LESSON L

DAVID AT JERUSALEM

David defeats the Philistines, and frees Israel from their dominion. He captures Jerusalem, and makes it his capital. He brings the ark to Jerusalem with great ceremony. He shows kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's remaining son.

2 SAMUEL V. 6—IX. 1-13 WITH XXIII. 13-17

5 17 And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of 5 Rephaim. And David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thine hand. And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he 10 said, The LORD hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away.

23 13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to 15 David in the harvest time unto the cave 1 of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well

1 For the cave read the hold.

of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty 20 men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood 25 of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty

men.

5 22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of 30 the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then is the LORD gone out before thee to smite the host of 35 the Philistines. And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.

5 6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, 40 saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither1: thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, 45 and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul. And David dwelt in the strong hold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. And David waxed greater and greater; for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. And David perceived that the LORD had established

1 For Except. . . hither read Thou shalt not come in hither, but the blind and the lame shall turn thee away (R).

50

him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for 55 his people Israel's sake.

2

6 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale Judah,1 to bring up from thence the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of the LORD of hosts that sitteth upon the cherubim. And they set the ark 60 of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with all manner of instruments made of fir wood, and 65 with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with castanets, and with cymbals. And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote 70 him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah and he called that place Perez-uzzah, unto this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, How shall the ark of the LORD come unto me? So David would 75 not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David ; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his house. And it was told king David, 80 saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, 85 he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the

1 For from Baale Judah read to Baalah.

2 For with all . . . harps read with all their might, even with songs.

ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And it was so, as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the 90 window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And when David 95 had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins. So all the 100 people departed every one to his house.

8 15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgement and justice unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the 105 son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.

9 1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? 110 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the 115 king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. And 120 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kind

125 ness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said 130 unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son. And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway 135 at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table,1 as one of the king's sons. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were 140 servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet.