2Samuel 11-12; 1Chronicles 20 - Prayer Tents

David and Bathsheba

11In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.H8141H8666H6256H4428H4397H3318H1732H7971H3097H5650H3478H7843H1121H5983H6696H7237H1732H3427H3389 2Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.H6153H6256H1732H6965H4904H1980H1406H4428H1004H1406H7200H802H7364H802H3966H2896H4758 3He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."H1732H7971H1875H802H559H1339H1323H463H802H223H2850 4Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home.H1732H7971H4397H3947H935H7901H6942H2932H7725H1004 5Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant."H802H2029H7971H5046H1732H559H2030 6Then David sent word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent him to David.H1732H7971H3097H7971H223H2850H3097H7971H223H1732 7When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.H223H935H1732H7592H3097H7965H5971H7965H4421H7965 8Then he told Uriah, "Go on home and relax." David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace.H1732H559H223H3381H1004H7364H7272H223H3318H4428H1004H310H4864H4428 9But Uriah didn't go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard.H223H7901H6607H4428H1004H5650H113H3381H1004 10When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, "What's the matter? Why didn't you go home last night after being away for so long?"H5046H1732H559H223H3381H1004H1732H559H223H935H1870H3381H1004 11Uriah replied, "The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master's men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing."H223H559H1732H727H3478H3063H3427H5521H113H3097H5650H113H2583H6440H7704H589H935H1004H398H8354H7901H802H2416H5315H2416H6213H1697 12"Well, stay here today," David told him, "and tomorrow you may return to the army." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.H1732H559H223H3427H3117H4279H7971H223H3427H3389H3117H4283 13Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn't get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard.H1732H7121H398H8354H6440H7937H6153H3318H7901H4904H5650H113H3381H1004

David Arranges for Uriah’s Death

14So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.H1242H1732H3789H5612H3097H7971H3027H223 15The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed."H3789H5612H559H3051H223H6440H4136H2389H4421H7725H310H5221H4191 16So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting.H3097H8104H5892H5414H223H4725H3045H2428H582 17And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.H582H5892H3318H3898H3097H5307H5971H5650H1732H223H2850H4191 18Then Joab sent a battle report to David.H3097H7971H5046H1732H1697H4421 19He told his messenger, "Report all the news of the battle to the king.H6680H4397H559H3615H1696H1697H4421H4428 20But he might get angry and ask, 'Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls?H4428H2534H5927H559H5066H5892H3898H3045H3384H2346 21Wasn't Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?' Then tell him, 'Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.'"H5221H40H1121H3380H802H7993H6400H7393H2346H4191H8405H5066H2346H559H5650H223H2850H4191 22So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David.H4397H3212H935H5046H1732H3097H7971 23"The enemy came out against us in the open fields," he said. "And as we chased them back to the city gate,H4397H559H1732H582H1396H3318H7704H6607H8179 24the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king's men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite."H3384H3384H2346H5650H4428H5650H4191H5650H223H2850H4191 25"Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged," David said. "The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!"H1732H559H4397H559H3097H1697H3415H5869H2719H398H2090H4421H2388H5892H2040H2388 26When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.H802H223H8085H223H376H4191H5594H1167 27When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done.H60H5674H1732H7971H622H1004H802H3205H1121H1697H1732H6213H3415H5869H3068

Nathan Rebukes David

12So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.H3068H7971H5416H1732H935H559H8147H582H259H5892H259H6223H259H7326 2The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.H6223H3966H7235H6629H1241 3The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.H7326H259H6996H3535H7069H2421H1431H3162H1121H398H6595H8354H3563H7901H2436H1323 4One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest."H935H1982H6223H376H2550H3947H6629H1241H6213H732H935H3947H7326H376H3535H6213H376H935 5David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!H1732H639H3966H2734H376H559H5416H3068H2416H376H6213H1121H4194 6He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity."H7999H3535H706H6118H6213H1697H834H2550 7Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.H5416H559H1732H376H559H3068H430H3478H4886H4428H3478H5337H3027H7586 8I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.H5414H113H1004H113H802H2436H5414H1004H3478H3063H4592H3254H2007H2007 9Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.H959H1697H3068H6213H7451H5869H5221H223H2850H2719H3947H802H802H2026H2719H1121H5983 10From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah's wife to be your own.H2719H5704H5769H5493H1004H6118H959H3947H802H223H2850H802 11"This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view.H559H3068H6965H7451H1004H3947H802H5869H5414H7453H7901H802H5869H8121 12You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel."H6213H5643H6213H1697H3478H8121

