2 Samuel 4; 2 Samuel 5; 2 Samuel 6; 2 Samuel 7

1 When Saul's son Ishbosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost his courage, and all Israel was alarmed.

2 Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding parties. One was named Baanah, and the other was named Rechab. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth from the tribe of Benjamin. (Beeroth was considered a part of Benjamin,

3 even though the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim. They still live there today.

4 In addition, Saul's son Jonathan had a son who was crippled. When the boy was five years old, the news about [the death of] Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled [to Gittaim]. She was in a hurry when she left, and he fell [from her arms] and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

5 Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, came to Ishbosheth's home at the hottest time of the day. Ishbosheth was taking his midday nap

6 when they came into the house as though they were going to get some flour. Instead, they stabbed him in the belly. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.

7 (They had come into the house while Ishbosheth was sleeping on his bed in his bedroom. They stabbed him, killed him, and cut off his head.) They took his head and traveled all night along the road to the plains.

8 They brought Ishbosheth's head to David at Hebron. "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you," they told the king. "Today the LORD has given Your Royal Majesty revenge on Saul and his descendants."

9 David responded to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth,

10 "I once seized a man who told me that Saul had died. He thought he was bringing good news. I killed him in Ziklag to reward him for his news.

11 How much more [should I reward] wicked men who kill an innocent man on his own bed in his home? The LORD has rescued me from every trouble. I solemnly swear, as the LORD lives, I'll now seek revenge for his murder and rid the land of you."

12 So David gave an order to his young men, who executed Rechab and Baanah, cut off their hands and feet, and hung their dead bodies by the pond in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron.

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. "We are your own flesh and blood," they said.

2 "Even in the past when Saul ruled us, you were the one who led Israel in battle. The LORD has said to you, 'You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of Israel.'"

3 All the leaders of Israel had come to Hebron. King David made an agreement with them at Hebron in front of the LORD. So they anointed David king of Israel.

4 David was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 40 years.

5 In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he ruled for 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived in that region. The Jebusites told David, "You will never get in here. Even the blind and the lame could turn you away" (meaning that David could never get in there).

7 But David captured the fortress Zion (that is, the City of David).

8 That day David said, "Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites must reach the lame and the blind who hate me by using the water shaft." So there is a saying, "The blind and the lame will not get into the palace."

9 David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built the city [of Jerusalem] around it from the Millo to the palace.

10 David continued to grow more powerful because the LORD God of Armies was with him.

11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace for David.

12 So David realized that the LORD had established him as king of Israel and made his kingship famous for the sake of Israel, the LORD's people.

13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he had come there from Hebron, and he fathered more sons and daughters.

14 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went to the fortress.

18 The Philistines had come and overrun the valley of Rephaim.

19 David asked the LORD, "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered David, "Attack! I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

20 So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. He said, "The LORD has overwhelmed my enemies in front of me like an overwhelming flood." That is why that place is called Baal Perazim [The Lord Overwhelms].

21 The Philistines left their idols there, so David and his men carried the idols away.

22 The Philistines again attacked and overran the valley of Rephaim.

23 David asked the LORD, and he answered, "Don't attack now, but circle around behind them, and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act immediately because the LORD has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army."

25 David did as the LORD ordered him and defeated the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

1 David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men.

2 He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah to bring God's ark [to Jerusalem]. (The ark is called by the name of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels. )

3 David and his men put God's ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the new cart.

4 They brought it from Abinadab's home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark.

5 David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the LORD's presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6 But when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it.

7 The LORD became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God.

8 David was angry because the LORD had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah [The Striking of Uzzah] today.)

9 David was afraid of the LORD that day. "How can the ark of the LORD come to my [city]?" he asked.

10 So David wouldn't bring the ark of the LORD with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath.

11 The ark of the LORD stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.

12 King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed Edom's home and everything he owns because of the ark of God." Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom's house and bring it to the City of David.

13 When those who carried the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David danced in the LORD's presence with all his might.

15 He and the entire nation of Israel brought the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns.

16 When the ark of the LORD came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in the LORD's presence, so she despised him.

17 The men carrying the ark set it in its place inside the tent David had put up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the LORD's presence.

18 When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Armies.

19 He also distributed to all the people--to the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women--one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

20 When David returned to bless his family, Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. "How dignified Israel's king was today! He was exposing himself before the eyes of the slave girls of his palace staff--like a mindless fool might expose himself!"

21 David answered Michal, "[I didn't dance in front of the slave girls but] in front of the LORD. He chose me rather than your father or anyone in your father's house, and he appointed me leader of Israel, the LORD's people. I will celebrate in the LORD's presence,

22 and I will degrade myself even more than this. Even if I am humiliated in your eyes, I will be honored by these slave girls you speak about."

23 So Saul's daughter Michal was childless her entire life.

1 While King David was living in his house, the LORD gave him peace with all his enemies around him.

2 So the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Look, I'm living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent."

3 Nathan told the king, "Do everything you have in mind, because the LORD is with you."

4 But that same night the LORD spoke his word to Nathan:

5 "Say to my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one who will build me a house to live in?

6 I haven't lived in a house from the day I took Israel out of Egypt to this day. Instead, I moved around in a tent, the tent [of meeting].

7 In all the places I've moved with all the Israelites, did I ever ask any of the judges of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people Israel why they didn't build me a house of cedar?'

8 "Now this is what you will say to my servant David: 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel.

9 I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name famous like the names of the greatest people on earth.

10 I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer oppress them as they used to do

11 ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. So I will give you peace with all your enemies. I, the LORD, tell you that I will make a house for you.

12 "'When the time comes for you to lie down in death with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants, [one] who will come from you. I will establish his kingdom.

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

14 I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. If he sins, I will punish him with a rod and with blows inflicted by people.

15 But I will never stop showing him my love as I did to Saul, whom I took out of your way.

16 Your royal house will remain in my presence forever. Your throne will be established forever.'"

17 Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.

18 King David went into the tent and sat in front of the LORD. "Who am I, Almighty LORD," he asked, "and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far?

19 And even this you consider to be a small act, Almighty LORD. You've also spoken about the distant future of my house. Almighty LORD, this is the teaching about the man.

20 "What more can I, David, say to you, Almighty LORD, since you know me so well!

21 You've done this great thing because of your promise and your own desire. You made it known to me.

22 "That is why you are great, LORD God. There is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears.

23 Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make his name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt to be your own.

24 You created the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, LORD, became their God.

25 "Now, LORD God, keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised.

26 Your name will be respected forever when [people] say, 'The LORD of Armies is God over Israel.' And the house of your servant David will be established in your presence.

27 You, LORD of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed it especially to me, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' That is why I have found the courage to offer this prayer to you.

28 "Almighty LORD, you are God, and your words are trustworthy. You promised me this good thing.

29 Now, please bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Almighty LORD, have promised it. With your blessing my house will be blessed forever."