Study Desk

Hadadezer had fought against Toi in the past, so Toi sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted him and blessed him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him. Joram brought gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.

He put teams of soldiers throughout Edom, and the whole nation became his servants. The Lord gave victory to him wherever he went.

David ruled over all Israel, and he made good and fair decisions for all of his people.

Then King David sent some of his officers to Lo Debar to bring Jonathan's son from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

Jonathan's son Mephibosheth came to David and bowed with his face low to the floor. David said, "Mephibosheth?" Mephibosheth said, "Yes sir, it is I, your servant Mephibosheth."

Later King Nahash of the Ammonites died. His son Hanun became the new king after him.

David said, "Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son Hanun." So David sent his officers to comfort Hanun about his father's death. David's officers went to the land of the Ammonites.

When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet his officers. He did this because these men were very ashamed. King David said, "Wait at Jericho until your beards grow again. Then come back home."

Then Joab gave the other men to his brother Abishai to lead against the Ammonites.

Then Joab and his men attacked the Arameans. The Arameans ran away from Joab and his men.

In the spring, when kings go out to war, David sent Joab, his officers, and all the Israelites out to destroy the Ammonites. Joab's army surrounded their capital city, Rabbah. David stayed in Jerusalem.

One evening he got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his house. From there he saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful,

so David sent for his officers and asked them who she was. An officer answered, "That is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam. She is the wife of Uriah the Hittite."

"The king might get upset and ask, ‘Why did Joab's army go that close to the city to fight? Surely he knows that there are men on the city walls who can shoot arrows down at his men?

After her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David's wife and gave birth to a son for David. But the Lord did not like what David had done.

But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb that he bought. The poor man fed the lamb, and the lamb grew up with this poor man and his children. She ate from the poor man's food and drank from his cup. The lamb slept on the poor man's chest. The lamb was like a daughter to the poor man.

"Then a traveler stopped to visit the rich man. The rich man wanted to give food to the traveler, but he did not want to take any of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler. No, the rich man took the lamb from the poor man and cooked it for his visitor."

I let you take his family and his wives, and I made you king of Israel and Judah. As if that had not been enough, I would have given you more and more.

So why did you ignore my command? Why did you do what I say is wrong? You let the Ammonites kill Uriah the Hittite, and you took his wife. It is as if you yourself killed Uriah in war.

David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there and lay on the ground all night.