God's Covenant with David

71 And it cometh to pass, when the king sat in his house, and Jehovah hath given rest to him round about, from all his enemies, 2 that the king saith unto Nathan the prophet, 'See, I pray thee, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and the ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.' 3 And Nathan saith unto the king, 'All that 'is' in thine heart—go, do, for Jehovah 'is' with thee.'

4 And it cometh to pass in that night, that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan, saying, 5 'Go, and thou hast said unto My servant, unto David, Thus said Jehovah, Dost thou build for Me a house for My dwelling in? 6 for I have not dwelt in a house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, and am walking up and down in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 During all 'the time' that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, a word have I spoken with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, 'Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars? 8 and now, thus dost thou say to My servant, to David: 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the comely place, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel; 9 and I am with thee whithersoever thou hast gone, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a great name, as the name of the great ones who 'are' in the earth, 10 and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it hath tabernacled in its place, and it is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it any more, as in the beginning, 11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to thee from all thine enemies, and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for thee a house. 12 'When thy days are full, and thou hast lain with thy fathers, then I have raised up thy seed after thee which goeth out from thy bowels, and have established his kingdom; 13 He doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age. 14 I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam, 15 and My kindness doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee, 16 and stedfast 'is' thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.' 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spake Nathan unto David.

18 And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who 'am' I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto? 19 And yet this 'is' little in Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this 'is' the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah. 20 And what doth David add more to speak unto Thee? and Thou, Thou hast known Thy servant, Lord Jehovah. 21 Because of Thy word, and according to Thy heart, Thou hast done all this greatness, to cause Thy servant to know 'it'. 22 Therefore Thou hast been great, Jehovah God, for there is none like Thee, and there is no God save Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 'And who 'is' as Thy people, as Israel—one nation in the earth, whom God hath gone to redeem to Him for a people, and to make for Him a name—and to do for you the greatness—even fearful things for Thy land, at the presence of Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed to Thee out of Egypt—'among the' nations and their gods? 24 Yea, Thou dost establish to Thee Thy people Israel, to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, Jehovah, hast been to them for God. 25 'And now, Jehovah God, the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish unto the age, and do as Thou hast spoken; 26 And Thy Name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts 'is' God over Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee, 27 For Thou, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, saying, A house I build for thee, therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee this prayer; 28 And now, Lord Jehovah, Thou 'art' God Himself, and Thy words are truth, and Thou speakest unto Thy servant this goodness, 29 And now, begin and bless the house of Thy servant, to be unto the age before Thee, for Thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken, and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed—to the age.'

David Extends His Kingdom

81 And it cometh to pass afterwards that David smiteth the Philistines, and humbleth them, and David taketh the bridle of the metropolis out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he smiteth Moab, and measureth them with a line, causing them to lie down on the earth, and he measureth two lines to put to death, and the fulness of the line to keep alive, and the Moabites are to David for servants, bearers of a present. 3 And David smiteth Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, in his going to bring back his power by the River 'Euphrates;' 4 and David captureth from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and David destroyeth utterly the whole of the charioteers, only he leaveth of them a hundred charioteers. 5 And Aram of Damascus cometh to give help to Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David smiteth of Aram twenty and two thousand men; 6 and David putteth garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and Aram is to David for a servant, bearing a present; and Jehovah saveth David whithersoever he hath gone; 7 and David taketh the shields of gold which were on the servants of Hadadezer, and bringeth them to Jerusalem; 8 and from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, hath king David taken very much brass.

9 And Toi king of Hamath heareth that David hath smitten all the force of Hadadezer, 10 and Toi sendeth Joram his son unto king David to ask of him of welfare, and to bless him, (because that he hath fought against Hadadezer, and smiteth him, for a man of wars 'with' Toi had Hadadezer been), and in his hand have been vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass, 11 also them did king David sanctify to Jehovah, with the silver and the gold which he sanctified of all the nations which he subdued: 12 of Aram, and of Moab, and of the Bene-Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob king of Zobah. 13 And David maketh a name in his turning back from his smiting Aram in the valley of Salt—eighteen thousand; 14 and he putteth in Edom garrisons—in all Edom he hath put garrisons, and all Edom are servants to David; and Jehovah saveth David whithersoever he hath gone.