David Confesses His Guilt

13Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin.H1732H559H5416H2398H3068H5416H559H1732H3068H5674H2403H4191 14Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die."H657H1697H5006H5006H341H3068H5006H1121H3209H4191H4191 15After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah's wife.H5416H3212H1004H3068H5062H3206H223H802H3205H1732H605 16David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.H1732H1245H430H5288H1732H6684H6685H935H7901H3885H776 17The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.H2205H1004H6965H6965H776H14H1262H3899 18Then on the seventh day the child died. David's advisers were afraid to tell him. "He wouldn't listen to reason while the child was ill," they said. "What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?"H7637H3117H3206H4191H5650H1732H3372H5046H3206H4191H559H3206H2416H1696H8085H6963H6213H7451H6213H559H3206H4191 19When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. "Is the child dead?" he asked."Yes," they replied, "he is dead."H1732H7200H5650H3907H1732H995H3206H4191H1732H559H5650H3206H4191H559H4191 20Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.H1732H6965H776H7364H5480H2498H8071H935H1004H3068H7812H935H1004H7592H7760H3899H398 21His advisers were amazed. "We don't understand you," they told him. "While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again."H559H5650H1697H6213H6684H1058H3206H2416H3206H4191H6965H398H3899 22David replied, "I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, 'Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.'H559H3206H2416H6684H1058H559H3045H3068H2603H2603H3206H2416 23But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me."H4191H6684H3201H7725H1980H7725 24Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The LORD loved the childH1732H5162H1339H802H935H7901H3205H1121H7121H8034H8010H3068H157 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means "beloved of the LORD"), as the LORD had commanded.H7971H3027H5416H5030H7121H8034H3041H3068

David Captures Rabbah

26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.H3097H3898H7237H1121H5983H3920H4410H5892 27Joab sent messengers to tell David, "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.H3097H7971H4397H1732H559H3898H7237H3920H5892H4325 28Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory."H622H3499H5971H622H2583H5892H3920H3920H5892H7121H8034 29So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.H1732H622H5971H622H3212H7237H3898H3920 30David removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city.H3947H4428H5850H7218H4948H3603H2091H3368H68H1732H7218H3318H7998H5892H3966H7235 31He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.H3318H5971H7760H4050H2757H1270H4037H1270H5674H4404H6213H5892H1121H5983H1732H5971H7725H3389

David Captures Rabbah

20In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the land of the Ammonites. In the process he laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.H6256H8141H8666H6256H4428H3318H3097H5090H2428H6635H7843H776H1121H5983H935H6696H7237H1732H3427H3389H3097H5221H7237H2040 2When David arrived at Rabbah, he removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city.H1732H3947H5850H4428H7218H4672H4948H3603H2091H3368H68H1732H7218H3318H3966H7235H7998H5892 3He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes. That is how David dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.H3318H5971H7787H4050H2757H1270H4050H6213H1732H5892H1121H5983H1732H5971H7725H3389

Battles against Philistine Giants

4After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the giants, and so the Philistines were subdued.H310H5975H4421H1507H6430H227H5444H2843H5221H5598H3211H7497H3665 5During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi's spear was as thick as a weaver's beam!H4421H6430H445H1121H3265H5221H3902H251H1555H1663H2595H6086H707H4500 6In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants.H4421H1661H376H4060H676H676H702H6242H8337H8337H3205H7497 7But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea.H2778H3478H3083H1121H8092H1732H251H5221 8These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.H411H3205H7497H1661H5307H3027H1732H3027H5650