the woman begged him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fat calf in the house and was quick to kill it. She took flour, made it into dough, and made bread without yeast. ²⁵ She brought it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went away that night.

David Is Sent Back to Ziklag

29 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek. The Israelites were staying by the well in Jezreel. ² The leaders of the Philistines were moving toward them with their hundreds and their thousands. And David and his men were moving behind them with Achish. ³ Then the captains of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years? I have found nothing wrong in him since the day he left to come to me.” ⁴ But the Philistine captains were angry with him. They said to him, “Make the man return. Have him go again to his place which you have given him. Do not let him go down to battle with us. He might fight against us in the battle. For how could this man make his lord receive him again? Would it not be with the heads of these men? ⁵ Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” ⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest. You go out and come in with me in the army and it is good in my eyes. I have found nothing wrong in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you are not pleasing in the eyes of the leaders. ⁷ So now return. Go in peace, that you may not make the Philistine leaders angry.” ⁸ David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came to you until now, that I may not go and fight against those who hate my lord the king?” ⁹ Achish answered David, “I know that you are pleasing in my eyes, like an angel of God. But the captains of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ Now get up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you. Leave as soon as you are up and have light.” ¹¹ So David and his men left early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Battle with the Amalekites

30 When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire. ² They took the women and all who were in it, without killing anyone. They carried them out and went on their way. ³ David and his men came to the city and saw that it was burned. Their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away. ⁴ Then David and the people with him cried out in a loud voice until they had no more strength to cry. ⁵ David’s two wives had been taken away, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

⁷ David said to Abiathar the religious leader, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the linen vest.” So Abiathar brought the linen vest to David. ⁸ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?” The Lord said to him, “Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people.” ⁹ So David and the 600 men who were with him went out and came to the river of Besor. There those stayed who were left behind. ¹⁰ But David kept going after them, with 400 men. For 200 were too tired to cross the river of Besor and stayed behind.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread and he ate, and he was given water to drink. ¹² They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ David said to him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite. My owner left me behind when I became sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We had gone to fight in the Negev of the Cherethites, and in the land of Judah, and in the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag with fire.” ¹⁵ Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to his army?” And he said, “Promise me by God that you will not kill me or give me to my owner, and I will bring you down to this army.”

¹⁶ When he had taken David down, he saw the soldiers spread over all the land. They were eating and drinking and dancing because of all the good things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. ¹⁷ And David killed them from the evening until the evening of the next day. None of them got away, except 400 young men who ran away on camels. ¹⁸ David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it. ²⁰ And he took all the sheep and cattle. The people drove those animals in front of him, and said, “This is what belongs to David.”

²¹ David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him and had been left at the river of Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. David came near the people and said hello to them. ²² Then all the sinful men of no worth who had gone with David said, “They did not go with us. So we will not give them anything of what we have taken, except for each man’s wife and children. Each man may take them and go.” ²³ David said, “You must not do so with what the Lord has given us, my brothers. He has kept us safe and has given us the army that came against us. ²⁴ Who would listen to you about this? The share of those who stay by our things will be the same as the share of those who go to the battle. They will share alike.” ²⁵ He made it a law for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken in battle to the leaders of Judah, his friends. He said, “See, here is a gift for you from what was taken from those who hate the Lord. ²⁷ It is for those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, ²⁸ Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, ²⁹ and Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰ Hormah, Borashan, Athach, ³¹ Hebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times.”

Saul Kills Himself

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. And the men of Israel ran from the Philistines and were killed and fell on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines came after Saul and his sons. They killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua. ³ The battle went against Saul. The men who used the bow hit him with arrows and hurt him very much. ⁴ Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, “Take your sword and cut through me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and kill me with the sword and make fun of me.” But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it, for he was filled with fear. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the one who carried his battle-clothes saw that Saul was dead, he fell on his sword also, and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, the one who carried his battle-clothes, and all his men, died that day together.

⁷ The men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left the cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in them. ⁸ When the Philistines came to rob the dead the next day, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off Saul’s head and took his sword and battle-clothes, and sent them through the land of the Philistines. They sent them to carry the good news to the house of their gods and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his sword and battle-clothes in the house of their god Ashtaroth. And they tied his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ¹¹ When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the men with strength of heart went and walked all night. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh. There they burned them. ¹³ They took

their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh. And they did not eat for seven days.

