Study Desk

People told Joab what had happened, "Look, the king is crying and mourning for Absalom."

So the joy of victory turned to sadness for everyone. It was a very sad day because the people heard, "The king is mourning for his son."

Now get up and go encourage your officers. I swear by the Lord , if you don't go out and do that right now, not one man will be with you tonight. And that will be worse for you than all the trouble you have had since you were a child."

So the king went to the city gate. The news spread that the king was at the gate, so all the people came to see him, except for the Israelites who had run away to their homes.

Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Let's kill him for all the bad things he said about the Lord 's chosen king."

Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, came down to meet King David. Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem.

Mephibosheth answered, "My lord and king, my servant tricked me. I am crippled so I said to my servant, Ziba, ‘Go saddle a donkey for me so that I can go with the king.'

The king answered, "Kimham will go back with me. I will be kind to him for you. I will do anything for you."

Amasa didn't see the knife that was now in Joab's other hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly, and Amasa's intestines spilled out on the ground. There was no need for Joab to stab him again; he was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai resumed the chase after Sheba son of Bicri.

Then the woman said, "In the past people would say, ‘Ask for help in Abel and you will get what you need.'

While David was king, there was a famine that continued for three years. So David prayed to the Lord . And the Lord answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for the famine, because he killed the Gibeonites."

(The Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were a group of Amorites. The Israelites had promised not to hurt them, but Saul tried to kill the Gibeonites. He did this because of his strong feelings for the people of Israel and Judah.) King David called the Gibeonites together and talked to them.

David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you? What can I do to take away Israel's sin, so that you can bless the Lord 's people?"

The Gibeonites said to David, "There isn't enough gold and silver for Saul's family to pay for what they did. But we don't have the right to kill anyone else in Israel." David said, "Well, what can I do for you?"

He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place, my place of safety, high in the hills. He is my savior, the one who rescues me from the cruel enemy.

I called to the Lord for help, and he saved me from my enemies. He is worthy of my praise!

In my trouble I called to the Lord . Yes, I cried out to my God for help. There in his temple he heard my voice. He heard my cry for help.

He saved me from my powerful enemies, who hated me. They were too strong for me, so he saved me.

The Lord rewarded me for doing what is right. He was good to me because I am innocent.

So the Lord rewarded me for doing what is right. He could see that I am innocent.