Apr 4 - 2 Samuel 23-24, 1 Kings 1
2 Samuel
1These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs:2"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.3The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,4he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'5"Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?6But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.7Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie."8These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.9Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated,10but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.11Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them.12But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.13During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.15David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!"16So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD.17"Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.18Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.19Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.20Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.21And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.23He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.24Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,27Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri,37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
1Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are."3But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"4The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.5After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.6They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.7Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.8After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.9Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.10David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."11Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer:12"Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'"13So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me."14David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."15So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family."18On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."19So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.21Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped."22Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.23O king, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you."24But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.25David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
1 Kings
1When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.2So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm."3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.4The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.6(His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)7Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support.8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials,10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it?12Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.13Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?'14While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."15So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.16Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked.17She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.'18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it.19He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.20My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.21Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals."22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.23And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.24Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?25Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'26But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.27Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"28Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.29The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,30I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place."31Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!"32King David said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." When they came before the king,33he said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.34There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!'35Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.37As the LORD was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!"38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon.39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"40And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?"42Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news."43"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king.44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king's mule,45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear.46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.47Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship on his bed48and said, 'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'"49At this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed.50But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.51Then Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"52Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die."53Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, "Go to your home."