Study Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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