Study Desk

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years.

He ruled in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years, and in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

And so David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and was making his kingdom prosperous for the sake of his people.

They brought the Box and put it in its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to the Lord .

Afterward, when David went home to greet his family, Michal came out to meet him. "The king of Israel made a big name for himself today!" she said. "He exposed himself like a fool in the sight of the servant women of his officials!"

"Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.

I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants.

He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever.

Then King David went into the Tent of the Lord 's presence, sat down and prayed, "Sovereign Lord , I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, nor is my family.

There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for them have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove out other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own.

"And now, Lord God, fulfill for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would.

Your fame will be great, and people will forever say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel.' And you will preserve my dynasty for all time.

David captured seventeen hundred of his cavalry and twenty thousand of his foot soldiers. He kept enough horses for a hundred chariots and crippled all the rest.

So he sent his son Joram to greet King David and congratulate him for his victory over Hadadezer, against whom Toi had fought many times. Joram took David presents made of gold, silver, and bronze.

King David dedicated them for use in worship, along with the silver and gold he took from the nations he had conquered—

One day David asked, "Is there anyone left of Saul's family? If there is, I would like to show him kindness for Jonathan's sake."

So King David sent for him.

"Don't be afraid," David replied. "I will be kind to you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always be welcome at my table."

You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land for your master Saul's family and bring in the harvest, to provide food for them. But Mephibosheth himself will always be a guest at my table." (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

They were too ashamed to return home. When David heard about what had happened, he sent word for them to stay in Jericho and not return until their beards had grown again.