The Daily Audio Bible

David Wins over the Ammonites and Syrians

19 After this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died. And his son became king in his place. ² David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent men to bring him comfort in his sorrow for his father. David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the sons of Ammon, to bring him comfort. ³ But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is giving honor to your father by sending men to comfort you? Have not his servants come to spy out the land and destroy it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and cut the hair from their faces. Then he cut off the bottom half of their clothing, and sent them away. ⁵ When David was told what had happened to his servants, he sent men out to meet them because the workmen were very ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until the hair grows again on your faces, and then return.”

⁶ The sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves to be hated by David. So Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent silver weighing as much as 1,000 men, to get war-wagons and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. ⁷ They paid for 32,000 war-wagons and for the king of Maacah and his army who came and set up their tents by Medeba. Then the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. ⁸ When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of his strong men. ⁹ The sons of Ammon came out and were ready for battle at the city gate. The kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

¹⁰ Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and behind. So he chose some of the best men of Israel and they made themselves ready to fight the Syrians. ¹¹ But he had his brother Abishai lead the rest of the men. And they made themselves ready to fight the sons of Ammon. ¹² 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 help you. ¹³ Be strong; let us show our strength of heart because of our people, and for the cities of our God. May the Lord do what is good in His eyes.” ¹⁴ So Joab and the men who were with him came near to fight against the Syrians. And the Syrians ran away from him. ¹⁵ The sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians ran away. So they ran away from Joab’s brother Abishai, and went into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ The Syrians saw that they had lost the war with Israel. So they sent men with news, and brought out the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River. Shophach the captain of Hadadezer’s army was leading them. ¹⁷ When David was told about it, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan. He came to them, and made his army ready to fight against them. When David made his army ready for battle, the Syrians fought against him. ¹⁸ And the Syrians ran away from Israel. David killed 7,000 Syrians who drove war-wagons and 40,000 Syrian foot soldiers. And he killed Shophach the captain of the army. ¹⁹ Hadadezer’s servants saw that they had lost the war against Israel. So they made peace with David and worked for him. The Syrians were not willing to help the sons of Ammon any more.

David Takes Rabbah

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army. He destroyed the land of the sons of Ammon. And he gathered his army around Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab fought against Rabbah, and won. ² Then David took the crown from their king’s head. He found that its gold weighed as much as an older child. And there were stones of much worth in it. It was placed on David’s head. He brought out the riches of the city, a very large amount. ³ He brought out the people who were in it, and made them work with saws, iron picks, and axes. David did this to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then he and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Philistines’ Strong Men Destroyed

⁴ After this there was a war with the Philistines at Gezer. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of those who were very tall and strong. And the Philistines were put under their power. ⁵ There was war with the Philistines again. Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. Goliath’s spear was as big as the cross-piece of a cloth-maker. ⁶ Again there was war at Gath. A very tall man was there who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He was a son of those who were very tall and strong. ⁷ When he spoke against Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. ⁸ These were sons of the people of Gath who were very tall and strong. And they were killed by David and his servants.

David Numbers Israel and Judah

21 Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. ² So David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go and number Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Then let me know how many people there are.” ³ Joab said, “May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want this thing done? Why should he bring guilt upon Israel?” ⁴ But the king’s word was stronger than Joab. So Joab left and went through all of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem. ⁵ He gave the number of all the people to David. There were 1,100,000 men in all Israel who used the sword. And there were 470,000 men in Judah who used the sword. ⁶ But Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin among them because he did not like what the king had told him to do. ⁷ God was not pleased that Israel was numbered so He punished Israel. ⁸ David said to God, “I have sinned very much by doing this thing. But now I beg You, take away the sin of Your servant for I have done a very foolish thing.”

