David Hears That Saul Has Died

1 After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days. ² On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect.

³ “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I’ve escaped from Israel’s camp.”

⁴ “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

He said, “Israel’s men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

⁵ David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ “I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said. “Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him. ⁷ Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’

⁸ “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“ ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.

⁹ “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m close to death, but I’m still alive.’

¹⁰ “So I stood beside him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I’ve brought them here to you. You are my master.”

¹¹ Then David tore his clothes. And all his men tore their clothes. ¹² All of them were filled with sadness. They mourned over the whole nation of Israel. They didn’t eat anything until evening. That’s because Saul and Jonathan and the Lord’s army had been killed by swords.

¹³ David spoke to the young man who had brought him the report. He asked, “Where are you from?”

“I’m the son of an outsider, an Amalekite,” he answered.

¹⁴ David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to kill the Lord’s anointed king?”

¹⁵ Then David called for one of his men. He said, “Go! Strike him down!” So he struck the man down, and the man died. ¹⁶ That’s because David had said to him, “Anything that happens to you will be your own fault. What your own mouth has spoken is a witness against you. You said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed king.’ ”

David’s Song of Sadness About Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ David sang a song of sadness about Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸ He ordered that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is a song that is played on a stringed instrument. It is written down in the Book of Jashar. David sang,

David Is Anointed to Be King Over Judah

2 After Saul and Jonathan died, David asked the Lord for advice. “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where should I go?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.

² So David went up there with his two wives. Their names were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal’s widow. ³ David also took his men and their families with him. They made their homes in Hebron and its towns. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. There they anointed David to be king over the people of Judah.

David was told that the men from Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul’s body. ⁵ So he sent messengers to them to speak for him. The messengers said, “You were kind to bury the body of your master Saul. May the Lord bless you for that. ⁶ And may he now be kind and faithful to you. David will treat you well for being kind to Saul’s body. ⁷ Now then, be strong and brave. Your master Saul is dead. And the people of Judah have anointed David to be king over them.”

The Armies of David and Saul Fight Each Other

⁸ Abner, the son of Ner, was commander of Saul’s army. Abner had brought Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim. ⁹ There Abner made Ish-Bosheth king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel. He also made him king over Ephraim, Benjamin and other areas of Israel.

¹⁰ Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled for two years. But the people of Judah remained faithful to David. ¹¹ David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years.

¹² Abner, the son of Ner, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. The men of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, went with him. ¹³ Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David’s men also went out. All of them met at the pool in Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool. The other group sat on the other side.

¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight. Let’s tell them to fight hand to hand in front of us.”

“All right. Let them do it,” Joab said.

¹⁵ So the young men stood up and were counted off. There were 12 on the side of Benjamin and Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth. And there were 12 on David’s side. ¹⁶ Each man grabbed one of his enemies by the head. Each one stuck his dagger into the other man’s side. And all of them fell down together and died. So that place in Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim.

¹⁷ The fighting that day was very heavy. Abner and the Israelites lost the battle to David’s men.

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there. Their names were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild antelope. ¹⁹ He chased Abner. He didn’t turn to the right or the left as he chased him. ²⁰ Abner looked behind him. He asked, “Asahel, is that you?”

“It is,” he answered.

²¹ Then Abner said to him, “Turn to the right or the left. Fight one of the young men. Take his weapons away from him.” But Asahel wouldn’t stop chasing him.

²² Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! If you don’t, I’ll strike you down. Then how could I look your brother Joab in the face?”

²³ But Asahel refused to give up the chase. So Abner drove the dull end of his spear into Asahel’s stomach. The spear came out through his back. He fell and died right there on the spot. Every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. As the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah. It was near Giah on the way to the dry and empty land close to Gibeon. ²⁵ The men of Benjamin gathered in a group around Abner. They took their stand on top of a hill.

²⁶ Abner called out to Joab, “Do you want our swords to keep on killing us off? Don’t you know that all this fighting will end in bitter feelings? How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing their fellow Israelites?”

²⁷ Joab answered, “It’s a good thing you spoke up. If you hadn’t, the men would have kept on chasing them until morning. And that’s just as sure as God is alive.”

²⁸ So Joab blew a trumpet. All the troops stopped. They didn’t chase Israel anymore. They didn’t fight anymore either.

²⁹ All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah Valley. They went across the Jordan River. All morning long they kept on going. Finally, they came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Then Joab stopped chasing Abner. He gathered together the whole army. Besides Asahel, only 19 of David’s men were missing. ³¹ But David’s men had killed 360 men from Benjamin who were with Abner. ³² They got Asahel’s body and buried it in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. They arrived at Hebron at sunrise.

3 The war between Saul’s royal house and David’s royal house lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger. But the royal house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

² Sons were born to David in Hebron.

Those sons were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Goes Over to David’s Side

⁶ The fighting continued between David’s royal house and Saul’s royal house. Abner gained more and more power in the royal house of Saul. ⁷ While Saul was still alive, he had a concubine named Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

⁸ Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So Abner answered, “Do you think I’m only a dog’s head? Am I on Judah’s side? To this day I’ve been faithful to the royal house of your father Saul. I’ve been faithful to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. But now you claim that I’ve sinned with this woman! ⁹ I will do for David what the Lord promised him. If I don’t, may God punish me greatly. ¹⁰ I’ll take the kingdom away from Saul’s royal house. I’ll set up the throne of David’s kingdom over Israel and Judah. He will rule from Dan all the way to Beersheba.” ¹¹ Ish-Bosheth didn’t dare to say another word to Abner. He was much too afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him. They said, “Who will rule over this land? Make a covenant with me. Then I’ll help you bring all the Israelites over to your side.”

¹³ “Good,” said David. “I will make a covenant with you. But there’s one thing I want you to do. Bring Saul’s daughter Michal to me. Don’t come to see me unless she’s with you.” ¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth. He ordered them to say, “Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I paid for her the price that was demanded. I paid for her with the skins of 100 circumcised Philistines.”

¹⁵ So Ish-Bosheth gave the order. He sent men who took Michal away from her husband Paltiel. Paltiel was the son of Laish. ¹⁶ But her husband followed her to Bahurim. He was crying all the way. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he did.

¹⁷ Abner talked with the elders of Israel. He said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. ¹⁸ Now do it! The Lord made a promise to David. He said, ‘I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines. I will also rescue them from all their enemies. I will rescue them through my servant David.’ ”

¹⁹ Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything. He told him what Israel and all the people of Benjamin wanted to do. ²⁰ Abner had 20 men with him. They came to David at Hebron. So David prepared a feast for Abner and his men. ²¹ Then Abner said to David, “Let me go right now. I’ll gather together all the Israelites for you. After all, you are now my king and master. The people can make a covenant with you. Then you can rule over everyone you want to.” So David sent Abner away. And he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

²² Just then David’s men and Joab came back from attacking their enemies. They brought with them the large amount of goods they had taken. But Abner wasn’t with David in Hebron anymore. That’s because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived. Then he was told that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to see the king. He was told that the king had sent Abner away. He was also told that Abner had gone in peace.

²⁴ So Joab went to the king. He said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why did you let him get away? Now he’s gone! ²⁵ You know what Abner, the son of Ner, is like. He came to trick you. He wanted to watch your every move. He came to find out everything you are doing.”

²⁶ Then Joab left David. He sent messengers to get Abner. They brought Abner back from the well of Sirah. But David didn’t know about it. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him to one side. He brought him into an inside room. Joab acted as if he wanted to speak to him in private. But he really wanted to get even with him. That’s because Abner had spilled the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel. So Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died.

²⁸ Later on, David heard about it. He said, “I and the people of my kingdom aren’t guilty of spilling the blood of Abner, the son of Ner. We are free of blame forever in the sight of the Lord. ²⁹ May Joab and his whole family line be held accountable for spilling Abner’s blood! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has an open sore or skin disease. May his family never be without someone who has to use a crutch to walk. May his family never be without someone who gets killed by a sword. And may his family never be without someone who doesn’t have enough to eat.”

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

³¹ David spoke to Joab and all the people with him. He said, “Tear your clothes. Put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. Mourn when you walk in front of Abner’s body.” King David himself walked behind it. ³² Abner’s body was buried in Hebron. The king wept out loud at Abner’s tomb. So did the rest of the people.

³³ King David sang a song of sadness over Abner. He said,

All the people mourned over Abner again.

³⁵ Then all of them came and begged David to eat something. They wanted him to eat while it was still day. But David made a promise. He said, “I won’t taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down. If I do, may God punish me greatly!”

³⁶ All the people heard his promise and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷ So on that day all the people there and all the Israelites understood. They knew that the king didn’t have anything to do with the murder of Abner, the son of Ner.

³⁸ The king spoke to his men. He said, “Don’t you realize that a great commander has died in Israel today? ³⁹ I’m the anointed king. But today I’m weak. These sons of Zeruiah are too powerful for me. May the Lord pay back the one who killed Abner! May he pay him back for the evil thing he has done!”

Ish-Bosheth Is Murdered

4 Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had died in Hebron. Then he wasn’t so brave anymore. And all the Israelites became alarmed. ² Two men in Ish-Bosheth’s army led small fighting groups that attacked their enemies. The names of the men were Baanah and Rekab. They were sons of Rimmon from the town of Beeroth. Rimmon was from the tribe of Benjamin. Beeroth is considered to be part of Benjamin. ³ That’s because the people who used to live in Beeroth had run away to Gittaim. They have lived there as outsiders to this day.

⁴ Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son named Mephibosheth. Both of Mephibosheth’s feet were hurt. He was five years old when the news that Saul and Jonathan had died came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and ran. But as she hurried to get away, he fell down. That’s how his feet were hurt.

⁵ Rekab and Baanah started out for the house of Ish-Bosheth. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. They arrived there during the hottest time of the day. Ish-Bosheth was taking his early afternoon nap. ⁶ Rekab and his brother Baanah went into the inside part of the house. They acted as if they were going to get some wheat. Instead, they stabbed Ish-Bosheth in the stomach. Then they slipped away.

⁷ They had gone into the house while Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They stabbed him and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them. They traveled all night through the Arabah Valley. ⁸ They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to King David at Hebron. They said to him, “Here’s the head of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul. Saul was your enemy. He often tried to kill you. Today the Lord has paid back Saul and his family. He has let you get even with them. You are our king and master.”

⁹ David gave an answer to Rekab and his brother Baanah. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. David said, “The Lord has saved me from every trouble. ¹⁰ Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead.’ He thought he was bringing me good news. But I grabbed him. I had him put to death in Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. ¹¹ Now you evil men have killed a man in his own house. He hadn’t done anything wrong. You killed him while he was lying on his own bed. You spilled his blood. So shouldn’t I spill your blood? Shouldn’t I wipe you off the face of the earth?”

¹² Then David gave an order to his men. They killed Rekab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet. They hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they buried the head of Ish-Bosheth in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

David Becomes King Over Israel

5 All the tribes of Israel came to see David at Hebron. They said, “We are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, Saul was our king. But you led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd over my people Israel. You will become their ruler.’ ”

³ All the elders of Israel came to see King David at Hebron. There the king made a covenant with them in front of the Lord. They anointed David as king over Israel.

⁴ David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled for 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he ruled over Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled over all of Israel and Judah for 33 years.

David Captures Jerusalem

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem. They went to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You won’t get in here. Even people who can’t see or walk can keep you from coming in.” The Jebusites thought, “David can’t get in here.” ⁷ But David captured the fort of Zion. It became known as the City of David.

⁸ On that day David had said, “Someone might win the battle over the Jebusites. But they will have to crawl through the water tunnel to get into the city. That’s the only way they can reach those enemies of mine that you say can’t see or walk.” That’s why people say, “Those who ‘can’t see or walk’ won’t enter David’s palace.”

⁹ David moved into the fort. He called it the City of David. He built up the area around the fort. He filled in the low places. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. ¹⁰ David became more and more powerful. That’s because the Lord God who rules over all was with him.

¹¹ Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers. They worked with wood and stone. They built a palace for David. ¹² Then David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that he had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people.