David Hears of Saul’s Death

1 Now after the death of Saul, David returned from killing the Amalekites and stayed two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, a man came from the tents of Saul. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell with his face to the ground. ³ David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I have run away from the tents of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And the man said, “The people have run from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.” ⁵ David said to the young man, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ The young man said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul holding himself up with his spear. The war-wagons and the horsemen were coming close after him. ⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me. He called to me and I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ Then he said to me, ‘I beg you, stand beside me and kill me. I am in pain, and yet I am still alive.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the beautiful gold band which he wore on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² They cried in sorrow and did not eat until evening, because of Saul and his son Jonathan, and of the people of the Lord and of the family of Israel. For they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ David said to the young man, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of one from another land, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ Then David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s chosen one?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he hit him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your head. Because your mouth has spoken against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s chosen one.’”

David’s Song of Sorrow for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David sang a song of sorrow for Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸ He told them to teach the song of the bow to the people of Judah. See, it is written in the book of Jashar. ¹⁹ “O Israel, your beauty is destroyed on your high places! How have the powerful fallen! ²⁰ Do not tell about it in Gath. Do not tell about it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines might be filled with joy. The daughters of those who have not gone through our religious act might be filled with joy. ²¹ O mountains of Gilboa, do not let the water that is on the grass in the early morning or rain be on you. Let not grass be grown on your fields. For there the covering of the powerful was made dirty, the covering of Saul, as if he had not been set apart with oil. ²² The bow of Jonathan did not turn away. The sword of Saul did not return empty. They did not turn from the blood of the dead and the fat of the powerful. ²³ Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing in their life. And they were not divided in their death. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions. ²⁴ O daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. He dressed you in fine red clothing. He put on your clothing objects of gold. ²⁵ How have the powerful fallen in the center of the battle! Jonathan has been killed on your high places. ²⁶ I am troubled because of you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasing to me. Your love to me was greater than the love of women. ²⁷ How have the powerful fallen, and the bows and swords of war destroyed!”

David Is Made King over Judah

2 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where should I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.” ² So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. ³ David brought up his men who were with him, each one with those of his family. They lived in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there they chose David to be king over the family of Judah.

They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” ⁵ So David sent men with news to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, “May the Lord bring good to you. Because you have shown kindness to your king Saul, and have buried him. ⁶ Now may the Lord show loving-kindness and truth to you. And I will do good to you, because you have done this. ⁷ So now let your hands be strong. Have strength of heart. For your king Saul is dead. And those of the family of Judah have chosen me to be their king.”

Ish-bosheth Is Made King over Israel

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king of Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. ¹⁰ Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king of Israel. He was king for two years. But the family of Judah followed David. ¹¹ David was king in Hebron over the family of Judah for seven years and six months.

War between Israel and Judah

¹² Now Abner the son of Ner went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. ¹³ And Zeruiah’s son Joab and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side. ¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men get up and have a test of strength in front of us.” And Joab said, “Let them get up.” ¹⁵ So they stood up and went over by number. There were twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ Each one of them took hold of the head of the one fighting against him, and put his sword into the other’s side. So they fell down together. That is why that place was called field of swords, which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ The battle was very bad that day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David. ¹⁸ Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a wild deer. ¹⁹ And Asahel ran after Abner. He did not turn to the right or the left from following him. ²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” ²¹ So Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or left. Take hold of one of the young men, and take for yourself what belongs to him.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. ²² Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I make you fall? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” ²³ But he would not turn aside. So Abner hit him in the stomach with the end of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai went after Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the way of the desert of Gibeon. ²⁵ The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one army. They stood on the top of a hill. ²⁶ Abner called to Joab and said, “Should the sword destroy forever? Do you not know that it will be bad in the end? How long will you keep from telling the people to stop following their brothers?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, for sure the people would have stopped going after their brothers in the morning.” ²⁸ So Joab sounded the horn, and all the people stopped and went after Israel no longer. And they did not fight any more. ²⁹ Abner and his men went all night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Joab returned from following Abner, and gathered all the people together. Added to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing. ³¹ But the servants of David had killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. ³² They picked up Asahel and buried him in his father’s grave in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron early the next morning.

3 There was a long war between the family of Saul and the family of David. David became stronger and stronger. But the family of Saul became weaker and weaker.

