Study Desk

^(C1)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and ^(F1)said, "Behold, we are ^(C2)your bone and your flesh.

"Previously, when Saul was king over us, ^(C1)you were the one who led Israel ^(F1)out and in. And the LORD said to you, '^(C2)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ^(C3)a leader over Israel.'"

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^(C1)made a covenant with them before the LORD in Hebron; then ^(C2)they anointed David king over Israel.

David was ^(C1)thirty years old when he became king, and ^(C2)he reigned for forty years.

At Hebron ^(C1)he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

^(C1)Now the king and his men went to ^(C2)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they said to ^(F1)David, "You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away," ^(F2)thinking, "David cannot enter here."

Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, ^(C1)the city of David.

And 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."

So David lived in the stronghold, and called it ^(C1)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^(F1)(C2)Millo and inward.

^(C1)David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of armies was with him.

^(C1)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and ^(F1)stonemasons; and they built a house for David.

And 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.

Meanwhile ^(C1)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David.

Now ^(C1)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, ^(C1)all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard about it, he went down to the ^(C2)stronghold.

Now the Philistines came and overran ^(C1)the Valley of Rephaim.

So ^(C1)David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?" And ^(C2)the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

Then David came to ^(C1)Baal-perazim and ^(F1)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 ^(F2)Baal-perazim.

And the Philistines abandoned their idols there, so ^(C1)David and his men carried them away.

Now ^(C1)the Philistines came up once again and overran the Valley of Rephaim.

So ^(C1)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.

"And it shall be, when ^(C1)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall ^(F1)act promptly, for then ^(C2)the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him; he struck and killed the Philistines from ^(F1)(C1)Geba ^(F2)as far as ^(C2)Gezer.

^(C1)Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

And David ^(F1)departed from ^(F2)(C1)Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^(C2)Name, the very name of the LORD of armies who ^(C3)is ^(F3)enthroned above the cherubim.

They had mounted the ark of God on ^(C1)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.

So ^(C1)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.

Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel ^(C1)were celebrating before the LORD ^(C2)with all kinds of instruments made of juniper wood, and with ^(F1)lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

But when they came to the ^(C1)threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah ^(C2)reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it.

And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and ^(C1)God struck him down there for ^(F1)his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

Then David became angry because ^(F1)of the LORD'S outburst against Uzzah; and that place has been called ^(F2)Perez-uzzah to this day.

So ^(C1)David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"

And 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 ^(C1)Obed-edom, the Gittite.

The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD ^(C1)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

Now 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." ^(C1)So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to ^(C2)the city of David with joy.

And so it was, that ^(F1)when ^(C1)those carrying the ark of the LORD marched six paces, he sacrificed an ^(C2)ox and a fattened steer.

And ^(C1)David was dancing before the LORD with all his strength, and David was ^(C2)wearing a linen ephod.

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

Then it happened, as the ark of the LORD was coming into the city of David, that ^(C1)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.

Now they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it ^(C1)in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^(C2)David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, ^(C1)he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of armies.

Further, 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.

But 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 ^(C1)he exposed himself today in the sight of his servants' female slaves, as one of the ^(C2)rabble shamelessly exposes himself!"

But David said to Michal, "^(C1)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 ^(F1)celebrate before the LORD!

"And 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!"

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

^(C1)Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

that the king said to ^(C1)Nathan the prophet, "See now, I live in ^(C2)a house of cedar, but the ark of God ^(C3)remains within the tent."

Nathan said to the king, "^(C1)Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you."

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

"Go and say to My servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)Should you build Me a house for My dwelling?

"For ^(C1)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 ^(C2)in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place.

"^(C1)Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^(C2)whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'"'

"Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: 'This is what the LORD of armies says: "^(C1)I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^(C2)to be leader over My people Israel.

"And ^(C1)I have been with you wherever you have gone, and ^(C2)have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who ^(F1)are on the earth.

"And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and ^(C1)will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, ^(C2)nor will ^(F1)malicious people oppress them anymore as previously,

even ^(C1)from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and ^(C2)I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that ^(C3)the LORD will make a house for you.

"^(C1)When your days are finished and you ^(F1)(C2)lie down with your fathers, ^(C3)I will raise up your ^(F2)descendant after you, who will come from ^(F3)you, and I will establish his kingdom.

