Study Desk

Is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for it is he who fulfils all my desire and all my decrees.

But the ungodly are all like hard thorns, for they cannot be gathered with hands;

And David longed for water and said, O that one would give me a drink of water from the great well which is in the city of Beth-lehem!

But Davids heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, for I have done very foolishly.

Then David answered and said to the prophet Gad, I am greatly distressed; it is better for me to be punished by the hand of the LORD our God; for his mercies are great: let us not be punished by the hand of men.

Then Aran said to David, Let my lord the king take what seems good to him; behold, here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and the ploughshare and the yokes for fuel.

And the king said to Aran, No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; and I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God of that which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor by the garden and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

Wherefore his servants said to him, Behold, your servants are before you, let them seek for our lord the king a young virgin; and let her wait upon the king, and let her minister to him, and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may get warm.

So they sought for a beautiful maiden throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag a Shilommite, and brought her to the king.

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the kings sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him and saying, Long live King Adonijah!

Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord King David live for ever.

Then you shall come after him, and he shall sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead; I have appointed him to be king over Israel and over Judah.

And while he was still speaking, behold, Nathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said to him, Come in; for you are a valiant man, and you bring good tidings.

But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at your table; for so they ministered to me in everything when I fled from Absalom your brother.

Now therefore hold him not guiltless; for you are a wise man, and know what you ought to do to him; and bring his folly on his head; and you shall bring down his hoary head with blood to Sheol.

And he said to her, You know that the kingdom rightly was mine, and that all Israel were looking forward to me to be king over them; but the kingdom was taken from me and is become my brothers; for it was his from the LORD.

And he said to her, Speak to King Solomon (for he will not refuse you) that he give me Abishag the Shilommite to wife.

And Bath-sheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king.