 |
2 Samuel 9
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, Your servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there no one still left of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of Elohim to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan still has a son who is lame of his feet. 4 And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. 5 Then king David sent, and brought out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, your servant! 7 And David said to him, Fear not; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father; and you shall eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he did obeisance, and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given to your master’s son. 10 And you shall till the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants; and you shall bring in the fruits, that your master’s son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my sovereign the king commands his servant, so shall your servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king’s table: and he was lame in both his feet.
2 Samuel 10
And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their ruler, Do you think that David does honor your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? 4 So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told it to David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men, 8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate: and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: 10 and the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. 11 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our Elohim: and may Yahweh do that which seems to him good. 13 So Joab and the people that were with him drew near to the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. 14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head. 17 And it was told to David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
2 Samuel 11
And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; (for she was purified from her uncleanness;) and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah had come to him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his sovereign, and went not down to his house. 10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house? 11 And Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, remain in booths; and my captain Joab, and the servants of my sovereign, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing. 12 And David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next day. 13 And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk: and at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his sovereign, but did not go down to his house.
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire from him, that he may be struck down and die. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19 and he charged the messenger, saying, When you have made an end of telling all the things concerning the war to the king, 20 it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arises, and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall? Then you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. 23 And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and -we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate. 24 And the shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 25 Then David said to the messenger, In this manner shall you say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage him.
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
2 Samuel 12
And Yahweh sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it ate of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him. 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Yahweh lives, the man that has done this is worthy to die: 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man. In this manner says Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; 8 and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you such and such things. 9 Why have you despised the word of Yahweh, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11 In this manner says Yahweh, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall -lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Yahweh. And Nathan said to David, Yahweh also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die. 15 And Nathan departed to his house.
And Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore supplicated Elohim for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he listened not to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead! 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Yahweh, and worshiped; then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, What thing is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, you rose and ate bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And Yahweh loved him; 25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, for Yahweh’s sake.
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it is called after my name. 29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 30 And he took the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the plunder of the city, very much. 31 And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
