Bible in 90 Days
11 “This is what the Lord says: I will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did this secretly, but I will make this happen in broad daylight in front of all Israel.”
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die. 14 But since you have shown total contempt for the Lord by this affair, the son that is born to you must die.” 15 Then Nathan went home.
The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had given birth to for David so that the child became sick. 16 David pleaded with God for the child; he fasted and lay on the ground all night. 17 The older leaders in his palace stood beside him to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling. And he wouldn’t eat with them.
18 On the seventh day the child died. But David’s officials were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. They thought, “While the child was alive, we talked to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may harm ⌞himself⌟.”
19 But when David saw that his officials were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” David asked them.
“⌞Yes,⌟ he is dead,” they answered.
20 So David got up from the ground, bathed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the Lord’s house and worshiped. Then he went home and asked for food. They placed food in front of him, and he ate.
21 His officials asked him, “Why are you acting this way? You fasted and cried over the child when he was alive. But as soon as the child died, you got up and ate.”
22 David answered, “As long as the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But why should I fast now that he’s dead? Can I bring him back? ⌞Someday⌟ I’ll go to him, but he won’t come back to me.”
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to bed with her, and she later gave birth to a son. David named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child 25 and sent a message through the prophet Nathan to name the baby Jedidiah [The Lord’s Beloved].
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
26 Meanwhile, Joab fought against the Ammonite city of Rabbah and captured its royal fortress. 27 So he sent messengers to tell David, “I fought against Rabbah and captured the fortress guarding its water supply. 28 Gather the rest of the troops, surround the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”
29 So David gathered all the troops and went to Rabbah. He fought against the city and captured it. 30 He took the gold crown from the head of Rabbah’s king and put it on his own head. (The crown weighed 75 pounds and contained a precious stone.) David also took a lot of goods from the city. 31 He brought out the troops who were there and put them to work with saws, hoes, and axes. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.
The Rape of Tamar
13 After this, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom. 2 Amnon was so obsessed with his half sister Tamar that he made himself sick. It seemed impossible for him to be alone with her because she was a virgin.
3 Amnon had a friend by the name of Jonadab, a son of David’s brother Shimea. Jonadab was a very clever man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so worn out morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”
“I’m in love with Absalom’s sister Tamar,” he answered.
5 Then Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed. Act sick, and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come to feed me. She can prepare a meal in front of me as I watch her, and she can feed me.’ ”
6 So Amnon lay down and acted sick, and the king came to see him. Amnon asked the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make some bread in front of me, and she can feed me.”
7 David sent for Tamar at the palace. “Please go to your brother Amnon’s home,” he said, “and prepare some food for him.”
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s home. He was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made flat bread in front of him, and cooked it. 9 Then she took the pan and served him ⌞the bread⌟. But he refused to eat.
“Have everyone leave me,” he said. So everyone left him.
10 Amnon told Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom so that you can feed me.”
Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. 11 When she handed it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, Tamar!”
12 “No,” she told him, “don’t rape me! That shouldn’t be done in Israel. Don’t do this godless act! 13 Where could I go in my disgrace? And you will be considered one of the godless fools in Israel! Speak to the king. He won’t refuse your request to marry me.”
14 But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. He grabbed his sister and raped her.
15 Now, Amnon developed an intense hatred for her. His hatred for her was greater than the lust he had felt for her. “Get out of here,” he told her.
16 She said to him, “No, sending me away is a greater wrong than the other thing you did to me!” But he wouldn’t listen to her.
17 Then he called his personal servant and said, “Get rid of her. Put her out, and bolt the door behind her.” 18 (She was wearing a long-sleeved gown. The king’s virgin daughters wore this kind of robe.) So his servant took her out and bolted the door behind her. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head, tore the long-sleeved gown she had on, put her hands on her head, and went away crying.
20 Her brother Absalom asked her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Sister, be quiet for now. He’s your brother. Don’t dwell on this matter.” So Tamar stayed there at the home of her brother Absalom and was depressed.
21 When King David heard about this, he became very angry. But David didn’t punish his son Amnon. He favored Amnon because he was his firstborn son.[a] 22 Absalom wouldn’t speak at all to Amnon. He hated Amnon for raping his sister Tamar.
