Study Desk

During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom's Monument to this day.

But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, "Whatever happens, please let me go, too." "Why should you go, my son?" Joab replied. "There will be no reward for your news."

Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you."

Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.

As all the people heard of the king's deep grief for his son, the joy of that day's victory was turned into deep sadness.

Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don't go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before."

Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, "Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready.

Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shimei should die, for he cursed the Lord 's anointed king!"

"Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!" David exclaimed. "Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution, for today I am once again the king of Israel!"

Now Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem.

Mephibosheth replied, "My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.' For as you know I am crippled.

He was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.

"Good," the king agreed. "Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want."

When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.

One of Joab's young men shouted to Amasa's troops, "If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab."

Meanwhile, Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel and eventually came to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the members of his own clan, the Bicrites, assembled for battle and followed him into the town.

There was a famine during David's reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, "The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites."

So the king summoned the Gibeonites. They were not part of Israel but were all that was left of the nation of the Amorites. The people of Israel had sworn not to kill them, but Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had tried to wipe them out.

David asked them, "What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the Lord 's people again?"

"Well, money can't settle this matter between us and the family of Saul," the Gibeonites replied. "Neither can we demand the life of anyone in Israel." "What can I do then?" David asked. "Just tell me and I will do it for you."