36“Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward?
37“Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant mChimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”
38And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.”
39Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king nkissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.
The Quarrel About the King
40Now the king went on to Gilgal, and 7Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
41Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and obrought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?”
42So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is pa close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”
43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have qten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?” Yet rthe words of the men of Judah were 8fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
2 Samuel 20
The Rebellion of Sheba
1And there happened to be there a 1rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said:
a“We have no share in David,
Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse;
b Every man to his tents, O Israel!”
2So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the cmen of Judah, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king.
3Now David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, dhis concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in seclusion and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4And the king said to Amasa, e“Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”
5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him.
6And David said to fAbishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom’s. Take gyour lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.”
7So Joab’s men, with the hCherethites, the Pelethites, and iall the mighty men, went out after him. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
8When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out.
9Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” jAnd Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And khe struck him with it lin the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11Meanwhile one of Joab’s men stood near Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!”
12But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted.
13When he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14And he went through all the tribes of Israel to mAbel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were gathered together and also went after 2Sheba.
15Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they ncast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
16Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’ ”
17When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”
18So she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes.
19“I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up othe inheritance of the LORD?”
20And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy!
21“That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22Then the woman pin her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.
David’s Government Officers
23And qJoab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
24Adoram was rin charge of revenue; sJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
25Sheva was scribe; tZadok and Abiathar were the priests;
26uand Ira the Jairite was 3a chief minister under David.
2 Samuel 21
David Avenges the Gibeonites
1Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David ainquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, “It is because of Saul and his 1bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but bof the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them cin his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.
3Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless dthe inheritance of the LORD?”
4And the Gibeonites said to him, “We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us.” So he said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel,
6“let seven men of his descendants be delivered eto us, and we will hang them before the LORD fin Gibeah of Saul, gwhom the LORD chose.” And the king said, “I will give them.”
7But the king spared hMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of ithe LORD’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
8So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of jRizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of 2Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she 3brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;
9and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill kbefore the LORD. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
10Now lRizpah the daughter of Aiah took
sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, mfrom the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.
11And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
12Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of nJabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of 4Beth Shan, where the oPhilistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa.
13So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
14They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in pZelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that qGod heeded the prayer for the land.
Philistine Giants Destroyed
(1 Chr. 20:4–8)
15When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.
16Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of 5the rgiant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David.
17But sAbishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, t“You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the ulamp of Israel.”
18vNow it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then wSibbechai the Hushathite killed 6Saph, who was one of the sons of 7the giant.
19Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where xElhanan the son of 8Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed ythe brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20Yet again zthere was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to 9the giant.
21So when he adefied Israel, Jonathan the son of 10Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
22bThese four were born to 11the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
2 Samuel 22
Praise for God’s Deliverance
(Ps. 18:1–50)
1Then David aspoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had bdelivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
2And he csaid:
d“The LORD is my rock and my efortress and my deliverer;
3The God of my strength, fin whom I will trust;
My gshield and the hhorn1 of my salvation,
My istronghold and my jrefuge;
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.
5“When the waves of death surrounded me,
The floods of ungodliness 2made me afraid.
6The ksorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7In my distress lI called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He mheard my voice from His temple,
And my cry entered His ears.
8“Then nthe earth shook and trembled;
o The foundations of 3heaven quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
9Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring pfire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
10He qbowed the heavens also, and came down
With rdarkness under His feet.
11He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
And He 4was seen supon the wings of the wind.
12He made tdarkness canopies around Him,
Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
13From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
14“The LORD uthundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15He sent out varrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
16Then the channels of the sea wwere seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the xrebuke of the LORD,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17“Hey sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
18He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my zsupport.
20a He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He bdelighted in me.
21“Thec LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the dcleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
22For I have ekept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23For all His fjudgments were before me;
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24I was also gblameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
25Therefore hthe LORD has 5recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to 6my cleanness in His eyes.
26“With ithe merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
27With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And jwith the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
28You will save the khumble7 people;
But Your eyes are on lthe haughty, that You may bring them down.
29“For You are my mlamp, O LORD;
The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.
30For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a nwall.
31As for God, oHis way is perfect;
p The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32“For qwho is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
338 God is my rstrength and power,
And He smakes 9my way tperfect.
34He makes 10my feet ulike the feet of deer,
And vsets me on my high places.
35He teaches my hands 11to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me great.
37You wenlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip.
38“I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen xunder my feet.
40For You have yarmed me with strength for the battle;
You have 12subdued under me zthose who rose against me.
41You have also 13given me the anecks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
42They looked, but there was none to save;
Even bto the LORD, but He did not answer them.
43Then I beat them as fine cas the dust of the earth;
I trod them dlike dirt in the streets,
And I 14spread them out.
44“Youe have also delivered me from the 15strivings of my people;
You have kept me as the fhead of the nations.
g A people I have not known shall serve me.
45The foreigners submit to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46The foreigners fade a
way,
And 16come frightened hfrom their hideouts.
47“The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The iRock of my salvation!
48It is God who avenges me,
And jsubdues the peoples under me;
49He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the kviolent man.
50Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among lthe Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your mname.
51“ Hen is the tower of salvation to His king,
And shows mercy to His oanointed,
To David and phis descendants forevermore.”
2 Samuel 23
David’s Last Words
1Now these are the last words of David.
Thus says David the son of Jesse;
Thus says athe man raised up on high,
b The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2“Thec Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel said,
d The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling ein the fear of God.
4And fhe shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,
By clear shining after rain.’
5“Although my house is not so with God,
g Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things and secure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire;
Will He not make it increase?
6But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away,
Because they cannot be taken with hands.
7But the man who touches them
Must be 1armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
David’s Mighty Men
(1 Chr. 11:10–47)
8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: 2Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among 3the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.
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