June
23
2
Samuel 10-12
2Sa
10:1 It happened after this, that the king of the children of Ammon
died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2Sa
10:2 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. David's servants came into the
land of the children of Ammon.
2Sa
10:3 But 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, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
2Sa
10:4 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.
2Sa
10:5 When they told it to David, 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.
2Sa
10:6 When the children of Ammon saw that they were 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.
2Sa
10:7 When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the
mighty men.
2Sa
10:8 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.
2Sa
10:9 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:
2Sa
10:10 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.
2Sa
10:11 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.
2Sa
10:12 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people, and
for the cities of our God: and Yahweh do that which seems him good.
2Sa
10:13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the
battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.
2Sa
10:14 When 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.
2Sa
10:15 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they
gathered themselves together.
2Sa
10:16 Hadadezer 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.
2Sa
10:17 It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and
passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves
in array against David, and fought with him.
2Sa
10:18 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 army, so that he died there.
2Sa
10:19 When 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 feared to help the children of Ammon any
more.
2Sa
11:1 It happened, 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.
2Sa
11:2 It happened at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and
walked on the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a
woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look on.
2Sa
11:3 David send and inquired after the woman. One said, Is not this
Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
2Sa
11:4 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.
2Sa
11:5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I
am with child.
2Sa
11:6 David sent to Joab, saying,
Send me Uriah the Hittite. Joab sent Uriah to David.
2Sa
11:7 When Uriah was come to him, David asked of him how Joab did,
and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
2Sa
11:8 David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet.
Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess
of food
from the king.
2Sa
11:9 But 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.
2Sa
11:10 When 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 did
you not go down to your house?
2Sa
11:11 Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in
booths; 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.
2Sa
11:12 David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will
let you depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the next
day.
2Sa
11:13 When David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he
made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the
servants of his lord, but didn't go down to his house.
2Sa
11:14 It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab,
and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
2Sa
11:15 He wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of
the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and
die.
2Sa
11:16 It happened, when Joab kept watch on the city, that he
assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.
2Sa
11:17 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.
2Sa
11:18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the
war;
2Sa
11:19 and he commanded the messenger, saying, "When you have
finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,
2Sa
11:20 it 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?
2Sa
11:21 who 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 dead also.' "
2Sa
11:22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab
had sent him for.
2Sa
11:23 The 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.
2Sa
11:24 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.
2Sa
11:25 Then David said to the messenger, Thus you shall tell Joab,
Don't 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.
2Sa
11:26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead,
she made lamentation for her husband.
2Sa
11:27 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.
2Sa
12:1 Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him,
"There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other
poor.
2Sa
12:2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
2Sa
12:3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which
he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him, and with his
children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in
his bosom, and was to him like a daughter.
2Sa
12:4 A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his
own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man who had
come to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man
who had come to him."
2Sa
12:5 David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said
to Nathan, "As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this is worthy
to die!
2Sa
12:6 He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing,
and because he had no pity!"
2Sa
12:7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man. This is what
Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel,
and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
2Sa
12:8 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 would have been too little, I would have added to you many more
such things.
2Sa
12:9 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 slain him with the
sword of the children of Ammon.
2Sa
12:10 Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house,
because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the
Hittite to be your wife.'
2Sa
12:11 This is what Yahweh says: '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 will lie with your
wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa
12:12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all
Israel, and before the sun.' "
2Sa
12:13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh."
Nathan said to David, "Yahweh also has put away your sin. You
will not die.
2Sa
12:14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to
Yahweh's enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you
shall surely die."
2Sa
12:15 Nathan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that
Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
2Sa
12:16 David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted,
and went in, and lay all night on the earth.
2Sa
12:17 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.
2Sa
12:18 It happened on the seventh day, that the child died. 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 didn't listen to our voice: how will he then harm himself, if
we tell him that the child is dead!
2Sa
12:19 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? They said, He is dead.
2Sa
12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed
himself, and changed his clothing; 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.
2Sa
12:21 Then said his servants to him, What thing is this that you
have done? you fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but
when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.
2Sa
12:22 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?
2Sa
12:23 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.
2Sa
12:24 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.
Yahweh loved him;
2Sa
12:25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named
him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake.
2Sa
12:26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and
took the royal city.
2Sa
12:27 Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against
Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.
2Sa
12:28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and
encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be
called after my name.
2Sa
12:29 David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah,
and fought against it, and took it.
2Sa
12:30 He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its
weight was a talent of gold, and in it
were precious stones; and it was set on
David's head. He brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
2Sa
12:31 He brought forth the people who were therein, and put them
under saws, and under iron picks, and under axes of iron, and made
them pass through the brick kiln: and he did so to all the cities of
the children of Ammon. David and all the people returned to
Jerusalem.