The Murder of Amnon
23 Two years later Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal Hazor near Ephraim. He invited all the king’s sons.[b] 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Since I have sheepshearers, Your Majesty and your officials are invited ⌞to feast⌟ with me.”
25 “No, Son,” the king answered Absalom. “If we all go, we’ll be a burden to you.” Even when Absalom continued to urge [c] him, David did not want to go, though he did give Absalom his blessing.
26 So Absalom said, “If you won’t go, then please let my brother Amnon go with us.”
“Why should he go with you?” the king asked him. 27 But when Absalom urged him, he let Amnon and all ⌞the rest of⌟ the king’s sons go with him.
28 Then Absalom gave an order to his servants. “Watch now,” he said. “When Amnon begins to feel good from drinking ⌞too much⌟ wine, I’ll tell you, ‘Attack Amnon.’ Then kill him. Don’t be afraid. I’ve given you the order, haven’t I? Be strong and courageous.”
29 Absalom’s servants did to Amnon as Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled. 30 While they were on their way, David heard this rumor: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not a single one is left.” 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing beside him with their clothes torn ⌞to show their grief⌟.
32 Then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, said, “Sir, don’t think that all the young men, all the king’s sons, have been killed. Only Amnon is dead. Absalom decided to do this the day his half brother raped his sister Tamar. 33 You shouldn’t burden your heart with the idea that all the king’s sons are dead, Your Majesty. Only Amnon is dead. 34 Absalom has fled.”
When the servant who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road beside the mountain west of him. 35 Then Jonadab told the king, “The king’s sons have come. It’s just as I said.” 36 When he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived and cried loudly. The king and all his men also cried very bitterly.
37 Absalom, however, fled to Geshur’s King Talmai, Ammihud’s son. But the king mourned for his son Amnon every day. 38 Absalom, having fled to Geshur, stayed there three years. 39 King David began to long for Absalom once people had consoled him over Amnon’s death.
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 Joab, Zeruiah’s son, knew the king was still thinking about Absalom. 2 So Joab sent ⌞someone⌟ to Tekoa to get a clever woman from there. He told her, “Please act like a mourner, and dress in mourning clothes. Don’t rub olive oil on yourself,[d] but act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. 3 Go to the king, and tell him this. …” Then Joab told her exactly what to say.
4 The woman from Tekoa came [e] to the king and immediately bowed down with her face touching the ground. “Help ⌞me⌟, Your Majesty,” she said.
5 The king asked her, “What can I do for you?”
She answered, “I’m a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I had two sons who quarreled in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One killed the other. 7 Then the entire family turned against me. They said, ‘Give us the man who killed his brother so that we can kill him because he took his brother’s life. We’re going to destroy the one who ⌞now⌟ would be the heir.’ In this way they wish to extinguish the ⌞one⌟ burning coal that is left for me. They will not let my husband’s name or descendants remain on the face of the earth.”
8 “Go home,” the king told the woman. “I will order someone to take care of this matter.”
9 The woman from Tekoa said to the king, “Let me be held responsible for the sin, Your Majesty. Let my father’s family be held responsible. Your Majesty and your throne are innocent.”
10 The king said, “If anyone says anything against you, bring him to me. He’ll never harm you again.”
11 She said, “Your Majesty, please pray to the Lord your God in order to keep an avenger from doing more harm by destroying my son.”
“I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” he said, “not a hair on your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12 The woman said, “Please let me say something else to you.”
“Speak,” he said.
13 “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people?” she said. “When you say this, you condemn yourself because you haven’t brought back the one you banished! 14 We are all going to die; we are all like water that is poured on the ground and can’t be gathered up. But doesn’t God forgive a person? He never plans to keep a banished person in exile.
15 “I’ve come to say this to you because the people have frightened me. So I thought, ‘I will speak to the king about this. Maybe the king will do something for me, his subject. 16 Maybe the king will listen and rescue me, his subject, from the man who wants to cut off both me and my son from ⌞our⌟ God-given inheritance.’ 17 I thought that you would reassure me. You are like God’s Messenger, who is able to distinguish right from wrong. May the Lord your God be with you!”
