8After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town.H310H1732H5221H6430H3665H1732H3947H4965H3027H6430 2David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David's subjects and paid him tribute money.H5221H4124H4058H2256H7901H776H8147H2256H4058H4191H4393H2256H2421H4124H1732H5650H5375H4503 3David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River.H1732H5221H1909H1121H7340H4428H6678H3212H7725H3027H5104H6578 4David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.H1732H3920H505H7651H3967H6571H6242H505H376H7273H1732H6131H7393H3498H3967H7393 5When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them.H758H1834H935H5826H1909H4428H6678H1732H5221H758H8147H6242H505H376 6Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David's subjects and paid him tribute money. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.H1732H7760H5333H758H1834H758H5650H1732H5375H4503H3068H3467H1732H1980 7David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem,H1732H3947H7982H2091H5650H1909H935H3389 8along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's towns of Tebah and Berothai.H984H1268H5892H1909H4428H1732H3947H3966H7235H5178 9When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer,H8583H4428H2574H8085H1732H5221H2428H1909 10he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.H8583H7971H3141H1121H4428H1732H7592H7965H1288H3898H1909H5221H1909H376H4421H8583H3027H3627H3701H3627H2091H3627H5178 11King David dedicated all these gifts to the LORD, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated—H4428H1732H6942H3068H3701H2091H6942H1471H3533 12from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.H758H4124H1121H5983H6430H6002H7998H1909H1121H7340H4428H6678 13So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.H1732H6213H8034H7725H5221H758H1516H4417H8083H6240H505 14He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. In fact, the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.H7760H5333H123H123H7760H5333H123H1732H5650H3068H3467H1732H1980 15So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.H1732H4427H3478H1732H6213H4941H6666H5971 16Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.H3097H1121H6870H6635H3092H1121H286H2142 17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary.H6659H1121H285H288H1121H54H3548H8304H5608 18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. And David's sons served as priestly leaders.H1141H1121H3077H3774H6432H1732H1121H3548
9One day David asked, "Is anyone in Saul's family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"H1732H559H3426H3498H1004H7586H6213H2617H3083 2He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked."Yes sir, I am," Ziba replied.H1004H7586H5650H8034H6717H7121H1732H4428H559H6717H559H5650 3The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them." Ziba replied, "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet."H4428H559H657H376H1004H7586H6213H2617H430H6717H559H4428H3083H1121H5223H7272 4"Where is he?" the king asked."In Lo-debar," Ziba told him, "at the home of Makir son of Ammiel."H4428H559H375H6717H559H4428H1004H4353H1121H5988H3810 5So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home.H4428H1732H7971H3947H1004H4353H1121H5988H3810 6His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, "Greetings, Mephibosheth." Mephibosheth replied, "I am your servant."H4648H1121H3083H1121H7586H935H1732H5307H6440H7812H1732H559H4648H559H5650 7"Don't be afraid!" David said. "I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king's table!"H1732H559H3372H6213H6213H2617H3083H1H7725H7704H7586H1H398H3899H7979H8548 8Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, "Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?"H7812H559H5650H6437H4191H3611 9Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.H4428H7121H6717H7586H5288H559H5414H113H1121H1961H7586H1004 10You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master's household. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will eat here at my table." (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)H1121H5650H5647H127H935H113H1121H3899H398H4648H113H1121H398H3899H8548H7979H6717H2568H6240H1121H6242H5650 11Ziba replied, "Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded." And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David's table, like one of the king's own sons.H559H6717H4428H113H4428H6680H5650H5650H6213H4648H398H7979H259H4428H1121 12Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants.H4648H6996H1121H8034H4316H4186H1004H6717H5650H4648 13And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table.H4648H3427H3389H398H8548H4428H7979H6455H8147H7272
10Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king.H310H4428H1121H5983H4191H2586H1121H4427 2David said, "I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death. But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon,H559H1732H6213H2617H2586H1121H5176H1H6213H2617H1732H7971H5162H3027H5650H1H1732H5650H935H776H1121H5983 3the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, their master, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come in and conquer it!"H8269H1121H5983H559H2586H113H5869H1732H3513H1H7971H5162H1732H7971H5650H5668H2713H5892H7270H2015 4So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.H2586H3947H1732H5650H1548H2677H2206H3772H4063H2677H8357H7971 5When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back." For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.H5046H1732H7971H7125H582H3966H3637H4428H559H3427H3405H2206H6779H7725 6When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob.H1121H5983H7200H887H1732H1121H5983H7971H7936H758H1050H758H6678H6242H505H7273H4428H4601H505H376H382H6240H8147H505H376 7When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them.H1732H8085H7971H3097H6635H1368 8The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.H1121H5983H3318H4421H6186H6607H8179H758H6678H7340H382H4601H905H7704 9When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel's elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields.H3097H7200H6440H4421H6440H268H977H977H3478H6186H7125H758 10He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.H3499H5971H5414H3027H52H251H6186H7125H1121H5983 11"If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.H559H758H2388H3444H1121H5983H2388H1980H3467 12Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done."H2388H2388H5971H5892H430H3068H6213H5869H2896 13When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away.H3097H5066H5971H4421H758H5127H6440 14And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem.H1121H5983H7200H758H5127H5127H6440H52H935H5892H3097H7725H1121H5983H935H3389 15The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped,H758H7200H5062H6440H3478H622H3162 16they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's forces.H1928H7971H3318H758H5676H5104H935H2431H7731H8269H6635H1928H6440 17When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle formation and fought against David.H5046H1732H622H3478H622H5674H3383H935H2431H758H6186H7125H1732H3898 18But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.H758H5127H6440H3478H1732H2026H7651H3967H7393H758H705H505H6571H5221H7731H8269H6635H4191 19When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.H4428H5650H1928H7200H5062H6440H3478H7999H3478H5647H758H3372H3467H1121H5983
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 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
Dublin, OH
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