Holman Christian Standard Bible (95 page)

17
 Nathan spoke all these words and this entire vision to David.

David's Prayer of Thanksgiving

18
 Then King David went in, sat in the
Lord
's presence, and said,

2 Samuel

David's Victories

8
After this, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from Philistine control.
2
 He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one length of those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David's subjects and brought tribute. 

3
 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who went to restore his control at the Euphrates River.
4
 David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him, and he hamstrung all the horses and kept 100 chariots. 

5
 When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Aramean men.
6
 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David's subjects and brought tribute. The
Lord
made David victorious wherever he went. 

7
 David took the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem. 
8
 King David also took huge quantities of bronze from Betah and Berothai, Hadadezer's cities.

9
 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
10
 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him.
11
 King David also dedicated these to the
Lord
, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued  —
12
 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13
 David made a reputation for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
14
 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. The
Lord
made David victorious wherever he went.

15
 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

2 Samuel

David's Kindness to Mephibosheth

9
David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul's family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan? ” 
2
 There was a servant of Saul's family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba? ”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

3
 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul's family that I can show the kindness of God to? ”

Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan's son who was injured in both feet.” 

4
 The king asked him, “Where is he? ”

Ziba answered the king, “You'll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”
5
 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

6
 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth! ”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

7
 “Don't be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”

8
 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me? ”

9
 Then the king summoned Saul's attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master's grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family.
10
 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master's grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

11
 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David's table just like one of the king's sons.
12
 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba's house were Mephibosheth's servants.
13
 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table. His feet had been injured.

2 Samuel

War with the Ammonites

10
Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 
2
 Then David said, “I'll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,
3
 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he's showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn't David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it? ” 
4
 So Hanun took David's emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away. 

5
 When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

6
 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.

7
 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men.
8
 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.
9
 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.
10
 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.

11
 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come to help you.
12
 Be strong! We must prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the
Lord
's will be done.” 

13
 Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him.
14
 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

15
 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.
16
 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were across the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.

17
 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up in formation to engage David in battle and fought against him.
18
 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 of those chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there.
19
 When all the kings who were Hadadezer's subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.

2 Samuel

David's Adultery with Bathsheba

11
In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 

2
 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing — a very beautiful woman.
3
 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he reported, “This is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 

4
 David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home.
5
 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

6
 David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.
7
 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.
8
 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
9
 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master's servants; he did not go down to his house.

10
 When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn't go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven't you just come from a journey? Why didn't you go home? ”

11
 Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this! ” 

12
 “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13
 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master's servants, but he did not go home.

Uriah's Death Arranged

14
 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15
 In the letter he wrote:

16
 When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were.
17
 Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David's soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hittite also died.

18
 Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle.
19
 He commanded the messenger, “When you've finished telling the king all the details of the battle —
20
 if the king's anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall?
21
 At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth?Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died? Why did you get so close to the wall? ' — then say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' ”
22
 Then the messenger left.