Through My Bible Yr 01 – August 28

David’s Wars

2 Samuel 8

¹ After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ha’ammah ^[1] from the control of the Philistines.

² He defeated Moab and measured the men with a length of rope after making them lie down on the ground. He measured two lengths to be put to death and one full length to live. The Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control ^[2] at the river Euphrates. ⁴ David captured seventeen hundred charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers ^[3] from him. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but he left enough horses for a hundred chariots. ⁵ Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand men in Aram. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Damascus in the land of Aram, ^[4] and the Arameans became subject to David and brought tribute.

The Lord gave victory to David everywhere he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields that belonged to the officials of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Betah and Berothai, ^[5] cities of Hadadezer, King David took large amounts of bronze.

⁹ Toi ^[6] king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Toi sent his son Joram ^[7] to King David to petition him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, because Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. In his hand he brought items made of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated these things to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued: ¹² from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ David made a name for himself when he returned from striking eighteen thousand Edomites ^[8] in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put garrisons in Edom, in all of it, and all the Edomites became subject to David.

The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. ¹⁵ David was king over all Israel, and he treated all his people with justice and fairness.

David’s Officials

¹⁶ Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the record keeper. ^{[9] 17} Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests. Seraiah was the secretary. ¹⁸ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Kerethites and the Pelethites. The sons of David were government ministers. ^[10]

David and Mephibosheth

2 Samuel 9

¹ David said, “Is there anyone still left from the house of Saul, to whom I may show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”

² There was a servant of Saul’s house named Ziba, so they summoned him to come to David.

The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am.”

³ The king said, “Isn’t there still a man left who belongs to the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan. He has crippled feet.”

⁴ The king said to him, “Where is he?”

Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David sent and brought him from the house of Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar.

⁶ When Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, came to David, he bowed facedown to the ground.

David said, “Mephibosheth?” He said, “I am.”

⁷ David said to him, “Do not be afraid. I will certainly show kindness to you because of Jonathan, your father. I will return to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat bread at my table.”

⁸ He bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you have paid attention to a dead dog like me?”

⁹ The king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I am giving to your master’s son. ¹⁰ You are to work the soil for him, you and your sons and your servants. You are to bring in the crops, so your master’s son will have food to eat. Mephibosheth, your master’s son, will always eat bread at my table.”

(Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, “Everything that my lord the king commands his servant, your servant will do.”

So Mephibosheth began eating at the king’s table ^[11] like one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone living in Ziba’s house became servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth took up residence in Jerusalem because he was always to eat at the table of the king. He was crippled in both his feet.