Study Desk

Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and from where are you? The young man said, "I am an Egyptian young man, a servant of an Amalekite man, but my master abandoned me because I became ill three days ago.

But David said to them, "You should not do so, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us! He has preserved us and has given the raiding band that came against us into our hand.

Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised do not come and thrust me through and make a fool of me!" But his armor bearer was not willing to do so because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

But Abner the son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right or to your left; seize for yourself one of the young men, and take his belongings for yourself." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from him.

But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of the spear, and the spear went out of his back. He fell there and he died on the spot. Then all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died just stood there.

The battle was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David was growing stronger and stronger while the house of Saul was becoming weaker and weaker.

But her husband went with her, weeping all along after her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go and return." So he returned.

And look, the servants of David and Joab came from the raid, and they brought much plunder with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace.

Then Joab went out from David, and he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from Bor Hasirah, but David did not know it.

Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them, and they cut off their hands and their feet, and they hung them at the pool at Hebron, but the head of Ish-Bosheth they took and buried in the grave of Abner at Hebron.

When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David as king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, but David heard and went down to the stronghold.

So David inquired of Yahweh, but he said, "You shall not go up. Rather, go around to their rear and come to them from opposite the balsam trees.

But David feared Yahweh on that day and said, "How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?"

I will demean myself again more than this, and I will be abased in my eyes, but with the maids whom you mentioned, with them I will be honored."

And the king said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, please, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is staying in the middle of the tent."

But it happened that night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying,

But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

David captured from him one thousand and seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but from them he spared a hundred chariot horses.

Then the king said, "But is there still anyone of Saul's household that I may show the loyal love of God with him?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in the feet."