18 The king said to the woman, “Please don’t refuse to answer the question I’m going to ask you.”
The woman responded, “Please speak, Your Majesty.”
19 “Did Joab put you up to this?” the king asked.
The woman answered, “I solemnly swear on your life, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. Yes, your servant Joab ordered me ⌞to do this⌟. He told me to say exactly what I said. 20 Your servant Joab has done this to portray the matter in a different light. You are as wise as God’s Messenger, who knows everything on earth.”
21 Then the king told Joab, “This is what you’ll do. Bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab quickly bowed down with his face touching the ground, and he blessed the king. He said, “Today I know that you have been kind to me because you have done what I wanted.”
23 So Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But the king said, “Absalom should return to his own house. He will not see me.” So Absalom returned to his house and didn’t see the king.
25 Now, no one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from head to toe. 26 At the end of every year, he used to cut his hair because it became heavy for him. When he cut the hair on his head and weighed it, it weighed five pounds according to the royal standard. 27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter Tamar was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom stayed in Jerusalem two full years without seeing the king. 29 So Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but he still refused to come. 30 So Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine. He has barley in it. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set it on fire.
Joab’s servants came to him ⌞in grief⌟ and said, “Absalom’s servants have set ⌞your⌟ field on fire.” [f]
31 Then Joab immediately went to Absalom at his home. “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” he asked.
32 Absalom answered Joab, “I sent someone to tell you to come here because I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why I had to come from Geshur. It would be better for me if I were still there. Let me see the king now! If I’m guilty of a sin, he should kill me.”
33 Joab went to the king and told him this. The king then called for Absalom, who came to the king and bowed down with his face touching the ground. And the king kissed Absalom.
David Overthrown
15 Soon after this, Absalom acquired a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run ahead of him. 2 Absalom used to get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate. When anyone had a case to be tried by King David, Absalom would ask, “Which city are you from?”
After the person had told him which tribe in Israel he was from, 3 Absalom would say, “Your case is good and proper, but the king hasn’t appointed anyone to hear it.” 4 He would add, “I wish someone would make me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a case to be tried could come to me, and I would make sure that he got justice.” 5 When anyone approached him and bowed down, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 This is what he did for all Israelites who came to the king to have him try their case. So Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 Four years later Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and keep the vow I made to the Lord. 8 I made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’ ”
9 “Go in peace,” the king told him.
So he went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent his loyal supporters to all the tribes of Israel and said, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”
11 Two hundred men invited from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They went innocently, knowing nothing ⌞about Absalom’s plans⌟. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, David’s adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger, and the number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger.
13 Someone came to tell David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”
David Flees Jerusalem
14 David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s flee immediately, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Let’s leave right away, or he’ll catch up to us and bring disaster on us when he massacres the city.”
15 The king’s servants told him, “No matter what happens, we are Your Majesty’s servants.”
16 The king left on foot, and his whole household followed him except ten concubines [g] whom the king left behind to take care of the palace. 17 As the king and his troops were leaving the city on foot, they stopped at the last house. 18 All his mercenaries passed by him; all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, Ittai, and all 600 men who had followed him from Gath were marching past the king.
19 The king asked Ittai from Gath, “Why should you go with us? Go back, and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20 You came to us just yesterday. Should I make you wander around with me when I don’t even know where I’m going? Go back, and take your countrymen with you. ⌞May the Lord⌟ always show you kindness.”
21 But Ittai answered the king, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord and the king live: Wherever you are, whether you’re dead or alive, I’ll be there.”
22 So David told Ittai, “Go ahead and keep marching.” So Ittai from Gath marched on with all his men and all the families who were with him.
23 The whole country was crying loudly as all the troops were passing by. The king was crossing the Kidron Valley, and all the people were moving down the road toward the desert. 24 Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of God’s promise. They set down the ark of God beside Abiathar until all the troops had withdrawn from the city.
25 The king told Zadok, “Take God’s ark back to the city. If the Lord looks favorably on me, he will allow me to come back and see both it and its [h] dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ let him do to me what he considers right.”
27 “Aren’t you a seer?” [i] the king asked Zadok the priest. “Go back to the city peacefully, and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. 28 I’ll wait at the river crossings in the desert until I receive a message from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David cried as he went up the Mount of Olives. He covered his head and walked barefoot. And all of the troops with him covered their heads and cried as they went.
31 Then David was told, “Ahithophel is among those conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”
32 When David came to the top ⌞of the Mount of Olives⌟ where people worshiped God, Hushai from Archi’s family was there to meet him. His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head. 33 David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden to me. 34 But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll be your servant. I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I’ll be your servant,’ then you’ll ⌞help me by⌟ undoing Ahithophel’s advice. 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. When you hear anything from the royal palace, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36 They have two sons with them: Zadok has Ahimaaz, and Abiathar has Jonathan. Send them to report to me anything you hear.”
37 So Hushai, David’s friend, went to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
16 When David had gone over the top ⌞of the Mount of Olives⌟, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys. They were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of ripened fruit, and a full wineskin.
2 “Why did you bring these?” David asked Ziba.
“The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on,” Ziba answered. “The bread and the ripe fruit are for ⌞your⌟ servants to eat. The wine is for those who become tired and thirsty in the desert.”
3 “Where is your master Saul’s grandson?” the king asked.
“He’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king. “He said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ”
4 The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.”
“I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.”
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man who was a distant cousin of Saul came out cursing. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. 6 He threw stones at David and David’s servants, although all the people and all the warriors were shielding David. 7 Shimei cursed and said, “Get out! Get out, you bloodthirsty man! You worthless person! 8 The Lord is paying you back for all the blood you spilled in the family of Saul, whom you succeeded as king. The Lord is giving the kingship to your son Absalom. Now you’re in trouble because you’re a bloodthirsty man.”
9 Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.”
10 But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’ ” 11 David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it. 12 Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
13 As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David. 14 The king and all the people with him finally arrived ⌞at their destination⌟ and rested there.
Absalom Enters Jerusalem
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all Israel’s troops came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When David’s friend Hushai from Archi’s family came to Absalom, he said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 “Is that how loyal you are to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with him?”
18 Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom the Lord, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his ⌞friend⌟ and stay with him. 19 And besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t it be his son? As I served your father, so I’ll serve you.”
20 Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel told Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines [j] whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear about how you have made your father despise you. Everyone who is with you will support you even more.”
22 So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father’s concubines in plain sight of Israel.
23 In those days both David and Absalom thought that Ahithophel’s advice was like getting an answer from God.
Absalom Pursues David
17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men and leave tonight to go after David. 2 I’ll attack him while he’s tired and weak, and I’ll cause him to panic. All the people with him will flee, but I’ll kill only him. 3 I’ll return all the people to you as a bride is returned to her husband. Since you will be seeking the life of only one man, all the people will have peace.” 4 Absalom and all the leaders of Israel approved this plan.
5 Absalom said, “Please call Hushai, who is descended from Archi’s family, and let us hear what he, too, has to say.”
6 When Hushai arrived, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has told us his plan. Should we do what he says? If not, tell us.”
7 “This time Ahithophel’s advice is no good,” Hushai said to Absalom. 8 “You know your father and his men. They are warriors as fierce as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen. Your father is an experienced soldier. He will not camp with the troops tonight. 9 He has already hidden in one of the ravines or some other place. If some of our soldiers are killed in the initial attack, others will definitely hear about it and say, ‘The troops that support Absalom have been defeated.’ 10 Even the bravest man with a heart like a lion would lose his courage, because all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and the men with him are brave. 11 So my advice is to gather all Israel’s troops from Dan to Beersheba, since they are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Lead them into battle yourself. 12 Then we’ll attack him wherever we find him. We’ll fall on him as dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left ⌞alive⌟. 13 If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city and drag it into a valley so that not even a pebble will be found there.”
14 Absalom and all the people of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai from Archi’s family is better than Ahithophel’s advice.” (The Lord had commanded Ahithophel’s good advice to be defeated in order to ruin Absalom.)
15 Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do something else. 16 Now send messengers quickly to tell David, ‘Don’t rest tonight in the river crossings in the desert, but make sure you cross ⌞the river⌟, or Your Majesty and all the troops with him will be wiped out.’ ”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They could not risk being seen coming into the city, so a servant girl was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David. 18 But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So both of them left quickly and came to the home of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard, and they went down into it. 19 The man’s wife took a cover, spread it over the top of the cistern, and scattered some grain over it so that no one could tell it was there.
20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman at her home. “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” they asked.
The woman said, “They’ve crossed the stream.”
The servants looked for them but did not find them. So Absalom’s servants returned to Jerusalem.
21 After Absalom’s servants left, both men came out of the cistern and went and told King David. “Leave right away,” they told David. “Cross the river quickly because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you. …”
22 David and all the troops with him left to cross the Jordan River. When the dawn came, everyone had crossed the Jordan River.
23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice hadn’t been followed, he saddled his donkey, left, and went home to his own city. He gave instructions to his family. Then he hanged himself, died, and was buried in his father’s tomb.
24 David had ⌞already⌟ come to Mahanaim by the time Absalom and all the men of Israel with him crossed the Jordan River. 25 Absalom appointed Amasa to take Joab’s place as commander of the army. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, a descendant of Ishmael.[k] His mother was Abigail,[l] the daughter of Nahash and sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.) 26 The Israelites and Absalom camped in the region of Gilead.
27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah in Ammon, and Machir, son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai from Rogelim in Gilead 28 brought ⌞supplies⌟ and food for David and his troops: bedding, bowls, pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,[m] 29 honey, buttermilk, sheep, and calves. They brought these things because they thought, “The troops in the desert are hungry, exhausted, and thirsty.”
David Defeats Absalom
18 David called together the troops that were with him. He appointed commanders in charge of regiments and battalions. 2 David put a third of the troops under Joab’s command, another third under Joab’s brother Abishai (Zeruiah’s son), and the last third under Ittai from Gath.
“I am going ⌞into battle⌟ with you,” the king said to the troops.
3 “You’re not going ⌞with us⌟,” the troops said. “If we flee, they won’t care about us, and if half of us die, they won’t care either. But you’re worth 10,000 of us. It’s better for you to be ready to send us help from the city.”
4 “I’ll do what you think best,” the king responded. So the king stood by the gate while all the troops marched out by battalions and regiments.
5 The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the troops heard him give all the commanders this order regarding Absalom.
6 So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There David’s men defeated Israel’s army, and the massacre was sizable that day—20,000 men. 8 The fighting spread over the whole country. That day the woods devoured more people than the battle.
9 Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David’s men. He was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom’s head became caught in the tree. So he was left hanging [n] in midair when the mule that was under him ran away. 10 A man who saw this told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.”
11 “What! You saw that!” Joab said to the man who told him. “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt.”
12 But the man told Joab, “Even if I felt the weight of 25 pounds of silver in my hand, I wouldn’t raise my hand against the king’s son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai: ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ [o] 13 If I had done something treacherous to him, would you have stood by me? Like everything else, it wouldn’t stay hidden from the king.”
14 Then Joab said, “I shouldn’t waste time with you like this.” He took three sharp sticks and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the tree. 15 Then ten of Joab’s armorbearers surrounded Absalom, attacked him, and killed him.
16 Joab blew the ram’s horn to stop their ⌞fighting⌟, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel. 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. Meanwhile, all Israel fled and went back to their homes.
18 (⌞While he was still living,⌟ Absalom had taken a rock and set it up for himself in the king’s valley. He said, “I have no son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He called the rock by his name, and it is still called Absalom’s Monument today.)
19 Then Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, said, “Let me run and bring the king the good news that the Lord has freed him from his enemies.”
20 But Joab told him, “You won’t be the man carrying good news today. You can carry the news some other day. You must not deliver the news today because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to a man from Sudan, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” The messenger bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of Joab and then ran off.
22 Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, spoke to Joab again, “Whatever may happen, I also want to run after the Sudanese messenger.”
“Now, son, why should you deliver the message?” Joab asked. “You won’t be rewarded for this news.”
23 “Whatever happens, I’d like to run,” ⌞replied Ahimaaz.⌟
“Run,” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran along the valley road and got ahead of the Sudanese messenger.
24 David was sitting between the two gates while the watchman walked along the roof of the gate by the wall. As he looked, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called and alerted the king.