David's Officers

15 And David reigneth over all Israel, and David is doing judgment and righteousness to all his people, 16 and Joab son of Zeruiah 'is' over the host, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud 'is' remembrancer, 17 and Zadok son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, 'are' priests, and Seraiah 'is' scribe, 18 and Benaiah son of Jehoiada 'is over' both the Cherethite and the Pelethite, and the sons of David have been ministers.

David's Kindness to Mephibosheth

91 And David saith, 'Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?' 2 And the house of Saul hath a servant, and his name 'is' Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the king saith unto him, 'Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, 'Thy servant.' 3 And the king saith, 'Is there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, 'Jonathan hath yet a son—lame.' 4 And the king saith to him, 'Where 'is' he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, 'Lo, he 'is' in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.' 5 And king David sendeth, and taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar, 6 and Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth obeisance, and David saith, 'Mephibosheth;' and he saith, 'Lo, thy servant.' 7 And David saith to him, 'Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.' 8 And he boweth himself, and saith, 'What 'is' thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog—such as I?'

9 And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, 'All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord, 10 and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 And Ziba saith unto the king, 'According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, 'he is eating at my table ('saith the king') as one of the sons of the king.' 12 And Mephibosheth hath a young son, and his name 'is' Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba 'are' servants to Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually, and he 'is' lame of his two feet.

The Defeat of the Ammonites and Syrians

101 And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the king of the Bene-Ammon dieth, and Hanun his son reigneth in his stead, 2 and David saith, 'I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did with me kindness;' and David sendeth to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come in to the land of the Bene-Ammon. 3 And the heads of the Bene-Ammon say unto Hanun their lord, 'Is David honouring thy father in thine eyes because he hath sent to thee comforters? for to search the city, and to spy it, and to overthrow it, hath not David sent his servants unto thee?' 4 And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth off the half of their beard, and cutteth off their long robes in the midst—unto their buttocks, and sendeth them away; 5 and they declare 'it' to David, and he sendeth to meet them, for the men have been greatly ashamed, and the king saith, 'Abide in Jericho till your beard doth spring up—then ye have returned.'

6 And the Bene-Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the Bene-Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah 'with' a thousand men, and Ish-Tob 'with' twelve thousand men; 7 and David heareth, and sendeth Joab, and all the host—the mighty men. 8 And the Bene-Ammon come out, and set battle in array, at the opening of the gate, and Aram of Zoba, and Rehob, and Ish-Tob, and Maacah, 'are' by themselves in the field; 9 and Joab seeth that the front of the battle hath been unto him before and behind, and he chooseth of all the chosen in Israel, and setteth in array to meet Aram, 10 and the rest of the people he hath given into the hand of Abishai his brother, and setteth in array to meet the Bene-Ammon. 11 And he saith, 'If Aram be stronger than I, then thou hast been to me for salvation, and if the Bene-Ammon be stronger than thou, then I have come to give salvation to thee; 12 be strong and strengthen thyself for our people, and for the cities of our God, and Jehovah doth that which is good in His eyes.' 13 And Joab draweth nigh, and the people who 'are' with him, to battle against Aram, and they flee from his presence; 14 and the Bene-Ammon have seen that Aram hath fled, and they flee from the presence of Abishai, and go in to the city; and Joab turneth back from the Bene-Ammon, and cometh in to Jerusalem.

15 And Aram seeth that it is smitten before Israel, and they are gathered together; 16 and Hadadezer sendeth, and bringeth out Aram which 'is' beyond the River, and they come in to Helam, and Shobach head of the host of Hadadezer 'is' before them. 17 And it is declared to David, and he gathereth all Israel, and passeth over the Jordan, and cometh in to Helam, and Aram setteth itself in array to meet David, and they fight with him; 18 and Aram fleeth from the presence of Israel, and David slayeth of Aram seven hundred charioteers, and forty thousand horsemen, and Shobach head of its host he hath smitten, and he dieth there. 19 And all the kings—servants of Hadadezer—see that they have been smitten before Israel, and make peace with Israel, and serve them; and Aram is afraid to help any more the Bene-Ammon.