2 Samuel 6-10

English Standard Version

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6 ^(A)David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from ^(B)Baale-judah ^(C)to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts ^(D)who sits enthroned on the cherubim. ³ And they carried the ark of God ^(E)on a new cart and brought it ^(F)out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio,^[a] the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, ⁴ with the ark of God,^[b] and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah and the Ark

⁵ And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with ^(G)songs^[c] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. ⁶ And when they came to the threshing floor of ^(H)Nacon, Uzzah ^(I)put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and ^(J)God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah^[d] to this day. ⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside ^(K)to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, ^(L)and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹² And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” ^(M)So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom ^(N)to the city of David with rejoicing. ¹³ And when ^(O)those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, ^(P)he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. ¹⁴ And David ^(Q)danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was ^(R)wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

David and Michal

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ^(S)in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. ^(T)And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, ^(U)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts ¹⁹ and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat,^[e] and a cake of raisins to each one. ^(V)Then all the people departed, each to his house.

²⁰ And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, ^(W)uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the ^(X)vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, ^(Y)who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince^[f] over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your^[g] eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

The Lord's Covenant with David

7 ^(Z)Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord ^(AA)had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, ² the king said to ^(AB)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell ^(AC)in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells ^(AD)in a tent.” ³ And Nathan said to the king, ^(AE)“Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, ⁵ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(AF)Would you build me a house to dwell in? ⁶ I have not lived in a house ^(AG)since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about ^(AH)in a tent for my dwelling. ⁷ In all places where ^(AI)I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with ^(AJ)any of the judges^[h] of Israel, whom I commanded ^(AK)to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ ⁸ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ^(AL)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince^[i] over my people Israel. ^9 (AM)And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel ^(AN)and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place ^(AO)and be disturbed no more. ^(AP)And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ^11 (AQ)from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And ^(AR)I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that ^(AS)the Lord will make you a house. ^12 (AT)When your days are fulfilled and ^(AU)you lie down with your fathers, ^(AV)I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (AW)He shall build a house for my name, and ^(AX)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (AY)I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, ^(AZ)I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ^15 (BA)but my steadfast love will not depart from him, ^(BB)as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ^16 (BC)And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.^{[j] (BD)}Your throne shall be established forever.’” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David's Prayer of Gratitude

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ^(BE)“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. ^(BF)You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! ²⁰ And what more can David say to you? ^(BG)For you know your servant, O Lord God! ²¹ Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. ^22 (BH)Therefore you are great, O Lord God. ^(BI)For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ^23 (BJ)And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name ^(BK)and doing for them^[k] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,^[l] whom ^(BL)you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? ^24 (BM)And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. ²⁵ And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. ²⁶ And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. ²⁷ For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, you are God, and ^(BN)your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. ²⁹ Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, ^(BO)and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

David's Victories

8 ^(BP)After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took ^(BQ)Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

^2 (BR)And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites ^(BS)became servants to David and ^(BT)brought tribute.

³ David also defeated ^(BU)Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^(BV)Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. ^4 (BW)And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David ^(BX)hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. ^5 (BY)And when the ^(BZ)Syrians of Damascus came to help ^(CA)Hadadezer king of ^(CB)Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians ^(CC)became servants to David and brought tribute. ^(CD)And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took ^(CE)the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

⁹ When Toi king of ^(CF)Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. ^11 (CG)These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, ¹² from Edom, ^(CH)Moab, ^(CI)the Ammonites, ^(CJ)the Philistines, ^(CK)Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^(CL)Zobah.

¹³ And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in ^(CM)the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, ^(CN)and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David's Officials

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. ^16 (CO)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and ^(CP)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, ¹⁷ and ^(CQ)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and ^(CR)Seraiah was secretary, ¹⁸ and ^(CS)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over^[m] the ^(CT)Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were priests.

David's Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may ^(CU)show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” ² Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was ^(CV)Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ³ And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show ^(CW)the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of ^(CX)Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” ⁴ The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of ^(CY)Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” ⁵ Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶ And ^(CZ)Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” ⁷ And David said to him, “Do not fear, ^(DA)for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and ^(DB)you shall eat at my table always.” ⁸ And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for ^(DC)a dead dog such as I?”

⁹ Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. ¹⁰ And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson ^(DD)shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had ^(DE)fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ^(DF)ate at David's^[n] table, like one of the king's sons. ¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, ^(DG)whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^(DH)he ate always at the king's table. Now ^(DI)he was lame in both his feet.

David Defeats Ammon and Syria

10 ^(DJ)After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ² And David said, “I will deal loyally^[o] with Hanun the son of ^(DK)Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. ³ But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, ^(DL)at their hips, and sent them away. ⁵ When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of ^(DM)Beth-rehob, and ^(DN)the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of ^(DO)Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of ^(DP)Tob, 12,000 men. ⁷ And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of ^(DQ)the mighty men. ⁸ And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and ^(DR)the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and ^(DS)the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

⁹ When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. ¹⁰ The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. ¹¹ And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ^12 (DT)Be of good courage, and ^(DU)let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and ^(DV)may the Lord do what seems good to him.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶ And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond ^(DW)the Euphrates.^[p] They came to Helam, with ^(DX)Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. ¹⁷ And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. ¹⁸ And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded ^(DY)Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. ¹⁹ And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel ^(DZ)and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.