One Year Bible.

David Anointed King of Judah

¹Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”

“Go up,” the LORD answered.

Then David asked, “Where should I go?”

“To Hebron,” replied the LORD.

²So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.

⁴Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

⁵So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. ⁶Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this. ⁷Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

⁸Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim, ⁹and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin— over all Israel.

¹⁰Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years.

The house of Judah, however, followed David. ¹¹And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The Battle of Gibeon

¹²One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³So Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.

¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.”

“Let them get up,” Joab replied.

¹⁵So they got up and were counted off — twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. ¹⁶Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.

¹⁷The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.

¹⁸The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle, ¹⁹and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit. ²⁰And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“It is,” Asahel replied.

²¹So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.”

But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

²²Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”

²³But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died. ²⁴But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill. ²⁶Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”

²⁷“As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”

²⁸So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight. ²⁹And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.

³⁰When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops.

In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing, ³¹but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner. ³²And they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.

David Anointed King of All Israel

¹Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. ²Even in times past, while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem

⁴Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.

⁵The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.”

Nevertheless , David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).

⁶Now David had said, “Whoever is the first to strike down a Jebusite will become chief commander.”

And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became the chief.

⁷So David took up residence in the fortress; that is why it was called the City of David. ⁸He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city.

⁹And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of Hosts was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

¹⁰Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. ¹¹This is the list of David’s mighty men:

Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

¹²Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. ¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place with a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

¹⁵Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁸So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead , he poured it out to the LORD, ¹⁹saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

²⁰Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three. ²¹He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

²²And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. ²³He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear. ²⁴These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men. ²⁵He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

²⁶Now these were the mighty men:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷Shammoth the Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

²⁸Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

³⁰Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

³¹Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³²Hurai from the brooks of Gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveth the Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,

³⁵Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

³⁹Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,

⁴³Hanan son of Maacah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

⁴⁵Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite,

⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite,

Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Job: Who Can Understand God’s Majesty?

¹Then Job answered:

²“How you have helped the powerless

and saved the arm that is feeble!

³How you have counseled the unwise

and provided fully sound insight!

⁴To whom have you uttered these words?

And whose spirit spoke through you?

⁵The dead tremble —

those beneath the waters and those who dwell in them.

⁶Sheol is naked before God,

and Abaddon has no covering.

⁷He stretches out the north over empty space;

He hangs the earth upon nothing.

⁸He wraps up the waters in His clouds,

yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight.

⁹He covers the face of the full moon,

spreading over it His cloud.

¹⁰He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters

at the boundary between light and darkness.

¹¹The foundations of heaven quake,

astounded at His rebuke.

¹²By His power He stirred the sea;

by His understanding He shattered Rahab.

¹³By His breath the skies were cleared;

His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

¹⁴Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways;

how faint is the whisper we hear of Him!

Who then can understand

the thunder of His power?”

Job Affirms His Integrity

¹Job continued his discourse:

²“As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice —

the Almighty, who has embittered my soul —

³as long as my breath is still within me

and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,

⁴my lips will not speak wickedness,

and my tongue will not utter deceit.

⁵I will never say that you are right;

I will maintain my integrity until I die.

⁶I will cling to my righteousness and never let go.

As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.

The Wicked Man’s Portion

⁷May my enemy be like the wicked

and my opponent like the unjust.

⁸For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,

when God takes away his life?

⁹Will God hear his cry

when distress comes upon him?

¹⁰Will he delight in the Almighty?

Will he call upon God at all times?

¹¹I will instruct you in the power of God.

I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.

¹²Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves.

Why then do you keep up this empty talk?

¹³This is the wicked man’s portion from God —

the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

¹⁴Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;

and his offspring will never have enough food.

¹⁵His survivors will be buried by the plague,

and their widows will not weep for them.

¹⁶Though he heaps up silver like dust

and piles up a wardrobe like clay,

¹⁷what he lays up, the righteous will wear,

and his silver will be divided by the innocent.

¹⁸The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon,

like a hut set up by a watchman.

¹⁹He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;

when he opens his eyes, all is gone.

²⁰Terrors overtake him like a flood;

a tempest sweeps him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;

it sweeps him out of his place.

²²It hurls itself against him without mercy

as he flees headlong from its power.

²³It claps its hands at him

and hisses him out of his place.[’’]