Study Desk

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

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 Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant."

But the woman conceived; so she sent word and informed David, and said, "I am pregnant."

"This is what the LORD says: 'Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.

"But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me."

And he said to him, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."

And the king said to her, "What is troubling you?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak."

"But if He says this: 'I have no delight in you,' then here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him."

"See, I am going to wait at the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

David then said, "What is there between you and me, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?"

"I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I still hear the voice of men and women singing? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your slave." And he said, "I am listening."

"I am one of those who are ready for peace and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

"I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

"Go and speak to David, 'This is what the LORD says: "I am imposing upon you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you."'"

Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands."

"I am going the way of all the earth. So be strong, and prove yourself a man.

"So now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me." And she said to him, "Speak."

Then she said, "I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you."