Genesis to Revelation
Bible Reading Plan
March 24
2 Samuel 5-8
Chapter 5
David King over All Israel
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold,
we are your bone and your flesh.
2 “Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel
out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel,
and you will be a ruler over Israel.’ ”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made
a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then they anointed David king
over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem
he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants
of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but
the blind and lame will turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot
enter here.”
7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of
David.
8 David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him
reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the
water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not
come into the house.”
9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David
built all around from the Millo and inward.
10 David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters
and stonemasons; and they built a house for David.
12 And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel,
and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
13 Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he
came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David.
14 Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua,
Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
War with the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel,
all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it,
he went down to the stronghold.
18 Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.
19 Then David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the
Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go
up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”
20 So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The
Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore
he named that place Baal-perazim.
21 They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.
22 Now the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the
valley of Rephaim.
23 When David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly
up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.
24 “It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the
balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the Lord will have gone
out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
25 Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the
Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
Chapter 6
Peril in Moving the Ark
1 Now 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 to Baale-judah,
to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very
name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.
3 They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from
the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of
Abinadab, were leading the new cart.
4 So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which
was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.
5 Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the
Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps,
tambourines, castanets and cymbals.
6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out
toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it.
7 And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down
there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
8 David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and
that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.
9 So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the
ark of the Lord come to me?”
10 And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David
with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 Thus 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 household.
The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem
12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house
of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” David
went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city
of David with gladness.
13 And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six
paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was
wearing a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord
with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that
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 So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside
the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings
and
peace offerings before the Lord.
18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering,
he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
19 Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel,
both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins
to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.
20 But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul
came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished
himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids
as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above
your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the
Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord.
22 “I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my
own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.”
23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
Chapter
7
David Plans to Build a Temple
1 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given
him rest on every side from all his enemies,
2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a
house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.”
3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the
Lord is with you.”
4 But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are
you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?
6 “For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons
of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent,
even in a tabernacle.
7 “Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word
with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel,
saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
God’s Covenant with David
8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says
the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep,
to be ruler over My people Israel.
9 “I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all
your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names
of the great men who are on the earth.
10 “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them,
that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will
the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,
11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel;
and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to
you that
the Lord will make a house for you.
12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers,
I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you,
and I will establish his kingdom.
13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne
of his kingdom forever.
14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits
iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons
of men,
15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from
Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your
throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke
to David.
David’s Prayer
18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who
am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
19 “And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You
have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future.
And this is the custom of man, O Lord God.
20 “Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant,
O Lord God!
21 “For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have
done all this greatness to let Your servant know.
22 “For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like
You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with
our ears.
23 “And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom
God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and
to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your
people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their
gods?
24 “For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your
own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.
25 “Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning
Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken,
26 that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of hosts
is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established
before You.
27 “For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation
to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore
Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.
28 “Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have
promised this good thing to Your servant.
29 “Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant,
that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and
with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
Chapter
8
David’s Triumphs
1 Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and
subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the
Philistines.
2 He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie
down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full
line to
keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
3 Then David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he
went to restore his rule at the River.
4 David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David
hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David
killed 22,000 Arameans.
6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans
became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever
he went.
7 David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer
and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a
very large amount of bronze.
9 Now when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army
of Hadadezer,
10 Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and bless him, because
he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been
at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and
of bronze.
11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and gold
that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued:
12 from Aram and Moab and the sons of Ammon and the Philistines and
Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000
Arameans in the Valley of Salt.
14 He put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites
became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness
for all his people.
16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of
Ahilud was recorder.
17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests,
and Seraiah was secretary.
18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
and David’s sons were chief ministers.
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)