⁹ The Lord said to Gad, David’s man of God, ¹⁰ “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “I give you three things to choose from. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’” ¹¹ So Gad came to David and said, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Choose one of these. ¹² Three years of no food in the land; three months to be destroyed by the sword of those who hate you; or three days of the sword of the Lord. This would be a disease sent upon the land. The angel of the Lord would destroy with disease through all the land of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should give Him Who sent me.” ¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in much trouble. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord. For His loving-kindness is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.” ¹⁴ So the Lord sent a disease upon Israel. And 70,000 men of Israel died. ¹⁵ God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw the trouble and was sorry. He said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now take your hand away.” The angel of the Lord was standing by the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶ Then David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven. The angel had his sword in his hand, held out over Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders fell on their faces. They were dressed in cloth made from hair. ¹⁷ David said to God, “Was it not I who said that the people must be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done a very bad thing. But what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, I beg You, let Your hand be against me and my father’s house. But do not let the trouble be upon Your people.”

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to say to David, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David went up when he heard what Gad said in the name of the Lord. ²⁰ Now Ornan was beating the grain. He turned and saw the angel. And his four sons hid themselves. ²¹ Ornan looked and saw David coming. So he went out from the grain-floor and put his face to the ground showing respect to David. ²² David said to him, “Give me this part of the grain-floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. Give it to me for the full price. Then the disease will be turned away from the people.” ²³ Ornan said to David, “Take it. Let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I will give the bulls for burnt gifts. I will give the objects made of wood used for beating grain for the fire-wood. And I will give the grain for the grain gift. I will give it all.” ²⁴ But King David said to Ornan, “No, I will buy it for the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord. And I will not give a burnt gift for which I do not pay.” ²⁵ So David gave Ornan 600 pieces of gold by weight for the place. ²⁶ Then David built an altar there to the Lord. He gave burnt gifts and peace gifts, and he called to the Lord. The Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt gifts. ²⁷ Then the Lord told the angel to return his sword to its holder.

²⁸ When David saw that the Lord had answered him on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he gave his gifts there. ²⁹ The meeting tent which Moses had made in the desert was in the high place at Gibeon then. The altar of burnt gifts was there also. ³⁰ But David could not go in front of it to pray to God. For he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

²⁵ Going through the religious act of becoming a Jew is worth something if you obey the Law. If you do not obey the Law, it is worth nothing to you. ²⁶ If a person who is not a Jew and has not gone through the act of becoming a Jew, obeys the Law, God will think of him as a Jew. ²⁷ You Jews have the Law but do not obey it. You have gone through the religious act also. At the same time those who are not Jews obey the Law even if they have not gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. In this way, these people show you are guilty. ²⁸ A man is not a Jew just because he goes through the religious act of becoming a Jew. ²⁹ The true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. The religious act of becoming a Jew must be done in the heart. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Law does not do that kind of work. The true Jew gets his thanks from God, not from men.

3 Do the Jews have anything that those who are not Jews do not have? What good does it do to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew? ² Yes, the Jews have much more in every way. First of all, God gave the Jews His Law. ³ If some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful? ⁴ No, not at all! God is always true even if every man lies. The Holy Writings say, “Speak the truth and you will not be proven guilty.” ^(A)

⁵ If our sins show how right God is, what can we say? Is it wrong for God to punish us for it? (I am speaking as men do.) ⁶ No, not at all! If it were wrong for God to punish us, how could He judge the world? ⁷ If my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner? ⁸ Why not say, “Let us sin that good will come from it.” (Some people have said I talk like this!) They will be punished as they should be.

The Lord—a Safe Place

11 In the Lord I am safe. How can you say to me, “Fly away as a bird to your mountain? ² For look, the sinful raise their bow. They make their arrow ready on the string to shoot in the dark against the pure in heart. ³ If the base of the building is destroyed, what can those who are right with God do?”

⁴ The Lord is in His holy house. The Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes see as He tests the sons of men. ⁵ The Lord tests and proves those who are right and good and those who are sinful. And His soul hates the one who loves to hurt others. ⁶ He will send down fire upon the sinful. Fire and sulphur and burning wind will be the cup they will drink. ⁷ For the Lord is right and good. He loves what is right and good. And those who are right with Him will see His face.

¹⁰ It is not right for a fool to live in great comfort, and for sure, for a servant to rule over rulers.

¹¹ A man’s understanding makes him slow to anger. It is to his honor to forgive and forget a wrong done to him.

¹² The king’s anger is like the noise of a lion, but his favor is like morning water upon the grass.