Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

²The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

³The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.

⁴Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me." But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

⁵When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

⁶So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day.

⁷When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

¹⁰And they put Saul's weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there.

¹³They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days.

¹Now it happened after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that he stayed two days in Ziklag.

²On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission].

³Then David asked him, "Where do you come from?" He said, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."

⁴David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead."

⁵So David said to the young man who informed him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

⁶And the young man who told him explained, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen [of the Philistines] were close behind him.

⁷When he turned to look behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'

⁸He asked me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

⁹He said to me, 'Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].'

¹⁰So I stood facing him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

¹¹Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him.

¹²They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord's people and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle].

¹³David said to the young man who informed him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite."

¹⁴David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

¹⁵David called one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him." So he struck the Amalekite and he died.

¹⁶David said to the [fallen] man, " Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.'"

¹⁷Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan,

¹⁸and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar:

¹⁹"Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰"Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.

²¹" O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not anointed with oil.

²²"From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

²⁴"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

²⁵"How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.

²⁶"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

²⁷"How the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war have perished!"

¹So it happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" And He said, "To Hebron."

²So David went up there [to Hebron] with his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel [in Judah].

³And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

⁴Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."

⁵So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD because you showed this graciousness and loyalty to Saul your lord (king), and buried him.

⁶Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth and faithfulness to you. I too will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.

⁷So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

⁸Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

⁹He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, even over all Israel [except Judah].

¹⁰Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

¹¹And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹²Now Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹³Joab [David's nephew] the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, with one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now stand and have a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them stand."

¹⁵So they stood up and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁶Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponents side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim [that is, the Field of Sides], which is in Gibeon.

¹⁷There was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light and swift-footed as one of the [wild] gazelles in the field.

¹⁹Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left as he followed him.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I."

²¹So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and grab one of the young men and take his armor for yourself." But Asahel was not willing to turn away from pursuing Abner.

²²Abner repeated again, "Turn away from following me. Why should I have to strike you to the ground? How would I be able to face Joab your brother [and look him in the eye]?"

²³But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner struck him in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear came out his back; and he fell there and died on that spot. And it came about that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still [and reflected].

²⁴But Joab and Abishai [Asahel's brothers] pursued Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵And the sons of [the tribe of] Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and took their stand on the top of a hill.

²⁶Then Abner called to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long [will it be] before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?"

²⁷Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people certainly would have stopped pursuing their brothers in the morning."

²⁸So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

²⁹Then Abner and his men went through the Arabah (desert region) all that night, crossed the Jordan, went through Bithron and walked the whole morning and came to Mahanaim [where Ish-bosheth ruled Israel].

³⁰Joab returned from pursuing Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants were missing, besides Asahel.

³¹But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner's men; so that three hundred and sixty men died.

³²And they picked up [the body of] Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and they arrived in Hebron at daybreak.

¹There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker [to the point of being powerless].

²Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;

³his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of [his wife] Maacah, daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur;

⁴the fourth, Adonijah the son of [his wife] Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of [his wife] Abital;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These [sons] were born to David in Hebron.

⁶Now while war continued between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was proving himself strong in the house of Saul.

⁷Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner,"Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

⁸Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, "Am I a dog's head [a despicable traitor] that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty and kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, by not having you handed over to David; and yet you charge me today with guilt concerning this woman.

⁹May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just as the LORD has sworn to him,

¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south]."

¹¹And Ish-bosheth could not say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹²Then Abner sent messengers to David [who was] in his place [at Hebron], saying, "Whose is the land? Make your covenant (treaty) with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you."

¹³David said, "Good! I will make a covenant (treaty) with you, but I require one thing of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me."

¹⁴So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, " Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for [the price of] a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

¹⁵So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her].

¹⁶But her husband went with her, weeping continually behind her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner told him, "Go, return." And he did so.

¹⁷Abner talked with the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel, saying, "In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you.

¹⁸Now then, do it [and make him king]! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.'"

¹⁹Abner also spoke to [the men of] Benjamin. Then he also went to tell David at Hebron everything that seemed good to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.

²⁰So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him.

²¹Abner said to David, "Let me stand up and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant (treaty) with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²²Then the servants of David came with Joab from a raid and brought a great quantity of spoil with them; but Abner was not with David at Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace."

²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone?

²⁵You know Abner the son of Ner, that he [only] came to deceive you [with flattering words] and to learn of your going out and coming in, and to find out what you are doing."

²⁶When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew nothing [about Joab's action].

²⁷So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he struck Abner in the abdomen so that he died, to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.

²⁸Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

²⁹Let the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house (family); and may there never disappear from the house of Joab one who suffers with a discharge or one who is a leper or one who walks with a crutch [being unfit for war], or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks food."

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

³²They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

³³And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said, "Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies?

³⁴"Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him.

³⁵All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets."

³⁶And all the people took notice of it and it pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

³⁸Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!"

¹When Saul's son Ish-bosheth [king of Israel], heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was horrified.

²Saul's son had two men who were commanders of [raiding] bands [of soldiers]. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons (tribe) of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of [the tribe of] Benjamin,

³and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been resident aliens there to this day).

⁴Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. And the boy's nurse picked him up and fled; but it happened that while she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.

⁶They came into the interior of the house as if to get wheat [for the soldiers], and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [unnoticed].

⁷Now when they entered the house he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They [not only] struck and killed him, [but] they also beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

⁸They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Look, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the LORD has granted my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and on his descendants."

⁹David replied to Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every adversity,

¹⁰when a man told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' thinking that he was bringing good news, I seized and killed him in Ziklag, to reward him for his news.

¹¹How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous and just man in his own house on his bed, shall I not require his blood from your hand and remove you from the earth?"

¹²So David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth's head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative].

¹Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out [to war] and brought Israel in [from battle]. And the LORD told you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over them.'"

³So all the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed him king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You shall not enter here, for the blind and the lame [even the weakest among us] will turn you away"; they thought, "David cannot come in here [because the walls are impenetrable]."

⁷Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold (fortress) of Zion, that is, the City of David.

⁸Then David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up through the [underground] water shaft to strike the lame and the blind, who are detested by David's soul [because of their arrogance]." So [for that reason] they say, "The blind or the lame (Jebusites) shall not come into the [royal] house [of Israel]."

⁹So David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built all around [the surrounding area] from the Millo [fortification] and inward.

¹⁰David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts (armies), was with him.

¹¹Now Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a house (palace) for David.

¹²And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake.

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

¹⁴And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to look for him, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread out [for battle] in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly hand them over to you."

²⁰So David came to Baal-perazim, and he defeated them there, and said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." So he named that place Baal-perazim (master of breakthroughs).

²¹The Philistines abandoned their [pagan] idols there, so David and his men took them away [to be burned].

²²The Philistines came up once again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

²³When David inquired of the LORD, He said, "You shall not go up, but circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

²⁴And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall pay attention and act promptly, for at that time the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

²⁵David did just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

¹Again David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²And David arose and went with all those who were with him to Baale-judah [Kiriath-jearim], to bring up from there [to Jerusalem] the ark of God which is called by the Name—the very Name of the LORD of hosts, who dwells enthroned above the cherubim.

³They placed the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.

⁴So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

⁵Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating and dancing before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of fir or cypress wood, with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶When they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it.

⁷And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

⁸David became angry and grieved and offended because of the Lord's outburst against Uzzah, and that place has been called Perez-uzzah (outburst against Uzzah) to this day.

⁹So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"

¹⁰David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the City of David with him; instead he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

¹¹So the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household (family).

¹²Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing and gladness.

¹³And when those who were carrying the ark of the LORD [by its poles] had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

¹⁴And David was dancing before the LORD with great enthusiasm, and David was wearing a linen ephod [a priest's upper garment].

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel were bringing the ark of the LORD up [to the City of David] with shouts [of joy] and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶Then, as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter [David's wife], looked down from the window above and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she felt contempt for him in her heart [because she thought him undignified].

¹⁷They brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

¹⁸When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts (armies),

¹⁹and distributed to all the people, the entire multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a [ring-shaped] loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. But [his wife] Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How glorious and distinguished was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself and stripped [off his kingly robes] in the eyes of his servants' maids like one of the riffraff who shamelessly uncovers himself!"

²¹So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD [that I did this], who chose me above your father and all his house, to appoint me as ruler over Israel, the people of the LORD. Therefore I will celebrate [in pure enjoyment] before the LORD.

²²Yet I will demean myself even more than this, and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them I shall be held in honor."

²³Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

¹When King David lived in his house (palace) and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

²the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains."

³And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do everything that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."

⁴But it happened that night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

⁵"Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Should you be the one to build Me a house in which to dwell?

⁶For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought the sons (descendants) of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle.