“If he’s alone,” the king said, “he has good news to tell.” The runner continued to come closer.
26 When the watchman saw another man running, the watchman called, “There’s ⌞another⌟ man running alone.”
The king said, “This one is also bringing good news.”
27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son.”
“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He must be coming with good news.”
28 Then Ahimaaz came up to the king, greeted him, and bowed down in front of him. Ahimaaz said, “May the Lord your God be praised. He has handed over the men who rebelled against Your Majesty.”
29 “Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked.
Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a lot of confusion when Joab sent me away, but I didn’t know what it meant.”
30 “Step aside, and stand here,” the king said. He stepped aside and stood there.
31 Then the Sudanese messenger came. “Good news for Your Majesty!” he said. “Today the Lord has freed you from all who turned against you.”
32 “Is the young man Absalom alright?” the king asked.
The Sudanese messenger answered, “May your enemies and all who turned against you be like that young man!” [p]
33 The king was shaken ⌞by the news⌟. He went to the room above the gate and cried. “My son Absalom!” he said as he went. “My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”
David Restored to the Throne
19 [q]Joab was told, “The king is crying and mourning for Absalom.” 2 The victory of that day was turned into mourning because all the troops heard that the king was grieving for his son. 3 That day the troops sneaked into the city as if they had fled from battle and were ashamed of it. 4 The king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab came into the house. “Today you have made all your men feel ashamed,” he said. “They saved your life and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives, and concubines [r] today. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today, you have made it clear that your commanders and servants mean nothing to you. I think you would be pleased if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead. 7 Now, get up, go out, and encourage your men. I swear to you by the Lord that if you don’t go out, no one will stay with you tonight, and that will be worse than all the trouble you’ve had in your entire life.”
8 The king sat in the gateway. When all the troops were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,” they came to the king.
Meanwhile, Israel had fled and went back to their own homes. 9 All the people in all the tribes of Israel were arguing with one another, saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country. 10 However, Absalom, whom we anointed to rule us, has died in battle. Why is no one talking about bringing back the king?”
11 What all Israel was saying reached the king at his house. So King David sent ⌞this message⌟ to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Ask the leaders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last ⌞tribe⌟ to bring the king back to his palace? 12 You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ 13 And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God strike me dead unless you are given Joab’s place to serve me always as the commander of the army.’ ”
14 All the people of Judah were in total agreement. So they sent the king this message: “Come back with all your servants.”
15 The king came back to the Jordan River, and the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring him across the Jordan River. 16 Shimei, Gera’s son from the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Bahurim, hurried down with the people of Judah to meet King David. 17 One thousand people from Benjamin were with him. And Ziba, the servant of Saul’s family, rushed to the Jordan River across from the king. Ziba brought his 15 sons and 20 servants. 18 They crossed the river to bring over the king’s family and to do anything else the king wanted.
Shimei, Gera’s son, bowed down in front of the king as he was going to cross the Jordan River. 19 He pleaded with the king, “Don’t remember the crime I committed the day you left Jerusalem. Don’t hold it against me or even think about it, Your Majesty. 20 I know I’ve sinned. Today I’ve come as the first of all the house of Joseph to meet you.”
21 But Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, replied, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for cursing the Lord’s anointed king?”
22 David responded, “Are you sure we’re from the same family, sons of Zeruiah? You are my enemies today. Should anyone in Israel be killed today? Don’t I know that I’m king of Israel again?”
23 The king promised Shimei, “You won’t die,” and the king swore to it.
24 Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went to meet the king. He had not tended to his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he came home safely. 25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”
26 He answered, “My servant deceived me, Your Majesty. Since I am disabled, I said, ‘Saddle the donkey for me, and I’ll ride on it and go with the king.’ 27 He told you lies about me, Your Majesty. However, you are like God’s Messenger. Do what you think is right. 28 You could have killed anyone in my entire family, Your Majesty. Instead, you’ve seated me with those who eat at your table. So I no longer have the right to complain to the king.”
29 The king asked him, “Why do you keep talking about it? I’ve said that you and Ziba should divide the land.”
30 “Let him take it all,” Mephibosheth told the king. “It’s enough for me that you’ve come home safely.”
