Study Desk

David was really frightened and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather have him punish us than for anyone else to do it."

So that morning, the Lord sent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba. And before it was over, seventy thousand people had died. When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, "That's enough! Don't touch them." This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.

That same day the prophet Gad came and told David, "Go to the threshing place that belongs to Araunah and build an altar there for the Lord ." So David went.

Araunah said, "Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boards and the wooden yokes for the fire.

But David answered, "No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the Lord my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing." So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver.

Then he built an altar for the Lord . He sacrificed animals and burned them on the altar. The Lord answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.

His officials said, "Your Majesty, we will look for a young woman to take care of you. She can lie down beside you and keep you warm."

and bowed down. "What can I do for you?" David asked.

Your Majesty, everyone in Israel is waiting for you to announce who will be the next king.

Adonijah himself was afraid of what Solomon might do to him, so he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.

"You know that I was king for a little while," Adonijah replied. "And everyone in Israel accepted me as their ruler. But the Lord wanted my brother to be king, so now things have changed.

Solomon said: What? Let my older brother marry Abishag? You may as well ask me to let him rule the kingdom! And why don't you ask such favors for Abiathar and Joab?

I swear in the name of the Lord that Adonijah will die because he asked for this! If he doesn't, I pray that God will severely punish me.

Solomon sent for Abiathar the priest and said: Abiathar, go back home to Anathoth! You ought to be killed too, but I won't do it now. When my father David was king, you were in charge of the sacred chest, and you went through a lot of hard times with my father.

Joab had not helped Absalom try to become king, but he had helped Adonijah. So when Joab learned that Adonijah had been killed, he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.

When Solomon heard about this, he sent someone to ask Joab, "Why did you run to the altar?" Joab sent back his answer, "I was afraid of you, and I ran to the Lord for protection." Then Solomon shouted, "Benaiah, go kill Joab!"

Solomon replied: Do what Joab said. Kill him and bury him! Then my family and I won't be responsible for what he did to Abner the commander of Israel's army and to Amasa the commander of Judah's army. He killed those innocent men without my father knowing about it. Both of them were better men than Joab. Now the Lord will make him pay for those murders.

Solomon sent for Shimei and said, "Build a house here in Jerusalem and live in it. But whatever you do, don't leave the city!

Solomon sent for him and said: Shimei, you promised in the name of the Lord that you would never leave Jerusalem. I warned you that you would die if you did. You agreed that this was fair, didn't you?

I know you remember all the cruel things you did to my father David. Now the Lord is going to punish you for what you did.