Study Desk

That day David said to his men, "To defeat the Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. Then you can reach those ‘crippled' and ‘blind' enemies. This is why people say, ‘The blind and the crippled may not enter the palace.'"

Then David knew that the Lord really had made him king of Israel and that the Lord had made his kingdom great because the Lord loved his people Israel.

The Philistines left their idols behind at Baal Perazim, so David and his men carried them away.

Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord All-Powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings.

The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom's house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

Then David danced with all his might before the Lord . He had on a holy linen vest.

David went back to bless the people in his home, but Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "With what honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!"

King David was living in his palace, and the Lord had given him peace from all his enemies around him.

But that night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan,

"‘When you die and join your ancestors, I will make one of your sons the next king, and I will set up his kingdom.

He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips.

There is no nation like your people Israel. They are the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made your name well known. You did great and wonderful miracles for them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations and their gods out of the land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze.

He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

David was king over all Israel, and he did what was fair and right for all his people.

Then King David called Saul's servant Ziba. David said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son Hanun became king after him.

David said, "Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be loyal to his son Hanun." So David sent his messengers 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 because they were very ashamed. King David said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home."