31 Barzillai, the man from Gilead, came from Rogelim with the king to the Jordan River to send him on his way. 32 Barzillai was an elderly man, 80 years old. Because he was a very rich man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.
33 The king told Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. I’ll provide for you in Jerusalem.”
34 Barzillai replied, “I don’t have much longer to live. I shouldn’t go with Your Majesty to Jerusalem. 35 I’m 80 years old now. How can I tell what is pleasant and what is not? Can I taste what I eat or drink? Can I still hear the singing of men and women? Why should I now become a burden to you, Your Majesty? 36 I’ll just cross the Jordan River with you. Why should you give me such a reward? 37 Please let me go back so that I can die in my city near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Chimham. Let him go across with you. And do for him what you think is right.”
38 “Chimham will go across with me,” the king said. “I will do for him whatever you want. Anything you wish I’ll do for you.”
39 All the troops crossed the Jordan River, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai went back home.
40 The king crossed the river to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops from Judah and half of the troops from Israel brought the king across.
41 Then all the people of Israel kept coming to the king. They asked, “Why did our cousins, the people of Judah, kidnap you and bring Your Majesty and your family and men across the Jordan River?”
42 All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is our relative. Why are you angry about this? Did we eat the king’s food, or did he give us any gifts?”
43 The people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten times your interest in the king and a greater claim on David than you have. Why, then, do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?”
But the people of Judah spoke ⌞even⌟ more harshly than the people of Israel.
Sheba’s Rebellion
20 A good-for-nothing man by the name of Sheba, Bichri’s son, from the tribe of Benjamin happened to be at Gilgal. He blew a ram’s horn ⌞to announce⌟,
“We have no share in David’s kingdom.
We won’t receive an inheritance from Jesse’s son.
Everyone to his own tent, Israel!”
2 So all the people of Israel left David to follow Sheba, Bichri’s son. But the people of Judah remained loyal to their king ⌞on his way⌟ from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3 When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines [s] he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but no longer slept with them. So they lived like widows in confinement until they died.
4 The king told Amasa, “Call the people of Judah together for me, and in three days be here yourself.” 5 Amasa went to call Judah together, but he took longer to do it than David had given him.
6 David then told Abishai, “Sheba, son of Bichri, will do us more harm than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or he will find some fortified cities and take the best ones for himself.”
7 So Joab’s men, the Cherethites, Pelethites, and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, Bichri’s son. 8 When they were at the large rock in Gibeon, Amasa met them there. Joab wore a military uniform, and strapped over it at his hip was a sword in a scabbard. As he stepped forward, the sword dropped ⌞into his hand⌟. 9 “How are you, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. He took hold of Amasa’s beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa wasn’t on his guard against the sword in Joab’s ⌞left⌟ hand. Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and his intestines poured out on the ground. (He died without being stabbed again.) Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, son of Bichri. 11 One of Joab’s young men stood beside Amasa [t] and said, “Anyone who favors Joab and is on David’s side should follow Joab.” 12 Amasa was wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road. When the man saw that all the troops stopped as they came to the body, he carried Amasa from the road to the field and threw a sheet over him. 13 As soon as he was moved from the road, everyone followed Joab and pursued Sheba, Bichri’s son.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel (Beth Maacah). All the Berites were gathered together and followed him to the city. 15 Joab’s army came and attacked him in Abel (Beth Maacah). They put up a dirt ramp against the city, and it stood level with the outer wall. All the troops with Joab were trying to destroy the wall and tear it down.
16 Then a clever woman called from the city, “Listen, listen! Tell Joab to come here so that I can talk to him.”
17 He came near, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
“Listen to what I have to say,” she told him.
“I’m listening,” he answered.
18 So she said, “There’s an old saying: ‘Be sure to ask at Abel ⌞before doing anything⌟. That’s the way they settle matters.’ 19 We are peaceful and faithful Israelites. Are you trying to destroy a mother city in Israel? Why should you swallow up what belongs to the Lord?”
