Study Desk

It happened, when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about,

When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

Now, LORD God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm you it forever, and do as you have spoken.

For you, LORD of Hosts, the God of Yisra'el, have revealed to your servant, saying, I will build you a house: therefore has your servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to you.

David struck also Hadad`ezer the son of Rechov, king of Tzovah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.

then To`i sent Yoram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadad`ezer and struck him: for Hadad`ezer had wars with To`i. [Yoram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

David reigned over all Yisra'el; and David executed justice and righteousness to all his people.

The king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Sha'ul, that I may show the kindness of God to him? Tziva said to the king, Yonatan has yet a son, who is lame of his feet.

Mefivoshet, the son of Yonatan, the son of Sha'ul, came to David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. David said, Mefivoshet. He answered, Behold, your servant!

Then the king called to Tziva, Sha'ul's servant, and said to him, All that pertained to Sha'ul and to all his house have I given to your master's son.

Then said Tziva to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so shall your servant do. As for Mefivoshet, [said the king], he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

So Mefivoshet lived in Yerushalayim; for he ate continually at the king's table. He was lame in both his feet.

It happened after this, that the king of the children of `Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father shown kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of `Ammon.

But the princes of the children of `Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn't David sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Avishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of `Ammon.

It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Yo'av, and his servants with him, and all Yisra'el; and they destroyed the children of `Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Yerushalayim.

It happened at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look on.