Study Desk

He answered, "My master, my servant Ziba tricked me! I said to Ziba, ‘I am crippled, so saddle a donkey. Then I will ride it so I can go with the king.'

You could have killed all my grandfather's family. Instead, you put me with those people who eat at your own table. So I don't have a right to ask anything more from the king!"

Then let me go back so I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Kimham, your servant. Let him go with you, my master and king. Do with him whatever you want."

The Israelites answered the people of Judah, "We have ten tribes in the kingdom, so we have more right to David than you do! But you ignored us! We were the first ones to talk about bringing our king back!" But the people of Judah spoke even more unkindly than the people of Israel.

So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people of Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.

David came back to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women there to take care of the palace. Now he put them in a locked house. He gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. So they lived like widows until they died.

So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he took more time than the king had said.

So Joab's men, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem to chase Sheba son of Bicri.

Amasa was not watching the sword in Joab's hand. So Joab pushed the sword into Amasa's stomach, causing Amasa's insides to spill onto the ground. Joab did not have to stab Amasa again; he was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to chase Sheba son of Bicri.

So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and surrounded it. They piled dirt up against the city wall, and they began hacking at the walls to bring them down.

So Joab came near her. She asked him, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "Yes, I am." Then she said, "Listen to what I say." Joab said, "I'm listening."

Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the wall to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and the army left the city. Every man returned home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

During the time David was king, there was a shortage of food that lasted for three years. So David prayed to the Lord . The Lord answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for this shortage, because he killed the Gibeonites."

He asked, "What can I do for you? How can I make up for the harm done so you can bless the Lord 's people?"

So bring seven of his sons to us. Then we will kill them and hang them on stakes in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, the Lord 's chosen king." The king said, "I will give them to you."

He trains my hands for battle so my arms can bend a bronze bow.

You give me a better way to live, so I live as you want me to.

I destroyed and crushed them so they couldn't rise up again. They fell beneath my feet.

So I will praise you, Lord , among the nations. I will sing praises to your name.

But Eleazar stayed where he was and fought the Philistines until he was so tired his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory for the Israelites that day. The troops came back after Eleazar had won the battle, but only to take weapons and armor from the enemy.