Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines but fell fatally wounded on Mount Gilboa.

²And the Philistines also overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

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

⁴Then Saul 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 me.” But his armor bearer was unwilling, because he was very fearful. 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 died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

⁷Now when the people of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸It came about on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip those killed, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

¹⁰They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they nailed his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

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

¹²all the valiant men got up and walked all night, and they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.

¹³And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.

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

²And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it happened when he came to David, he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

³Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

⁴David said to him, “How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”

⁵Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen had overtaken him.

⁷When he looked behind himself, he saw me, and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’

⁸Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

⁹And he said to me, ‘Please stand next to me and finish me off, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’

¹⁰So I stood next to him and finished him off, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And 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 took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him.

¹²And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³Then David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴And David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to reach out with your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?”

¹⁵Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come forward, put him to death.” So he struck him and he died.

¹⁶And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have finished off the LORD’S anointed.’ ”

¹⁷Then David sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan,

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

¹⁹“Your beauty, Israel, is slaughtered on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰Tell 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 will celebrate.

²¹Mountains of Gilboa, May there be no dew nor rain on you, or fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of those slaughtered, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return unstained.

²³Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, And in their deaths they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were mightier than lions.

²⁴Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry, Who put gold jewelry on your apparel.

²⁵How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slaughtered on your high places.

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

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

¹Then it came about afterward that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”

²So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

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

⁴Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “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 of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him.

⁶And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.

⁷Now then, let your hands be strong and be valiant, since Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

⁸But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

⁹And he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.

¹⁰Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, 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, went from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.

¹³And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, Abner’s men on the one side of the pool and Joab’s men on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, “Now have the young men arise and hold a martial skills match in our presence.” And Joab said, “Have them arise!”

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

¹⁶And each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

¹⁷That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.

¹⁸Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles that is in the field.

¹⁹Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind himself and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he said, “It is I!”

²¹So Abner said to him, “Turn aside for your own good to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his equipment.” But Asahel was unwilling to turn aside from following him.

²²Then Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside for your own good from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?”

²³However, he refused to turn aside; so Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it happened that all who came thereafter to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

²⁴But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah by way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and they stood on the top of a hill.

²⁶Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Should the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that it will be bitter in the end? So how long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from pursuing their kinsmen?”

²⁷Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people of Judah certainly would have withdrawn in the morning, each from pursuing his brother.”

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

²⁹Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

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

³¹However, the servants of David had struck and killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men; 360 men were dead.

³²And they carried Asahel away and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men traveled all night until the day dawned at Hebron.

¹Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David became steadily stronger, while the house of Saul became steadily weaker.

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

³and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;

⁴and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

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

⁶Now it happened that while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was strengthening himself in the house of Saul.

⁷And 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 became very angry over Ish-bosheth’s question and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not let you fall into the hands of David; yet today you call me to account for wrongdoing with that woman?

⁹May God do so to me, and more so, if as the LORD has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him:

¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba!”

¹¹And Ish-bosheth could no longer say a word in response to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

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

¹³And he said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, only I require one thing of you, namely, that 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 a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

¹⁵Ish-bosheth sent men and had her taken from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.

¹⁶And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, following her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.

¹⁷Now Abner had a consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you.

¹⁸Now then, do it! For the LORD has spoken regarding David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hands of all their enemies.’ ”

¹⁹Abner also spoke to Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak to David in Hebron everything that seemed good to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.

²⁰Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

²¹Abner said to David, “Let me set out and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David let Abner go, and he went in peace.

²²And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought a large amount of plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, since he had let him go, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they informed Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go on his way, and he has gone in peace.”

²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you let him go, so that he is already gone?

²⁵You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to gain your confidence, and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out everything that you are doing.”

²⁶When Joab left David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know about it.

²⁷So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of his brother Asahel.

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

²⁹May it turn upon the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not be eliminated from the house of Joab someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.”

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

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

³²And they 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 song of mourning for Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?

³⁴Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.” And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵Then all the people came to provide food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”

³⁶Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire 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 leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?

³⁹And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”

¹Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was horrified.

²And Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of troops: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,

³and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as strangers until this day).

⁴Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. But it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and could no longer walk. And his name was Mephibosheth.

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

⁶And they came to the interior of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.

⁷Now when they had come into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him, and they beheaded him. And they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night.

⁸Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; so the LORD has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants.”

⁹But David replied to Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

¹⁰when the one who informed me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ also viewed himself as the bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.

¹¹How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and eliminate you both from the earth?”

¹²Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

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

²Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a leader over Israel.’ ”

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

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

⁵At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for 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; and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away,” thinking, “David cannot enter here.”

⁷Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

⁸And David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” For that reason they say, “People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house.”

⁹So David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

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

¹¹Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a house for David.

¹²And David realized that the LORD had appointed him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

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

¹⁴Now 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.

¹⁷Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard about it, he went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines came and overran the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹So David 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 the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰Then David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim.

²¹And the Philistines abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.

²²Now the Philistines came up once again and overran the Valley of Rephaim.

²³So David inquired of the LORD, but He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs.

²⁴And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”

²⁵Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him; he struck and killed the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

¹Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²And David departed from Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of armies who is enthroned above the cherubim.

³They had mounted the ark of God on a new cart and moved it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the 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 ahead of the ark.

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

⁶But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it.

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

⁸Then David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzzah; and that place has been called Perez-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?”

