Study Desk

But David answered Rekhav and Ba‘anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be'eroti, "As Adonai lives, who has rescued me from every kind of difficulty,

when someone told me, ‘Here, Sha'ul is dead,' thinking to himself that he was bringing good news, I didn't reward him for his news but seized him and killed him in Ziklag.

How much more, when criminals have killed an innocent man in his own house on his own bed, shouldn't I hold you responsible for his death and rid the earth of you?"

David then gave the order to his men, and they put them to death, cutting off their hands and feet and hanging them up next to the pool at Hevron. But they took the head of Ish-Boshet and buried it in Avner's grave at Hevron.

David was thirty years old when he began his rule, and he ruled forty years.

The king and his men went to Yerushalayim to attack the Y'vusi, the inhabitants of that region. They taunted David, "You won't get in here! Even the blind and the lame could fend you off!" — in other words, they were thinking, "David will never get in here."

David then knew that Adonai had set him up as king over Isra'el and increased his royal power for the sake of his people.

The P'lishtim had left their idols there, so David and his men took them away.

David did exactly as Adonai had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the P'lishtim from Geva all the way to Gezer.

When they arrived at Nakhon's threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God.

But Adonai 's anger blazed up against ‘Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense, so that he died there by the ark of God.

The ark of Adonai stayed in the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti for three months; and Adonai blessed ‘Oved-Edom and all his household.

When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul came out to meet him and said, "Such honor the king of Isra'el earned for himself today — exposing himself before his servants' slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!"

David answered Mikhal, "In the presence of Adonai — who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over Adonai 's people, over Isra'el — I will celebrate in the presence of Adonai !

After the king had been living in his palace awhile and Adonai had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership.

He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever.

So now, Adonai , God, establish forever the word you have spoken to your servant and his house; do what you have promised.

David, on his way to establish his dominion as far as the Euphrates River, also defeated Hadad‘ezer the son of Rechov king of Tzovah.

To‘i sent Yoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadad‘ezer, for Hadad‘ezer had been at war with To‘i. Yoram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold and articles of bronze,