⁷Wherever I have gone with all the Israelites, did I speak a word to any from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, asking, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'"'

⁸So now, say this to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.

⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like that of the great men of the earth.

¹⁰I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in a place of their own and not be disturbed again. The wicked will not afflict them again, as formerly,

¹¹even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that He will make a house (royal dynasty) for you.

¹²When your days are fulfilled and you lie down [in death] with your fathers (ancestors), I will raise up your descendant after you, who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He [is the one who] shall build a house for My Name and My Presence, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity (wrongdoing), I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of man.

¹⁵But My lovingkindness and mercy will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

¹⁶Your house (royal dynasty) and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever."'"

¹⁷Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all these words and all of this vision.

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat [in prayer] before the LORD, and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house (family), that You have brought me this far?

¹⁹Yet this was very insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of Your servant's house (royal dynasty) in the distant future. And this is the law and custom of man, O Lord GOD.

²⁰What more can David say to You? For You know (acknowledge, choose) Your servant, O Lord GOD.

²¹Because of Your word (promise), and in accordance with Your own heart, You have done all these great and astounding things to let Your servant know (understand).

²²Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³What one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do great and awesome things for Yourself and for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?

²⁴You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

²⁵Now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word [of the covenant] that You have spoken in regard to Your servant and his house (royal dynasty); and do just as You have spoken,

²⁶so that Your Name may be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts (armies) is God over Israel;' and may the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant David be established before You.

²⁷For You, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house (royal dynasty).' For that reason Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

²⁹Therefore now, may it please You to bless the house (royal dynasty) of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord GOD, have spoken it, and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever."

¹Now it came about after this that David defeated the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them, and he took control of Metheg-ammah [the main city] from the hand of the Philistines.

²He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³Then David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River [Euphrates].

⁴David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses (making them lame), but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵When the Arameans (Syrians) of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Arameans.

⁶Then David put garrisons among the Arameans in Damascus, and the Arameans became his servants and brought tribute. The LORD helped David wherever he went.

⁷David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took an immense quantity of bronze.

⁹When Toi king of Hamath heard about David's defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer,

¹⁰Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him for his battle and defeat of Hadadezer; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze [as gifts].

¹¹King David also dedicated these [gifts] to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he subdued:

¹²from Aram (Syria), Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans (Syrians) in the Valley of Salt.

¹⁴He put garrisons in Edom; in all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped him wherever he went.

¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel, and continued to administer justice and righteousness for all his people.

¹⁶Joab the son of Zeruiah was [commander] over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder (secretary);

¹⁷Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe;

¹⁸Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was [head] over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king's bodyguards]; and David's sons were chief [confidential] advisers (officials) [to the king].

¹And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

²There was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, so they called him to David. And the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "I am your servant."

³And the king said, "Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?" Ziba replied to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan, [one] whose feet are crippled."

⁴So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba replied to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

⁵Then King David sent word and had him brought from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

⁶Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell face down and lay himself down [in respect]. David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Here is your servant!"

⁷David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table."

⁸Again Mephibosheth lay himself face down and said, "What is your servant, that you would be concerned for a dead dog like me?"

⁹Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house (family).

¹⁰You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, so that your master's grandson may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do according to everything that my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons.

¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king's table. And he was lame in both feet.

¹Now it happened later that [Nahash] the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.

²Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father did to me." So David sent [a letter along with] some of his servants to console him in regard to his father's death; and David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites.

³But the princes of the Ammonites [were suspicious and] said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?"

⁴So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.

⁵When David was informed, he sent [messengers] to meet them [before they reached Jerusalem], for the men were greatly ashamed and humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."

⁶When the Ammonites saw that they had become an object of hatred to David, they sent word and hired the Arameans (Syrians) of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men [to fight for them].

⁷When David heard about it, he sent Joab and the entire army, the strong and brave men.

⁸The Ammonites came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the [city] gate, but the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were [stationed] by themselves in the field.

⁹Now when Joab saw that the battlefront was against him in front and in the rear, he selected some of all the choice men in Israel and set them in battle formation to meet the Arameans (Syrians).

¹⁰But he placed the rest of the men in the hand of his brother Abishai, and he placed them in battle formation to meet the Ammonites.

¹¹Joab said [to Abishai], "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to help you.

¹²Be courageous, and let us show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight."

¹³So Joab and the people who were with him approached the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

¹⁴When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab returned from battling against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵When the Arameans saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered together.

¹⁶Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River [Euphrates]; and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them.