¹⁰And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.

¹¹The 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.

¹²Now it was reported to King David, saying, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy.

¹³And so it was, that when those carrying the ark of the LORD marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer.

¹⁴And David was dancing before the LORD with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶Then it happened, as the ark of the LORD was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.

¹⁷Now they 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 offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of armies.

¹⁹Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread, one of dates, and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people left, each to his house.

²⁰But when David returned to bless his own household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel dignified himself today! For he exposed himself today in the sight of his servants’ female slaves, as one of the rabble shamelessly exposes himself!”

²¹But David said to Michal, “I was before the LORD, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. So I will celebrate before the LORD!

²²And I might demean myself even more than this and be lowly in my own sight, but with the female slaves of whom you have spoken, with them I am to be held in honor!”

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

¹Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

²that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains within the tent.”

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

⁴But in the same night, the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

⁵“Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling?

⁶For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place.

⁷Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’

⁸Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

⁹And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

¹⁰And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously,

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 the LORD will make a house for you.

¹²When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind,

¹⁵but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you.

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁸Then David the king came in and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far?

¹⁹And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And this is the custom of mankind, Lord GOD.

²⁰Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Lord GOD!

²¹For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.

²²For this reason You are great, Lord GOD; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³And what one nation on the 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 a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, because of Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods?

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

²⁵Now then, LORD God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken,

²⁶so that Your name may be great forever, by saying, ‘The LORD of armies is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

²⁷For You, LORD of armies, God of Israel, have given a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸Now then, Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

²⁹And now, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

¹Now it happened afterward that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.

²And He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and a full line to keep alive. And the 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 Euphrates River.

⁴And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men among the Arameans.

⁶Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went.

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

⁸And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.

⁹Now when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer,

¹⁰Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and bless him, because he had fought Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze.

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

¹²from Aram, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

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

¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

¹⁶Joab the son of Zeruiah was commander over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary.

¹⁷Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was scribe.

¹⁸Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.

¹Then David said, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul, so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”

³Then the king said, “Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet.”

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

⁵Then King David sent messengers who brought him 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 on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!”

⁷Then David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you yourself shall eat at my table regularly.”

⁸Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should be concerned about a dead dog like me?”

⁹Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.

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 will have food to eat; nevertheless Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “In accordance with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” 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 the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he ate at the king’s table regularly. And he was disabled in his two feet.

¹Now it happened afterward that 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 showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console him about his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites,

³the commanders of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “Do you think that David is simply honoring your father since he has sent you servants to console you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?”

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

⁵When messengers informed David, he sent servants to meet them, because the men were extremely humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return.”

⁶Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become repulsive to David, the sons of Ammon sent messengers and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob with twelve thousand men.

⁷When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the army, the warriors.

⁸And the sons of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the field.

⁹Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel, and lined them up against the Arameans.

¹⁰But the remainder of the people he placed under the command of his brother Abishai, and he lined them up against the sons of Ammon.

¹¹And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.

¹²Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the sake 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 advanced to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him.

¹⁴When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they assembled together.

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

¹⁷Now when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans lined up against David and fought him.

¹⁸But the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

¹⁹When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

¹Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they brought destruction on the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.

²Now at evening time David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.

³So David sent servants and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

⁴Then David sent messengers and had her brought, and when she came to him, he slept with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

⁵But the woman conceived; so she sent word and informed David, and said, “I am pregnant.”

⁶Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.

⁷When Uriah came to him, David asked about Joab’s well-being and that of the people, and the condition of the war.

⁸Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

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

¹⁰Now when they informed David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

¹¹And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Should I then go to my house to eat and drink and to sleep 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 also, and tomorrow I will let you go back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the day after.

¹³Now David summoned Uriah, and he ate and drank in his presence, and he made Uriah drunk; and in the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, and he still did not go down to his house.

¹⁴So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

¹⁵He had written in the letter the following: “Station Uriah on the front line of the fiercest battle and pull back from him, so that he may be struck and killed.”

¹⁶So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men.

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

¹⁸Then Joab sent a messenger and reported to David all the events of the war.

¹⁹He ordered the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king,

²⁰then it shall be that if the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you move against the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

²¹Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did a woman not throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you move against the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.’ ”

²²So the messenger departed and came and reported to David everything that Joab had sent him to tell.

²³The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate.

²⁴Also, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.”

²⁵Then David said to the messenger, “This is what you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; fight with determination against the city and overthrow it’; and thereby encourage him.”

²⁶Now when Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.

²⁷When the time of mourning was over, David sent servants and had her brought to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor.

²The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds.

³But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, And was like a daughter to him.

⁴Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, And he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the traveler who had come to him; So he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

⁵Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die!

⁶So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.”

⁷Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.

⁸I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

⁹Why have you despised the word of the LORD, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

¹⁰Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

¹¹This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.

¹²Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’ ”

¹³Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die.

¹⁴However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the LORD, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.”

¹⁵Then Nathan went to his house. L ater the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

¹⁶David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

¹⁷The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

¹⁸Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?”

¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

²⁰So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate.

²¹Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.”

²²And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’

²³But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”

²⁴Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and slept with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him,

²⁵and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD’S sake.

²⁶Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.

²⁷Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

²⁸Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.”

²⁹So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.

³⁰Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts.

³¹He also brought out the people who were in it, and put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made others serve at the brick works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.