11In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2One evening David got up from his bed and
10In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2David thought, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent a delegation to express his sympath
31Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3The fighting grew f
1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Pen
19Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David 2and warned him, My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3I will go o
1After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to p
2Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord ; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. 2There is no one holy like the Lord ; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock
3The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of
12The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he h
13In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. 2Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him
14In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she
13In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had
12In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3The
11When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal pr
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 l
7It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. 2He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. 3It
2When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2I am about to go the way of all the earth, he said. So be strong, show yourself a man, 3and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decre
4So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok-the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha-secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud-recorder; 4Benaiah son of Jehoiada-commander in chief; Zadok an