Bible-Reading.comII Samuel 20
1Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
2So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
5So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
6And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
7So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
8And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
10Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
11One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
13As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,
16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
18Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
19I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
21That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
24Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
II Samuel 21
1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
3So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
4The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
5And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel,
6let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king.
7Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
9And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,
12he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
13So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.
14And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.
15Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.
16Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
18Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
21and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.
22So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.
II Samuel 22
1And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
3My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.
4I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
5For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
6The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
7In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
8Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
9Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
10He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
11He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.
13From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.
14The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
15He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
16The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.
18He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
19They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.
20He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
21The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
24And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
25So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
26To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
27to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
28You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
30For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.
31As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
33God is my strong fortress and He makes my way clear.
34He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
35He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.
37You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
40You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
41You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
42They looked, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
43I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
45Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.
46Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
47The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—
48the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,
49who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
50Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
51Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
II Samuel 23
1These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
4is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’
5Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?
6But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.
7The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”
8These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.
9Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,
10but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.
11And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
12But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
13At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
15David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
16So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,
17saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
19Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
21He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
22These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.
23He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.
24Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,
30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,
31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan
33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,
34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
II Samuel 24
1Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”
3But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel.
5They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.
6Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.
7They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.
8At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.
9And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.
10After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
11When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
12“Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”
13So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
14David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
15So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
16But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”
18And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.
20When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.
21“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
22Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
23O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
24“No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.