Study Desk

NOW it came to pass when David dwelt in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house which is covered with the beams of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is resting in the midst of the tent of hair of goats.

He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

I will be his father and he shall be my son; and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from Saul, who was before you.

But I will make him a ruler in my house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for evermore.

Therefore now, O LORD, let the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

For thou, O my God, hast revealed the secret to thy servant, and hast said to him, Build for yourself a house; therefore thy servant has set in his heart to pray before thee this prayer.

Then David slew Hadarezer the king of Nisibin, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

And he sent Jehoram his son to David to inquire of his welfare and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadarezer and killed him (for Hadarezer was a valiant warrior) and Jehoram had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.

NOW it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son Hanun reigned in his stead.

And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So Davids servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David really did honor your father when he was alive and that he has truly sent comforters to you? It is for the purpose of spying the city and knowing the entrances and the exits that David has sent his servants to us.

And the rest of the people he placed under the command of Abishai his brother, and they pitched battle against the children of Ammon.

Be of good courage, and let us be strong for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.

And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and he weighed it and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and David set it upon his head; and he brought also much spoil out of the city.

These four were born to the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

And Joab said to King David, May the LORD make his people a hundred times so many more as they are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it, for they are all his servants; why then should our lord the king require this thing?

And David said .to Gad, I am in a great distress; let me be delivered into the hands of the LORD; for his mercies are very great; but let me not be delivered into the hand of men.

And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were with him clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

And David saw the angel who was destroying the people, that he had stayed his hand and was destroying no more.