2 Samuel 12

2 Samuel 12:1 So Yahveh sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

2 Samuel 12:2 The rich man had very large flocks and herds,

2 Samuel 12:3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him.

2 Samuel 12:4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man did not want to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

2 Samuel 12:5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As Yahveh lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

2 Samuel 12:6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”

2 Samuel 12:7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what Yahveh God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul.

2 Samuel 12:8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.

2 Samuel 12:9 Why then have you despised Yahveh’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife — you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.

2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your own wife.’

2 Samuel 12:11 “This is what Yahveh says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.

2 Samuel 12:12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.'”

2 Samuel 12:13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahveh.” Then Nathan replied to David, “And Yahveh has taken away your sin; you will not die.

2 Samuel 12:14 However, because you treated Yahveh with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”

2 Samuel 12:15 Then Nathan went home. Yahveh struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became deathly ill.

2 Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.

2 Samuel 12:17 The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

2 Samuel 12:18 On the seventh day the baby died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Notice, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.”

2 Samuel 12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So, he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.

2 Samuel 12:20 Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to Yahveh’s house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So, they served him food, and he ate.

2 Samuel 12:21 His servants asked him, “Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.”

2 Samuel 12:22 He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahveh may be gracious to me and let him live.’

2 Samuel 12:23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

2 Samuel 12:24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went to her and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. Yahveh loved him,

2 Samuel 12:25 and he sent a message through the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, loved by the Lord.

2 Samuel 12:26 Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

2 Samuel 12:27 Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured its water supply.

2 Samuel 12:28 Now therefore, gather the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I will be the one to capture the city, and it will be named after me.”

2 Samuel 12:29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah; he fought against it and captured it.

2 Samuel 12:30 He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David’s head. The crown weighed seventy-five pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city.

2 Samuel 12:31 He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at brickmaking. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his people returned to Jerusalem.

links:

great mercy, severe judgment
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, September 26, 2023
mercy and judgment
three principles for interpreting parables
to the king

The 2 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel 11:1 In the spring of the year — when kings march out to war — David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They put an end to the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing — a very beautiful woman.

2 Samuel 11:3 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?”

2 Samuel 11:4 David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home.

2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

2 Samuel 11:6 David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hethite.” So, Joab sent Uriah to David.

2 Samuel 11:7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people were doing and how the war was going.

2 Samuel 11:8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So, Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.

2 Samuel 11:9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

2 Samuel 11:10 When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?”

2 Samuel 11:11 Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and your throat lives, I will not do this!”

2 Samuel 11:12 “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So, Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

2 Samuel 11:13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

2 Samuel 11:14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

2 Samuel 11:15 In the letter he wrote: Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies.

2 Samuel 11:16 When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were.

2 Samuel 11:17 Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hethite also died.

2 Samuel 11:18 Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle.

2 Samuel 11:19 He commanded the messenger, “When you’ve finished telling the king all the details of the battle–

2 Samuel 11:20 if the king’s anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall?

2 Samuel 11:21 At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died? Why did you get so close to the wall? ‘– then say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hethite is dead also.'”

2 Samuel 11:22 Then the messenger left. When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell.

2 Samuel 11:23 The messenger reported to David, “The men gained the advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we counterattacked right up to the entrance of the city gate.

2 Samuel 11:24 However, the archers shot down on your servants from the top of the wall, and some of the king’s servants died. Your servant Uriah the Hethite is also dead.”

2 Samuel 11:25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours one and then another. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

2 Samuel 11:26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him.

2 Samuel 11:27 When the time of mourning ended, David gathered her to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, what David had done was evil in Yahveh’s eyes.

links:

forgive us
he sees all

The 2 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Samuel 10

2 Samuel 10:1 It happened afterward that the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.

2 Samuel 10:2 Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So, David sent his servants to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,

2 Samuel 10:3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his servants in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?”

2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

2 Samuel 10:5 When David was informed of this, he sent someone to meet them since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

2 Samuel 10:7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the elite troops.

2 Samuel 10:8 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.

2 Samuel 10:9 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans.

2 Samuel 10:10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 10:11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you.

2 Samuel 10:12 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and the cities of our God. May Yahveh’s will be done.”

2 Samuel 10:13 Joab and his people advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

2 Samuel 10:14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 10:15 When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they gathered together.

2 Samuel 10:16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

2 Samuel 10:17 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then, the Arameans lined up to engage David in battle and fought against him.

2 Samuel 10:18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach, commander of their army, who died there.

2 Samuel 10:19 When all the kings who were Hadadezer’s subjects saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with Israel and served them. After this, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.

links:

Hanun’s war
the human tragedy of warfare

The 2 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 9:1 David said, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 Samuel 9:2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.

2 Samuel 9:3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was crippled in both feet.”

2 Samuel 9:4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir, son of Ammiel.”

2 Samuel 9:5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir, son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

2 Samuel 9:6 Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant, ” he replied.

2 Samuel 9:7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:8 Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”

2 Samuel 9:9 Then the king summoned Saul’s boy Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family.

2 Samuel 9:10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

2 Samuel 9:11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So, Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons.

2 Samuel 9:12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants.

2 Samuel 9:13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been crippled.

links:

demonstrating his kindness
the kindness of God

The 2 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 8:1 After this, David struck the Philistines down, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from Philistine control.

2 Samuel 8:2 He also struck down the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one full length of those to be kept alive. So, the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.

2 Samuel 8:3 David also struck down Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control at the Euphrates River.

2 Samuel 8:4 David captured seventeen hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, and he hamstrung all the horses and kept a hundred chariots.

2 Samuel 8:5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men.

2 Samuel 8:6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. Yahveh made David victorious wherever he went.

2 Samuel 8:7 David took the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 8:8 King David also took huge quantities of bronze from Betah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.

2 Samuel 8:9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer,

2 Samuel 8:10 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him.

2 Samuel 8:11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued–

2 Samuel 8:12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

2 Samuel 8:13 David made a reputation for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.

2 Samuel 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. Yahveh made David victorious wherever he went.

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

2 Samuel 8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;

2 Samuel 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was court secretary;

2 Samuel 8:18 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief officials.

links:

administering justice and righteousness
good government
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, September 27, 2021
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The 2 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library