¹³ After David left Hebron, he got more concubines and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were born to him there. ¹⁴ Here is a list of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle Over the Philistines

¹⁷ The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel. So their whole army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went down to his usual place of safety. ¹⁸ The Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ So David asked the Lord for advice. He said, “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord answered him, “Go. I will surely hand over the Philistines to you.”

²⁰ So David went to Baal Perazim. There he won the battle over the Philistines. He said, “The Lord has broken through against my enemies when I’ve attacked them. He has broken through just as water breaks through a dam.” That’s why the place was called Baal Perazim. ²¹ The Philistines left the statues of their gods there. So David and his men carried off the statues.

²² Once more the Philistines came up. They spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ So David asked the Lord for advice. The Lord answered, “Do not go straight up. Instead, circle around behind them. Attack them in front of the poplar trees. ²⁴ Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move quickly. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army.” ²⁵ So David did just as the Lord had commanded him. He struck down the Philistines. He struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 Again David brought together the best soldiers in Israel. The total number was 30,000. ² He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah. They wanted to bring the ark of God up to Jerusalem from there. The ark is named after the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. He sits on his throne between the cherubim that are on the ark. ³ The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was brought from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. They were the sons of Abinadab. ⁴ The ark of God was on the cart. Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David was celebrating with all his might in front of the Lord. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were playing castanets, harps, lyres, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

⁶ They came to the threshing floor of Nakon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God. ⁷ Then the Lord was very angry with Uzzah. That’s because what Uzzah did showed that he didn’t have any respect for the Lord. So God struck him down. He died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ David was angry because the Lord’s great anger had broken out against Uzzah. That’s why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this day.

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day. He asked, “How can the ark of the Lord ever be brought to me?” ¹⁰ He didn’t want to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months. And the Lord blessed him and his whole family.

¹² King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom. He has also blessed everything that belongs to him. That’s because the ark of God is in Obed-Edom’s house.” So David went down there to bring up the ark. With great joy he brought it up from the house of Obed-Edom. He took it to the City of David. ¹³ Those carrying the ark of the Lord took six steps forward. Then David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴ David was wearing a sacred linen apron. He danced in front of the Lord with all his might. ¹⁵ He did it while he was bringing up the ark of the Lord. The whole community of Israel helped him bring it up. They shouted. They blew trumpets.

¹⁶ The ark of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David leaping and dancing in front of the Lord. That made her hate him in her heart.

¹⁷ The ark of the Lord was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in its place in the tent David had set up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord. ¹⁸ After he finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁹ He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

²⁰ David returned home to bless his family. Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “You are the king of Israel. You have really brought honor to yourself today, haven’t you? You have gone around half-naked right in front of the female slaves of your officials. You acted like a fool!”

²¹ David said to Michal, “I did it to honor the Lord. He chose me instead of your father or anyone else in Saul’s family. The Lord appointed me ruler over his people Israel. I will celebrate to honor the Lord. ²² And that’s not all. I will bring even less honor to myself. I will bring even more shame on myself. But those female slaves you spoke about will honor me.”

²³ Saul’s daughter Michal didn’t have any children as long as she lived.

God’s Promise to David

7 The king moved into his palace. The Lord had given him peace and rest from all his enemies around him. ² Then the king spoke to Nathan the prophet. He said, “Here I am, living in a house that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of God remains in a tent.”

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do what you want to. The Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. The Lord said,

⁵ “Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, ‘The Lord says, “Are you the one to build me a house to live in? ⁶ I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt. But I have not lived in a house from then until now. I have been moving from place to place. I have been living in a tent. ⁷ I have moved from place to place with all the Israelites. I commanded their rulers to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those rulers, ‘Why haven’t you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?’ ” ’

⁸ “So tell my servant David, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I took you away from the grasslands. That’s where you were taking care of your father’s sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. ¹⁰ I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will no longer crush them, as they did at first. ¹¹ That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them.

“ ‘ “I tell you that I, the Lord, will set up a royal house for you. ¹² Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips. ¹⁵ I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son. ¹⁶ Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷ Nathan reported to David all the words that the Lord had spoken to him.