David’s Sons

² Sons were born to David at Hebron. His first-born was Amnon, by David’s wife Ahinoam of Jezreel. ³ His second son was Chileab, by Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. The third was Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. ⁴ The fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah the son of Abital. ⁵ And the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David at Hebron.

Abner Goes over with David

⁶ While there was war between the family of Saul and the family of David, Abner was making himself strong in the family of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had a woman acting as his wife whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to the woman who acted as my father’s wife?” ⁸ Abner was very angry because of Ish-bosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers and to his friends. I have not given you into David’s hands. Yet today you say I am guilty because of this woman. ⁹ May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David what the Lord has promised him. ¹⁰ He has promised to build the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” ¹¹ And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent men with news to David at Hebron, saying, “Whose land is this? Make your agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.” ¹³ David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. But you must do one thing that I say. You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.” ¹⁴ Then David sent men to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, saying, “Give me my wife Michal. I was married to her by giving a hundred pieces of skin from the sex parts of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent men to take her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶ But her husband went with her, crying as he went. He followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner spoke with the leaders of Israel, saying, “In times past you wanted David to be your king. ¹⁸ Now make it happen! For the Lord has said of David, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the Philistines and from all those who hate them.’” ¹⁹ Abner spoke to Benjamin also. Then Abner went to Hebron to tell David all that Israel and the whole family of Benjamin thought was good to do.

²⁰ Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron. And David made a special supper for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so they may make an agreement with you. Then you may be king over all your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Kills Abner

²² Then David’s servants and Joab came from a battle and brought with them many good things they had taken. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away. Abner had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and the army with him came, it was told to Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king. And the king has sent him away in peace.” ²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? See, Abner came to you. Why then have you sent him away, so that he is gone? ²⁵ You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to fool you, and to learn about your going out and coming in. He came to learn all that you are doing.”

²⁶ When Joab left David, he sent men after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the center of the gate to speak with him alone. There Joab hit him in the stomach and killed him because of the blood of his brother Asahel. ²⁸ When David heard about it, he said, “I and my nation are forever without guilt before the Lord, from the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹ May the guilt be on the head of Joab and all his father’s family. May the family of Joab never be without one who has a flow from his body, or a bad skin disease, or the need to use a walking stick. Or may his family never be without one who falls by the sword, or who needs more bread.” ³⁰ So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother in the battle at Gibeon.

David Shows Sorrow for Abner

³¹ Then David said to Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and dress in clothes made from hair. Cry in sorrow in front of Abner.” And King David walked behind the box in which the dead man was carried. ³² They buried Abner in Hebron. And the king cried in a loud voice at Abner’s grave. All the people cried. ³³ The king sang a song of sorrow for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? ³⁴ Your hands were not tied. Your feet were not put in chains. You have fallen as one falls in front of the sinful.” And all the people cried again over him. ³⁵ Then all the people came to try to talk David into eating bread while it was still day. But David promised, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” ³⁶ All the people saw it, and it pleased them. Everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to kill Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸ Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a leader, and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ And I am weak today, even if I was chosen to be king. The sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord pay the sinner for his sin.”

Ish-bosheth Is Killed

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost his strength of heart. All Israel was troubled. ² Saul’s son had two men who were captains of small armies. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of Benjamin. (For Beeroth is thought of as part of Benjamin. ³ The people of Beeroth ran to Gittaim, and have been strangers there to this day.)

⁴ Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who could not walk because of his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse had picked him up and ran. In her hurry to get away, he fell and hurt his feet so he could not walk. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the family of Ish-bosheth. It was during the heat of the day, while Ish-bosheth was taking his noon rest. ⁶ They came to the center of the house as if to get wheat, and they hit Ish-bosheth in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah ran away. ⁷ They had come into the house while he was lying on his bed in his room. And they had hit him and killed him and cut off his head. They took his head and traveled by the way of Arabah all night. ⁸ Then they brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “See, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, who hated you and tried to kill you. So this day the Lord has punished Saul and his children for the king.”