¹⁷When David was informed, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. Then the Arameans assembled in battle formation to meet David and fought against him.

¹⁸But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

¹⁹When all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans (Syrians) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

¹Then it happened in the spring, at the time when the kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all [the fighting men of] Israel, and they destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

²One evening David got up from his couch and was walking on the [flat] roof of the king's palace, and from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very beautiful in appearance.

³David sent word and inquired about the woman. Someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

⁴David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. And when she was purified from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

⁵The woman conceived; and she sent word and told David, "I am pregnant."

⁶Then David sent word to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David.

⁷When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people were doing, and how the war was progressing.

⁸Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet (spend time at home)." Uriah left the king's palace, and a gift from the king was sent out after him.

⁹But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

¹⁰When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not [just] come from a [long] journey? Why did you not go to your house?"

¹¹Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in huts (temporary shelters), and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping 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."

¹²Then David said to Uriah, "Stay here today as well, and tomorrow I will let you leave." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

¹³Now David called him [to dinner], and he ate and drank with him, so that he made Uriah drunk; in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, and [still] did not go down to his house.

¹⁴In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

¹⁵He wrote in the letter, "Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and leave him, so that he may be struck down and die."

¹⁶So it happened that as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew the [enemy's] valiant men were positioned.

¹⁷And the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among the servants of David fell; Uriah the Hittite also died.

¹⁸Then Joab sent word and informed David of all the events of the war.

¹⁹And he commanded the messenger, "When you have finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,

²⁰then if the king becomes angry and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot [arrows] from the wall?

²¹Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' Then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.'"

²²So the messenger left, and he came and told David everything that Joab had sent him to report.

²³The messenger said to David, "The men indeed prevailed against us and came out to us in the field, but we were on them and pushed them as far as the entrance of the [city] gate.

²⁴Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead."

²⁵Then David said to the messenger, "Tell Joab this, 'Do not let this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one [side] as well as another. Strengthen your battle against the city and overthrow it'; and so encourage Joab."

²⁶When Uriah's wife [Bathsheba] heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.

²⁷And when the time of mourning was past, David sent word and had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done [with Bathsheba] was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹And the LORD sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him, "There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.

²"The rich man had a very large number of flocks and herds,

³But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb Which he had purchased and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It ate his food, drank from his cup, it lay in his arms, And was like a daughter to him.

⁴"Now a traveler (visitor) came to the rich man, And to avoid taking one from his own flock or herd To prepare [a meal] for the traveler who had come to him, He took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for his guest."

⁵Then David's anger burned intensely against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die.

⁶He shall make restitution for the ewe lamb four times as much [as the lamb was worth], because he did this thing and had no compassion."

⁷Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you as king over Israel, and I spared you from the hand of Saul.

⁸I also gave you your master's house, and put your master's wives into your care and under your protection, and I gave you the house (royal dynasty) of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have given you much more!

⁹Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

¹⁰Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

¹¹Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will stir up evil against you from your own household; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

¹²Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'"

¹³David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass [without further punishment]; you shall not die.

¹⁴Nevertheless, because by this deed you have given [a great] opportunity to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme [Him], the son that is born to you shall certainly die."

¹⁵Then Nathan went [back] to his home. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, and he was very sick.

¹⁶David therefore appealed to God for the child [to be healed]; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

¹⁷The elders of his household stood by him [in the night] to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling [to get up] and would not eat food with them.

¹⁸Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "While the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices. How then can we tell him the child is dead, since he might harm himself [or us]?"

¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. So David said to them, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

²⁰Then David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself [with olive oil], changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came [back] to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate.

²¹Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you got up and ate food."

²²David said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me and the child may live.'

²³But now he is dead; why should I [continue to] fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him [when I die], but he will not return to me."

²⁴David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. And the LORD loved the child;

²⁵and He sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah (beloved of the LORD) for the sake of the LORD [who loved the child].

²⁶Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

²⁷Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; I have even taken the city of waters.

²⁸So now, assemble the rest of the men, and camp against the city and capture it, or I will take the city myself, and it will be named after me."

²⁹So David gathered all the men together and went to Rabbah, then fought against it and captured it.

³⁰And he took the crown of their king from his head; it weighed a talent of gold, and [set in it was] a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. And he brought the spoil out of the city in great amounts.

³¹He also brought out the people who were there, and put them to [work with] the saws and sharp iron instruments and iron axes, and made them work at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the men returned to Jerusalem.