Study Desk

Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people nations and their gods?

And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, O Lord , became their God.

And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised.

Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord , and said, "Who am I, O Lord God , and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God ; you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God ! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God ! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, so that your servant may know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people nations and their gods? And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, O Lord , became their God. And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David will be established before you.

For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house'; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

And now, O Lord God , you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;

now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God , have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever."

The king said, "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" Ziba said to the king, "There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet."

Be strong, and let us be courageous for the sake of our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him."

Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;

David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.

Then she said, "Please, may the king keep the Lord your God in mind, so that the avenger of blood may kill no more, and my son not be destroyed." He said, "As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

The woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.

We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. But God will not take away a life; he will devise plans so as not to keep an outcast banished forever from his presence.

For the king will hear, and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would cut both me and my son off from the heritage of God.'

Your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest'; for my lord the king is like the angel of God, discerning good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!"

In order to change the course of affairs your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth."

Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, until the people had all passed out of the city.

Then the king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord , he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays.

So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.