"^(C1)He shall build a house for My name, and ^(C2)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

"^(C1)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^(C2)when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind,

but My favor shall not depart from him, ^(C1)as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you.

"^(C1)Your house and your kingdom shall endure before ^(F1)Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."'"

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

Then David the king came in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "^(C1)Who am I, Lord ^(F1)GOD, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far?

"And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord GOD, ^(C1)for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And ^(C2)this is the ^(F1)custom of mankind, Lord GOD.

"Again what more can David say to You? For ^(C1)You know Your servant, Lord GOD!

"^(C1)For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.

"For this reason ^(C1)You are great, Lord GOD; for ^(C2)there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, ^(C3)according to all that we have heard with our ears.

"And ^(C1)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 ^(C2)to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, ^(F1)because of ^(C3)Your people whom ^(C4)You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods?

"For ^(C1)You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and ^(C2)You, LORD, have become their God.

"Now 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,

^(C1)so 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.

"For You, LORD of armies, God of Israel, have ^(F1)given a revelation to Your servant, saying, '^(C1)I will build you a house'; therefore Your servant has found ^(F2)courage to pray this prayer to You.

"Now then, Lord GOD, You are God, and ^(C1)Your words are truth; and You have ^(F1)promised this good thing to Your servant.

"And now, may ^(F1)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 ^(F2)(C1)with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever."

Now it happened afterward that David ^(F1)defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took ^(F2)control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.

^(C1)And he ^(F1)defeated ^(C2)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 ^(C3)the Moabites became servants to David, ^(C4)bringing tribute.

Then David ^(F1)defeated ^(C1)Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as ^(C2)he went to restore his ^(F2)power at the Euphrates River.

And David captured from him ^(F1)1,700 horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David ^(C1)hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.

When ^(C1)the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David ^(F1)killed twenty-two thousand men among the Arameans.

Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and ^(C1)the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And ^(C2)the LORD helped David wherever he went.

David took the shields of gold which were ^(F1)carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

And from ^(F1)Betah and ^(C1)Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.

Now when Toi king of ^(C1)Hamath heard that David had ^(F1)defeated the whole army of Hadadezer,

Toi sent his son ^(F1)Joram to King David to ^(F2)greet him and bless him, because he had fought Hadadezer and ^(F3)defeated him; for Hadadezer ^(F4)had been at war with Toi. And ^(F5)Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze.

King David also ^(C1)consecrated these gifts to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations which he had subdued:

from ^(F1)Aram, ^(C1)Moab, ^(C2)the sons of Ammon, ^(C3)the Philistines, ^(C4)Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

So ^(C1)David made a name for himself when he returned from ^(F1)killing eighteen thousand ^(F2)Arameans in ^(C2)the Valley of Salt.

He also put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and ^(C1)all the Edomites became servants to David. And ^(C2)the LORD helped David wherever he went.

So David reigned over all Israel; and David ^(F1)administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

^(C1)Joab the son of Zeruiah was commander over the army, and ^(C2)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was ^(C3)secretary.

^(C1)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were ^(C2)priests, and Seraiah was ^(C3)scribe.

^(C1)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ^(F1)was over the ^(C2)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were ^(F2)(C3)chief ministers.

Then David said, "Is there ^(F1)anyone still left of the house of Saul, ^(C1)so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

Now 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 ^(C1)Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant."

Then the king said, "Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the ^(C1)kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "^(C2)There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet."

So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is ^(C1)in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

Then King David sent ^(F1)messengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

^(C1)Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and ^(C2)fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"

Then David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for ^(C1)I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I ^(C2)will restore to you all the ^(F1)land of your ^(F2)grandfather Saul; and ^(C3)you yourself shall ^(F3)eat at my table regularly."

Again he prostrated himself, and said, "What is your servant, that you should be concerned about ^(C1)a dead dog like me?"

Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "^(C1)Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's ^(F1)grandson.

"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 will have food ^(F1)to eat; nevertheless ^(C1)Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, ^(C2)shall ^(F2)eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then Ziba said to the king, "In accordance ^(C1)with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth ate at ^(F1)David's table as one of the king's sons.

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

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because ^(C1)he ate at the king's table regularly. And ^(C2)he was disabled in his two feet.