20 Joab answered, “That’s unthinkable! I don’t wish to swallow ⌞it⌟ up or destroy ⌞it⌟. 21 That isn’t the case. A man from the mountains of Ephraim by the name of Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Give him to me, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
“That’s fine,” the woman told Joab. “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.” 22 Then the woman went to all the people with her clever plan. They cut off Sheba’s head and threw it to Joab. He blew the ram’s horn, and everyone scattered and withdrew from the city and went home. Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23 Now, Joab was put in charge of Israel’s whole army. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites. 24 Adoram was in charge of forced labor. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the royal historian. 25 Sheva was the royal scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. 26 And Ira, a descendant of Jair, was a priest to David.
David and the People of Gibeon
21 In the time of David, there was a famine for three successive years, and David asked the Lord’s advice about it. The Lord answered, “It’s because of Saul and his family. They are guilty of murder because they killed the people of Gibeon.”
2 (The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. Although the Israelites had sworn ⌞to spare them⌟, Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah.)
The king called the Gibeonites 3 and asked them, “What can I do for you? What should I ⌞give you⌟ to make peace with you so that you will bless what belongs to the Lord?”
4 “We do not want silver or gold from Saul’s family,” the Gibeonites answered him. “And none of us wants to kill ⌞anyone⌟ in Israel.”
The king asked, “What are you saying that I should do for you?”
5 They answered the king, “Give us seven of the male descendants of the man who wanted to finish us off. He planned to wipe us out to keep us from staying anywhere in Israel’s territory. 6 We will execute them in the Lord’s presence at Saul’s town Gibeah.” (It was Saul whom the Lord had chosen.)
“I will give them ⌞to you⌟,” the king said.
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, because of the oath in the Lord’s name between David and Jonathan, son of Saul. 8 The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter) gave birth to for Saul, and five sons whom Merab [u] (Saul’s daughter) gave birth to for Adriel, son of Barzillai from Meholah. 9 The king handed them over to the Gibeonites, who executed them on the mountain in the Lord’s presence. All seven died together. They were killed at the beginning of the harvest, when people started harvesting barley.
10 Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter) took sackcloth and stretched it out on the rock for herself from the beginning of the harvest until the sky rained on the dead bodies. She wouldn’t let any birds land on them during the day or any wild animals come near them during the night.
11 When David was told what Saul’s concubine [v] Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter) had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shean, where the Philistines had hung them the day they killed Saul at Gilboa. 13 When David brought up the bones of Saul and Jonathan, his men gathered the bones of those who had been executed. 14 Then they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin, in Zela, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king ordered. After that, God answered the prayers for the land.
The Giants of the Philistines Defeated(B)
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. So David and his men went to fight the Philistines, but David became exhausted. 16 A descendant of Haraphah named Benob, who had a bronze spear weighing 7½ pounds which he wore on a new belt, captured David and intended to kill him. 17 But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to help David. He attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore an oath, saying, “You’ll never go into battle with us again. The lamp of Israel must never be extinguished.”
18 After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of Haraphah. 19 When more fighting broke out with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, son of Jaare Oregim from Bethlehem, killed Goliath of Gath. (The shaft of Goliath’s spear was like a beam used by weavers.) 20 In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had a total of 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah. 21 When he challenged Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him. 22 These four were descendants of Haraphah from Gath, and David and his men killed them.
David’s Song of Deliverance(C)
22 David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. 2 He said,
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior,
3 my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield,
the strength of my salvation, my stronghold,
my refuge, and my Savior who saved me from violence.
4 The Lord should be praised.
I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.
5 The waves of death had surrounded me.
The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
6 The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
The clutches of death had confronted me.
7 I called on the Lord in my distress.
I called to my God for help.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help reached his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and quaked.
Even the foundations of the heavens trembled.
They shook violently because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
Glowing coals flared up from it.
10 He spread apart the heavens
and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
11 He rode on one of the angels [w] as he flew,
and he soared on the wings of the wind.
12 He surrounded himself with darkness.
He made the dark rain clouds his covering.
13 Out of the brightness in front of him, he made lightning.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven.
The Most High made his voice heard.
15 He shot arrows and scattered them.
He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
16 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
The foundations of the earth were laid bare
at the Lord’s stern warning,
at the blast of the breath from his nostrils.
17 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
He pulled me out of the raging water.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
because they were too strong for me.
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.