Study Desk

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."

Uriah said to David, "The Holy Box and the soldiers of Israel and Judah are staying in tents. My lord Joab and my lord's officers are camping out in the field. So it is not right for me to go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife. As surely as you live, I will not do this."

Bathsheba heard that her husband Uriah had died, so she mourned for him.

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.

"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."

Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord ." Nathan said to David, "The Lord will forgive you, even for this sin. You will not die.

But you did things that made the Lord 's enemies lose their respect for him, so your new baby son will die."

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.

Then David got up from the floor. He washed himself. He changed his clothes and got dressed. Then he went into the Lord 's house to worship. After that he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.

David said, "While the baby was still living, I cried and refused to eat because I thought, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.'

and sent word for Nathan the prophet to give Solomon the name Jedidiah. So Nathan did this for the Lord .

She was a virgin. Amnon wanted her very much, but he did not think it was possible for him to have her. He thought about her so much that he made himself sick.

So Amnon lay down in bed and pretended to be sick. King David came in to see Amnon. He said to King David, "Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make two cakes for me while I watch. Then I can eat from her hands."

David sent messengers to Tamar's house. They told her, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and make some food for him."

Then Tamar took the cakes out of the pan and set them out for him. But he refused to eat. He said to his servants, "Get out of here. Leave me alone!" So all of his servants left the room.

King David said to Absalom, "No, son. We will not all go. It will be too much trouble for you." Absalom begged David to go. David did not go, but he did give his blessing.

David cried for his son every day. Absalom ran away to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.

After Absalom had run away to Geshur, he stayed there for three years.

So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. Joab said to this wise woman, "Please pretend to be very sad. Put on sackcloth. Don't dress up. Act like a woman who has been crying many days for someone who died.

Then the king said to the woman, "Go home. I will take care of things for you."