⁹ David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite. He said to them, “As the Lord lives, Who has saved my life from all trouble, ¹⁰ when one told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was bringing good news. But I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. This was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much worse it is when sinful men have killed a man who is right and good, on his bed in his own house! Should I not now punish you for his blood and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² Then David had the young men kill them and cut off their hands and feet. They hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

David Becomes King over All Israel

5 Then all the families of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “See, we are your bone and your flesh. ² When Saul was our king, you were the one who led Israel out and in. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be a ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And there King David made an agreement with them before the Lord. Then they chose David to be the king of Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ⁵ He ruled over Judah seven years and six months at Hebron. Then he ruled in Jerusalem thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Takes Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people living in the land. They said to David, “You will not come here. Even those who cannot see or walk could stop you.” They thought that David could not come here. ⁷ But David took the strong place of Zion, that is, the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would kill the Jebusites, let him go up through the hole where the water flows, to those who cannot walk or see and who are hated by David’s soul.” So it is said, “Those who cannot see or walk will not come to the house.” ⁹ David lived in the strong place and called it the city of David. He built all around it from Millo toward the center. ¹⁰ David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of All was with him.

¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre sent men to David with cedar trees and men who build with wood and stone. And they built a house for David. ¹² David understood that the Lord had made him the king of Israel, and that the Lord had given honor to David’s rule because of His people Israel.

¹³ David took more wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ The names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle over the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been chosen to be king of Israel, all the Philistines went up to find him. When David heard of it, he went down to the strong place. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for it is sure that I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim and beat them there in battle. He said, “The Lord has broken through those who hate me like the breaking through of a flood.” So he gave that place the name Baal-perazim. ²¹ The Philistines left their false gods there, and David and his men carried them away.

²² The Philistines came up again, and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ David asked the Lord what he should do. And the Lord said, “Do not go up, but go around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then hurry to fight, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army.” ²⁵ David did just as the Lord told him. He killed the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

The Special Box Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 Again David gathered all the chosen men of Israel. There were 30,000. ² He got up and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah to bring from there the special box of God. It is called by the name of the Lord of All Who sits on His throne above the cherubim. ³ They carried the special box of God on a new wagon, and brought it out of the family of Abinadab which was on the hill. Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio were leading the new wagon. ⁴ They brought it with the special box of God from the family of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the special box. ⁵ And David and all those of the family of Israel sang and danced before the Lord with all their strength. They played songs with harps and timbrels.

⁶ But the cattle pulling the wagon almost made the special box of God fall when they came to the grain-floor of Nacon. So Uzzah put out his hand and took hold of the special box so it would not fall. ⁷ The anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah. God killed him there for his mistake. And he died there by the special box of God. ⁸ David became angry because the Lord had gone against Uzzah. So that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the special box of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to move the special box of the Lord into the city of David. But he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The special box of the Lord stayed in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months. And the Lord brought good to Obed-edom and all of his family.

¹² Now it was told to King David, “The Lord has brought good to the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the special box of God.” So David went and brought the special box of God from Obed-edom’s family into the city of David with joy. ¹³ When the men who carried the special box of the Lord had gone six steps, David killed and gave to the Lord a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴ He was dancing before the Lord with all his strength. And he was wearing a linen vest. ¹⁵ So David and all those of the family of Israel were bringing the special box of the Lord with a loud voice and the sound of the horn. ¹⁶ As the special box of the Lord came into the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window. She saw King David jumping and dancing before the Lord, and she hated him in her heart. ¹⁷ They brought in the special box of the Lord and put it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it. And David gave burnt gifts and peace gifts to the Lord. ¹⁸ When he had finished giving the burnt gifts and peace gifts, David prayed that good would come to the people in the name of the Lord of All. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a loaf of dates and a loaf of dried grapes to each man and woman of all the people of Israel. And all the people went home.

²⁰ David returned to pray that good would come to his family. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today! He took his clothes off today so that his servants’ young women would see him. He acted like one of the foolish ones taking his clothes off without shame!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord. He chose me over your father and all his family, and made me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will act with joy before the Lord. ²² I will be honored less than this. I will be without pride in my own eyes. But the young women you have spoken about will honor me.” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

