Day 97 of 364

^7:1When the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ^7:2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but God’s ark dwells within curtains.” ^7:3Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.” ^7:4That same night, the LORD’s word came to Nathan, saying, ^7:5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘The LORD says, “Should you build me a house for me to dwell in? ^7:6For I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt, even to this day, but have moved around in a tent and in a tabernacle. ^7:7In all places in which I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I say a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”’ ^7:8Now therefore tell my servant David this: ‘The LORD of Armies says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel. ^7:9I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. ^7:10I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be moved no more. The children of wickedness will not afflict them any more, as at the first, ^7:11and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD tells you that the LORD will make you a house. ^7:12When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^7:13He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^7:14I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men; ^7:15but my loving kindness will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. ^7:16Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever.”’” ^7:17Nathan spoke to David all these words, and according to all this vision. ^7:18Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD; and he said, “Who am I, Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? ^7:19This was yet a small thing in your eyes, Lord GOD, but you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come; and this among men, Lord GOD! ^7:20What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Lord GOD. ^7:21For your word’s sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make your servant know it. ^7:22Therefore you are great, LORD God. For there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ^7:23What one nation on the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make himself a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for your land, before your people, whom you redeemed to yourself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods? ^7:24You established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever; and you, LORD, became their God. ^7:25“Now, LORD God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as you have spoken. ^7:26Let your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies is God over Israel; and the house of your servant David will be established before you.’ ^7:27For you, LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to you. ^7:28“Now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are truth, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. ^7:29Now therefore, let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Lord GOD, have spoken it. Let the house of your servant be blessed forever with your blessing.” ^8:1After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines. ^8:2He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute. ^8:3David also struck Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River. ^8:4David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. David hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for one hundred chariots. ^8:5When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians. ^8:6Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. ^8:7David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ^8:8From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze. ^8:9When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer, ^8:10then Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. Joram brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze. ^8:11King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued— ^8:12of Syria, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, of Amalek, and of the plunder of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ^8:13David earned a reputation when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand men of the Syrians in the Valley of Salt. ^8:14He put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. ^8:15David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people. ^8:16Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, ^8:17Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, Seraiah was scribe, ^8:18Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers. ^9:1David said, “Is there yet any who is left of Saul’s house, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ^9:2There was of Saul’s house a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am your servant.” ^9:3The king said, “Is there not yet any of Saul’s house, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.” ^9:4The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.” ^9:5Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. ^9:6Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth?” He answered, “Behold, your servant!” ^9:7David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You will eat bread at my table continually.” ^9:8He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?” ^9:9Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s son. ^9:10Till the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants. Bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ^9:11Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table like one of the king’s sons. ^9:12Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth. ^9:13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. He was lame in both his feet. ^10:1After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ^10:2David 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. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. ^10:3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” ^10:4So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. ^10:5When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” ^10:6When 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 one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. ^10:7When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. ^10:8The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. ^10:9Now 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. ^10:10The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. ^10:11He 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. ^10:12Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” ^10:13So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. ^10:14When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem. ^10:15When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. ^10:16Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head. ^10:17David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him. ^10:18The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there. ^10:19When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more. ^11:1At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, 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. ^11:2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at. ^11:3David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?” ^11:4David 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. ^11:5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” ^11:6David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David. ^11:7When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. ^11:8David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him. ^11:9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and didn’t go down to his house. ^11:10When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?” ^11:11Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord 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!” ^11:12David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day. ^11:13When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house. ^11:14In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. ^11:15He wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck and die.” ^11:16When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. ^11:17The men of the city went out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also. ^11:18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; ^11:19and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king, ^11:20it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall? ^11:21Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t 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 also dead.’” ^11:22So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. ^11:23The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate. ^11:24The 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 also dead.” ^11:25Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.” ^11:26When Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. ^11:27When 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 the LORD.