Study Desk

Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you let him go, so that he is already gone?

So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of his brother Asahel.

So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

Then all the people came to provide food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, "May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down."

So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest.

Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; so the LORD has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants."

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD in Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel.

So David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

And the Philistines abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.

So David inquired of the LORD, but He said, "You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs.

Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him; he struck and killed the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.

So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"

Now it was reported to King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God." So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy.

And so it was, that when those carrying the ark of the LORD marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer.

So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

But David said to Michal, "I was before the LORD, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. So I will celebrate before the LORD!

"And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously,