Study Desk

"But the worthless, every one of them, are like scattered thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;

But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

So the three mighty men forced their way into the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Yet he would not drink it, but poured it out as an offering to the LORD;

And he killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain the reputation of the three. And David appointed him over his bodyguard.

But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

Now David's heart troubled him after he had counted the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, LORD, please overlook the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

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."

Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father's house!"

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

Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with garments, but he could not keep warm.

The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not become intimate with her.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

"But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it.

"He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.

"But me, even me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.

But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, "On the contrary! Our lord King David has made Solomon king!

And Solomon said, "If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die."

"And behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjaminite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a painful curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'