2 Samuel 7; 2 Samuel 8; 2 Samuel 9; 2 Samuel 10

1 When the king was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Look! I'm living in a cedar palace, but God's chest is housed in a tent!"

3 Nathan said to the king, "Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because the LORD is with you."

4 But that very night the LORD's word came to Nathan:

5 Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in.

6 In fact, I haven't lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling.

7 Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel's tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven't you built me a cedar temple?

8 So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel.

9 I've been with you wherever you've gone, and I've eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great—like the name of the greatest people on earth.

10 I'm going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier,

11 when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make a dynasty for you.

12 When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.

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

14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings.

15 But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you.

16 Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me. Your throne will be established forever.

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

18 Then King David went and sat in the LORD's presence. He asked: Who am I, LORD God, and of what significance is my family that you have brought me this far?

19 But even this was too small in your eyes, LORD God! Now you have also spoken about your servant's dynasty in the future and the generation to come,LORD God!

20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant, LORD God.

21 For the sake of your word and according to your own will, you have done this great thing so that your servant would know it.

22 That is why you are so great, LORD God! No one can compare to you, no god except you, just as we have always heard with our own ears.

23 And who can compare to your people Israel? They are the one nation on earth that God redeemed as his own people, establishing his name by doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt.

24 You established your people Israel as your own people forever, and you, LORD, became their God.

25 Now, LORD God, confirm forever the promise you have made about your servant and his dynasty. Do just as you have promised

26 so that your name will be great forever when people say, "The LORD of heavenly forces is Israel's God!" May your servant David's household be established before you,

27 because you, LORD of heavenly forces, Israel's God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 LORD God, you are truly God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

29 So now willingly bless your servant's dynasty so that it might continue forever before you, because you, LORD God, have promised. Let your servant's dynasty be blessed forever by your blessing.

1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David captured Metheg-ammah from Philistine control.

2 David also defeated the Moabites and made them lie on the ground, measuring them with a rope. He measured two rope lengths for those who were to be killed and one rope length for those who were to be spared. The Moabites became David's subjects and brought him tribute.

3 Next David defeated Zobah's King Hadadezer, Rehob's son, as Hadadezer was on his way to put his monument along the Euphrates River.

4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven hundred charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He cut the hamstrings of all but one hundred of the chariot horses.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Zobah's King Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

6 David set up forts among the Arameans of Damascus. And the Arameans became David's subjects and brought him tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

7 David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer's servants and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 King David also took a large amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer.

9 When Hamath's King Toi heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

10 he sent his son Joram to King David to wish him well and congratulate him on his battle and defeat of Hadadezer, because Toi was an enemy of Hadadezer. Joram brought silver, gold, and bronze objects with him.

11 King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations that he had subdued:

12 Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, including the plunder of Zobah's King Hadadezer, Rehob's son.

13 So David made a name for himself. When he returned, he killed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley.

14 He set up forts in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

15 David ruled over all Israel and maintained justice and righteousness for all his people.

16 Zeruiah's son Joab was in command of the army; Ahilud's son Jehoshaphat was recorder;

17 Ahitub's son Zadok and Ahimelech's son Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary;

18 Jehoiada's son Benaiah was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.

1 David asked, "Is there anyone from Saul's family still alive that I could show faithful love for Jonathan's sake?" "Are you Ziba?" the king asked him. "At your service!" he answered.

2 There was a servant from Saul's household named Ziba, and he was summoned before David.

3 The king asked, "Is there anyone left from Saul's family that I could show God's kindness to?" "Yes," Ziba said to the king, "one of Jonathan's sons, whose feet are crippled."

4 "Where is he?" the king asked. "He is at the house of Ammiel's son Machir at Lo-debar," Ziba told the king.

5 So King David had him brought from the house of Ammiel's son Machir at Lo-debar.

6 Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson, came to David, and he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect. "Mephibosheth?" David said. "Yes," he replied. "I am at your service!"

7 "Don't be afraid," David told him, "because I will certainly show you faithful love for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will eat at my table always."

8 Mephibosheth bowed low out of respect and said, "Who am I, your servant, that you should care about a dead dog like me?"

9 Then David summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything belonging to Saul and his family.

10 You will work the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants—and you will bring food into your master's house for them to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will always be at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my master the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's own sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba's household became Mephibosheth's servants.

13 Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table. He was crippled in both feet.

1 Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.

2 David said, "I'll be loyal to Nahash's son Hanun, just as his father was loyal to me." So David sent his servants with condolences concerning Hanun's father. But when David's servants arrived in Ammonite territory,

3 the Ammonite officials asked their master Hanun, "Do you really believe David is honoring your father because he has sent you condolences? Of course not! David has sent his servants to you to search the city, spy it out, and overthrow it."

4 So Hanun seized David's servants and shaved off their beards, cut off half their garments, from their buttocks down, and sent them off.

5 When this was reported to David, he sent men to meet them because they were completely ashamed. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown. Then you can come back."

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had offended David, they sent for and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, totaling twenty thousand foot soldiers; the king of Maacah with one thousand soldiers; and twelve thousand soldiers from Tob.

7 When David heard this, he sent Joab with the entire army of warriors.

8 The Ammonites marched out and formed a battle line at the entrance to the city. The Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the soldiers from Tob and Maacah remained in the countryside.

9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel's finest warriors and deployed them to meet the Arameans.

10 The rest of the army Joab placed under the command of his brother Abishai. When they took up their positions to meet the Ammonites, Joab said,

11 "If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you must help me, and if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I'll help you.

12 Be brave! We must be courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his eyes."

13 When Joab and the troops who were with him advanced into battle against the Arameans, they fled from him.

14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Abishai and retreated to the city. Then Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

15 The Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, so they regrouped.

16 Hadadezer sent for Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River. They came to Helam with Shobach leading them as commander of Hadadezer's army.

17 When this was reported to David he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. The Arameans formed battle lines against David and fought with him.

18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David destroyed seven hundred of their chariots and forty thousand horsemen. David wounded their army commander Shobach, and he died there.

19 When all the kings who served Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. Never again would the Arameans come to the aid of the Ammonites.