God’s Agreement with David

7 King David lived in his house. The Lord had given him rest from all those around him who hated him. At this time, ² the king said to Nathan, the man who spoke for God, “See now, I live in a house of cedar wood. But the special box of God stays within tent curtains.” ³ Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your mind. For the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Are you the one who should build a house for Me to live in? ⁶ I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the people of Israel from Egypt to this day. But I have been moving about with a tent to live in. ⁷ In all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I say anything about this to any of the families of Israel which I told to shepherd My people? Did I say to any of them, ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar wood for Me?’”’ ⁸ So now tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of All says, “I took you from following the sheep in the field to be the ruler of My people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you in all the places you have gone. I have destroyed from in front of you all those who fought against you. I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ I will choose a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be troubled again. The sinful will not bring trouble to them any more, as they did before ¹¹ since the day I told special people to rule My people Israel. I will give you rest from all those who hate you. And the Lord makes known to you that He will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your son after you, who will be born from you. And I will build his nation. ¹³ He will build a house for My name, and I will build the throne of his nation to last forever. ¹⁴ I will be a Father to him and he will be a son to Me. When he sins, I will punish him with the stick of men. And I will let the sons of men hit him. ¹⁵ But My loving-kindness will not leave him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I took away from you. ¹⁶ Your house and your nation will be made sure before Me forever. Your throne will be built to last forever.”’” ¹⁷ Nathan said to David all these words of this special dream.

David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken of Your servant’s family in the future. And this is the way of man, O Lord God. ²⁰ What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God. ²¹ Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. ²² For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ What other nation on earth is like Your people Israel. God went to make them free to be His people and to make a name for Himself. You did a great thing for Yourself and great things for Your land. You did them before Your people whom You have made free from Egypt, from nations and their gods. ²⁴ For You have made for Yourself Your people Israel to be Your people forever. O Lord, You have become their God. ²⁵ Now, O Lord God, make sure forever the word which You have spoken about Your servant and his family. Do as You have said. ²⁶ And Your name will be honored forever. It will be said, ‘The Lord of All is God over Israel.’ May the family of Your servant David be made strong before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of All, the God of Israel, have shown this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So Your servant has found strength of heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, You are God. Your Words are truth. And You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ So now may it please You to bring good to the house of Your servant, that it may last forever before You. For You have spoken, O Lord God. May Your good come to the family of Your servant forever.”

David Wins Other Battles

8 After this David won the battle against the Philistines. And he took the most important city from the Philistines. ² He won the battle against Moab, and had them lie down on the ground in straight groups. Two groups were put to death, and one group was kept alive. The Moabites became servants to David and paid taxes to him.

³ Then David won the battle against Hadadezer the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to get his power again at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. He cut the legs of some of the war-wagon horses, but saved enough of them for 100 war-wagons. ⁵ When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ Then he put groups of soldiers in Damascus of Syria. The Syrians became servants to David and were made to pay taxes to him. The Lord helped David every place he went. ⁷ David took the coverings of gold which were carried by Hadadezer’s army, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And he took a very large amount of brass from Hadadezer’s cities, Betah and Berothai.

⁹ Now Toi king of Hamath heard that David had won the battle against the whole army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him and pray that good would come to him, because David had fought against Hadadezer and had won. Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him objects of silver, gold and brass. ¹¹ David set these apart to the Lord, together with the silver and gold he had set apart from all the nations he had taken in battle. ¹² He had taken silver and gold from Syria, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the things taken from Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ So David’s name was very respected when he returned from killing 18,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ And he put groups of soldiers in Edom. In all Edom he put soldiers, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The Lord helped David every place he went.

¹⁵ So David ruled all of Israel. He did what was right and good and fair for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab the son of Zeruiah was the head of the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud wrote down the important things of the nation. ¹⁷ Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were religious leaders. Seraiah was the writer. ¹⁸ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ruled the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons were the king’s helpers.

David Is Kind to Mephibosheth

9 Then David said, “Is there anyone left of the family of Saul, to whom I may show kindness because of Jonathan?” ² Now there was a servant in Saul’s house whose name was Ziba. They called him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ³ The king said, “Is there not still someone of the family of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who cannot walk because of his feet.” ⁴ So the king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “See, he is in the family of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.” ⁵ Then King David sent men to bring him from the family of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth the son of Saul’s son Jonathan came to David and fell on his face to the ground in respect. David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” ⁷ David said to him, “Do not be afraid. For I will be sure to show kindness to you because of your father Jonathan. I will return to you all the land of your grandfather Saul. And you will eat at my table always.” ⁸ Again Mephibosheth put his face to the ground and said, “Who am I? Why should you care for a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king called Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your owner’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants will grow food on the land for him. You will bring in the food so your owner’s grandson may eat. But Mephibosheth your owner’s grandson will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king tells your servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. Both his feet had been hurt and he could not walk.

David Wins over the Ammonites and Syrians

10 After this the king of the Ammonites died. His son Hanun became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Nahash’s son Hanun, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to comfort him in the loss of his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to their lord Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Has he not sent his servants to you so they can spy out the city and destroy it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and cut off half the hair from their faces. Then he cut off half their clothing, almost up to the belt, and sent them away. ⁵ When David heard about it, he sent men to meet them, for they were very ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until the hair grows again on your faces. Then return.”

⁶ Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become hated by David, they paid for the help of the Syrians of Beth-rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers. And they paid for the help of the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 men of Tob. ⁷ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army of the powerful men. ⁸ The sons of Ammon came to the city gate and got ready for battle. And the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

⁹ Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and behind him. So he chose all the best men of Israel and dressed them for battle against the Syrians. ¹⁰ He put the rest of the people under the rule of his brother Abishai. He dressed them for battle against the sons of Ammon. ¹¹ Joab said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then help me. But if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ¹² Be strong. Let us show ourselves to have strength of heart because of our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His eyes.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him came near to battle against the Syrians, and they ran away from him. ¹⁴ When the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had run away, they ran away from Abishai and went into the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they had lost the battle against Israel, they gathered together. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent men and brought out the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam. They were led by Shobach, the captain of Hadadezer’s army. ¹⁷ When it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians dressed themselves for battle against David, and fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Syrians ran away from Israel. David killed 700 drivers of the Syrian war-wagons, and 40,000 horsemen. He killed Shobach, the captain of their army, who died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had lost the battle against Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. The Syrians were afraid to help the sons of Ammon any more.

David and Bathsheba

11 The spring of the year was the time when kings went out to battle. At that time David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and gathered the army around Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

² When evening came David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman washing herself. The woman was very beautiful. ³ So David sent someone to ask about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Eliam’s daughter Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ David sent men and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. After she had made herself clean again, she returned to her house. ⁵ She was going to have a baby, so she sent someone to tell David, “I am going to have a baby.”

⁶ Then David sent men to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people were doing, and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah left the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent to him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ When they told David that Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, “Have you not returned from traveling a long way? Why did you not go down to your house?” ¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The special box of the Lord, and Israel and Judah, are staying in tents. My lord Joab and the servants of my lord are staying in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” ¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also. Tomorrow I will let you go.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ David called him, and he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants. He did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Uriah. ¹⁵ He had written in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front of the hardest battle and come away from him, so that he may be killed.” ¹⁶ So while Joab was watching the city, he sent Uriah to the place where he knew there were soldiers with strength of heart. ¹⁷ The men of the city went out and fought against Joab. Some of David’s servants were killed. And Uriah the Hittite died also. ¹⁸ Then Joab sent a man with news to David to tell him all about the war. ¹⁹ Joab told the man, “When you have finished telling the king all about the war, ²⁰ the king might become angry. He might say to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw a grinding stone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ Then you should say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

²² So the man left and came to David. He told him all that Joab had sent him to tell. ²³ The man said to David, “The men were winning the fight against us. They came out against us in the field. But we drove them back as far as the city gate. ²⁴ Then they shot arrows at your servants from the wall. So some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” ²⁵ Then David said to the man, “Tell Joab, ‘Do not let this thing trouble you. For the sword kills one as well as another. Make your battle against the city stronger and destroy it.’ Comfort him with these words.”

²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she was filled with sorrow for him. ²⁷ When the time of sorrow was finished, David sent men and brought her to his house. She became his wife, and gave birth to his son. But what David had done was sinful in the eyes of the Lord.

Nathan’s Picture-Story about David

12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were two men in one city. One was rich and the other was poor. ² The rich man had many flocks and cattle. ³ But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb which he bought and fed. It grew up together with him and his children. It would eat his bread and drink from his cup and lie in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. ⁴ Now a traveler came to the rich man. But the rich man was not willing to take from his own flock or his own cattle, to make food for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s female lamb and made it ready for the man who had come to him.” ⁵ David was very angry at the man, and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, for sure the man who has done this should die. ⁶ And he must pay four times the worth of the lamb, because he did this thing without pity.”

⁷ Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose you to be the king of Israel. I saved you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you Saul’s family and Saul’s wives into your care. I gave you the nations of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would give you as much more. ⁹ Why have you hated the Word of the Lord by doing what is bad in His eyes? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. ¹⁰ So now some from your family, even in the future, will die by the sword, because you have turned against Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’