David’s Prayer to the Lord

¹⁸ Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said,

“Lord and King, who am I? My family isn’t important. So why have you brought me this far? ¹⁹ I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, Lord and King, you have also said what will happen to my royal house in days to come. And, my Lord and King, this promise is for a mere human being!

²⁰ “What more can I say to you? Lord and King, you know all about me. ²¹ You have done a wonderful thing. You have made it known to me. You have done it because that’s what you said you would do. It’s exactly what you wanted to do for me.

²² “Lord and King, how great you are! There isn’t anyone like you. There isn’t any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears. ²³ Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven out nations and their gods to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt. ²⁴ You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God.

²⁵ “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made to me and my royal house. Do exactly as you promised. ²⁶ Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, ‘The Lord rules over all. He is God over Israel.’ My royal house will be made secure in your sight.

²⁷ “Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here’s what you have shown me. You told me, ‘I will build you a royal house.’ So I can boldly pray this prayer to you. ²⁸ Lord and King, you are God! Your covenant can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. ²⁹ Now please bless my royal house. Then it will continue forever in your sight. Lord and King, you have spoken. Because you have given my royal house your blessing, it will be blessed forever.”

David Wins Many Battles

8 While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them.

² David also won the battle over the people of Moab. He made them lie down on the ground. Then he measured them off with a piece of rope. He put two-thirds of them to death. He let the other third remain alive. So the Moabites were brought under David’s rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him.

³ David fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to repair his monument at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer’s chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses.

⁵ The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them. ⁶ He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem. ⁸ He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer.

⁹ Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Tou sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted David. He praised David because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Joram brought with him gifts made out of silver, of gold and of bronze.

¹¹ King David set those gifts apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations. Those were nations he had brought under his control. ¹² Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. He also set apart for the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah.

¹³ David returned after he had struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He became famous for doing it.

¹⁴ He stationed some soldiers all through Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under David’s rule. The Lord helped him win his battles everywhere he went.

David’s Officials

¹⁵ David ruled over the whole nation of Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records. ¹⁷ Zadok, the son of Ahitub, was a priest. Ahimelek, the son of Abiathar, was also a priest. Seraiah was the secretary. ¹⁸ Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David’s sons were priests.

David and Mephibosheth

9 David asked, “Is anyone left from the royal house of Saul? If there is, I want to be kind to him because of Jonathan.”

² Ziba was a servant in Saul’s family. David sent for him to come and see him. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“I’m ready to serve you,” he replied.

³ The king asked, “Isn’t there anyone still alive from the royal house of Saul? God has been very kind to me. I would like to be kind to that person in the same way.”

Ziba answered the king, “A son of Jonathan is still living. Both of his feet were hurt so that he can’t walk.”

⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He’s in the town of Lo Debar. He’s staying at the house of Makir, the son of Ammiel.”

⁵ So King David had Mephibosheth brought from Makir’s house in Lo Debar.

⁶ Mephibosheth came to David. He was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul. Mephibosheth bowed down to David to show him respect.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“I’m ready to serve you,” he replied.

⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” David told him. “You can be sure that I will be kind to you because of your father Jonathan. I’ll give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. And I’ll always provide what you need.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down to David. He said, “Who am I? Why should you pay attention to me? I’m nothing but a dead dog.”

⁹ Then the king sent for Saul’s servant Ziba. He said to him, “I’m giving your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants must farm the land for him. You must bring in the crops. Then he’ll be taken care of. I’ll always provide what he needs.” Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “I’ll do anything you command me to do. You are my king and master.” So David provided what Mephibosheth needed. He treated him like one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika. All the members of Ziba’s family became servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. The king always provided what he needed. Both of his feet were hurt so that he could not walk.

David Wins the Victory Over the Ammonites

10 The king of Ammon died. His son Hanun became the next king after him. ² David thought, “I’m going to be kind to Hanun. His father Nahash was kind to me.” So David sent messengers to Hanun. He wanted them to tell Hanun how sad he was that Hanun’s father had died.

David’s messengers went to the land of Ammon. ³ The Ammonite commanders spoke to their master Hanun. They said, “David has sent messengers to tell you he is sad. They say he wants to honor your father. But the real reason they’ve come is to look the city over. They want to destroy it.” ⁴ So Hanun grabbed David’s messengers. He shaved off half of each man’s beard. He cut their clothes off just below the waist and left them half naked. Then he sent them away.

⁵ David was told about it. So he sent messengers to his men because they were filled with shame. King David said to them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out again. Then come back here.”

⁶ The Ammonites realized that what they had done had made David very angry with them. So they hired 20,000 Aramean soldiers who were on foot. The soldiers came from Beth Rehob and Zobah. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maakah and 1,000 men. And they hired 12,000 men from Tob.

⁷ David heard about it. So he sent Joab out with the entire army of Israel’s fighting men. ⁸ The Ammonites marched out. They took up their battle positions at the entrance of their city gate. The Arameans of Zobah and Rehob gathered their troops together in the open country. So did the men of Tob and Maakah.

⁹ Joab saw that there were lines of soldiers in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best troops in Israel. He sent them to march out against the Arameans. ¹⁰ He put the rest of the men under the command of his brother Abishai. Joab sent them to march out against the Ammonites. ¹¹ He said, “Suppose the Arameans are too strong for me. Then you must come and help me. But suppose the Ammonites are too strong for you. Then I’ll come and help you. ¹² Be strong. Let’s be brave as we fight for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is best.”

¹³ Then Joab and the troops with him marched out to attack the Arameans. They ran away from him. ¹⁴ The Ammonites realized that the Arameans were running away. So they ran away from Abishai. They went inside the city. After Joab had fought against the Ammonites, he went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ The Arameans saw that they had been driven away by Israel. So they brought their troops together. ¹⁶ Hadadezer had some Arameans brought from east of the Euphrates River. They went to Helam under the command of Shobak. He was the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ David was told about it. So he gathered the whole army of Israel together. They went across the Jordan River to Helam. The Arameans lined up their soldiers to go to war against David. They began to fight against him. ¹⁸ But then they ran away from Israel. David killed 700 of their chariot riders. He killed 40,000 of their soldiers who were on foot. He also struck down Shobak, the commander of their army. Shobak died there. ¹⁹ All the kings who were under the rule of Hadadezer saw that Israel had won the battle over them. So they made a peace treaty with the Israelites. They were brought under Israel’s rule.

After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

David and Bathsheba

11 It was spring. It was the time when kings go off to war. So David sent Joab out with the king’s special troops and the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites. They marched to the city of Rabbah. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. But David remained in Jerusalem.

² One evening David got up from his bed. He walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman taking a bath. She was very beautiful. ³ David sent a messenger to find out who she was. The messenger returned and said, “She is Bathsheba. She’s the daughter of Eliam. She’s the wife of Uriah. He’s a Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him. And he slept with her. Then she went back home. All of that took place after she had already made herself “clean” from her monthly period. ⁵ Later, Bathsheba found out she was pregnant. She sent a message to David. She said, “I’m pregnant.”

⁶ So David sent a message to Joab. David said, “Send me Uriah, the Hittite.” Joab sent him to David. ⁷ Uriah came to David. David asked him how Joab and the soldiers were doing. He also asked him how the war was going. ⁸ David said to Uriah, “Go home and enjoy some time with your wife.” So Uriah left the palace. Then the king sent him a gift. ⁹ But Uriah didn’t go home. Instead, he slept at the entrance to the palace. He stayed there with all his master’s servants.

¹⁰ David was told, “Uriah didn’t go home.” So he sent for Uriah. David said to him, “You have been away for a long time. Why didn’t you go home?”

¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The ark and the army of Israel and Judah are out there in tents. My commander Joab and your special troops are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink? How could I go there and sleep with my wife? I could never do a thing like that. And that’s just as sure as you are alive!”

¹² Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day. Tomorrow I’ll send you back to the battle.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him. David got him drunk. But Uriah still didn’t go home. In the evening he went out and slept on his mat. He stayed there among his master’s servants.