2 Samuel 8–9; 1 Chronicles 17–19

1Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.

4David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

7And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

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

9When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

10he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,

11and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—

12from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

15Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:

16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

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

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

1Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”

2And there was a servant of the house of Saul named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.

3So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”

4“Where is he?” replied the king. And Ziba said, “Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”

5So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

6And when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown in reverence. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied.

7“Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”

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

10You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

11And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons.

12And Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.

13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet.

1After David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”

2And Nathan replied to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

3But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

4“Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.

5For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling.

6In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

7Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.

8I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like that of the greatest in the land.

9And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning

10and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you.

11And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

12He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever.

13I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor.

14But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.”

15So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire revelation.

16Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

17And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant and have regarded me as a man of great distinction, O LORD God.

18What more can David say to You for honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant,

19O LORD. For the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and made known all these great promises.

20O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.

21And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself? You made a name for Yourself through great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt.

22For You have made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

23And now, O LORD, let the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You have promised,

24so that Your name will be established and magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.’ And may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

25For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. Therefore Your servant has found the courage to pray before You.

26And now, O LORD, You are God! And You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

27So now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

1Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.

4David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

7And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

8And from Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and various bronze articles.

9When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

10he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze,

11and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all these nations—from Edom and Moab, and from the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites.

12Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

13He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

14Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:

15Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

16Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was the scribe;

17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

1Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.

2And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,

3the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

4So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.

5When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.

8On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.

9The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.

10When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.

11And he placed the rest of the troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

12“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.

13Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

14So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

15When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

17When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.

18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.

19When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.