Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Chronicles
17 and 2 Samuel 8 -12 as well as Psalm 51. 1
Chronicles 17 Now it came to pass, when David
was dwelling in his house, that David said to
Nathan the prophet, See now I dwell in a house
of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the
Lord is under ten curtains. Then Nathan said
to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God
is with you. But it happened that night that
the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and
tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord, You
shall not build me a house to dwell in, for I
have not dwelt in a house since the time that
I brought up Israel even to this day, but have
gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle
to another. Wherever I have moved about with
all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any
of the judges of Israel? whom I accompanied to
shepherd my people, saying, Why have you not
built me a house of cedar? Now therefore, thus
shall you say to my servant David. Thus says
the Lord of hosts. I took you from the sheepfold,
from following the sheep, to be ruler over my
people Israel. And I have been with you wherever
you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies
from before you, and have made you a name like
the name of the great men who are on the earth.
Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people
Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell
in a place of their own, and move no more. Nor
shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any
more as previously, since the time that I commanded
judges to be over my people Israel. Also I will
subdue all your enemies. Furthermore, I tell
you that the Lord will build you a house, and
it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when
you must go to be with your fathers, that I will
set up your seed after you, who will be of your
sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall
build me a house, and I will establish his throne
forever. I will be his father, and he shall be
my son, and I will not take my mercy away from
him, as I took it from him who was before you.
and I will establish him in my house and in my
kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established
forever. According to all these words, and according
to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
Then King David went in and said before the Lord,
and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what is
my house, that you have brought me this far?
And yet this was a small thing in your sight,
O God. And you have also spoken of your servant's
house for a great while to come, and have regarded
me according to the rank of a man of high degree,
O Lord God. What more can David say to you for
the honor of your servant? For you know your
servant. O Lord, for your servant's sake and
according to your own heart, you have done all
this greatness in making known all these great
things. O Lord, there is none like you, nor is
there any God besides you, according to all that
we have heard with our ears. And who is like
your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom
God went to redeem for himself as a people, to
make for yourself a name by great and awesome
deeds, by driving out nations from before your
people whom you redeemed from Egypt? For you
have made your people Israel, your very own people
forever. And you, Lord, have become their God.
And now, O Lord, the word which you have spoken
concerning your servant and concerning his house,
let it be established forever. And do as you
have said. So let it be established that your
name may be magnified forever, saying, The Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God.
And let the house of your servant David be established
before you. For you, O my God, have revealed
to your servant that you will build him a house.
Therefore your servant has found it in his heart
to pray before you. And now, Lord, you are God
and have promised this goodness to your servant.
Now you have been pleased to bless the house
of your servant, that it may continue before
you forever. For you have blessed it, O Lord,
and it shall be blessed forever. After this it
came to pass that David attacked the Philistines
and subdued them, and David took Meteg Amah from
the hand of the Philistines. Then he defeated
Moab, forcing them down to the ground. He measured
them off with a line. With two lines he measured
off those to be put to death, and with one line
those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became
David's servants and brought tribute. David also
defeated Hadadezer. the son of Rehob, king of
Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at
the river Euphrates. David took from him 1 ,000
chariots, 700 horsemen, and 20 ,000 foot soldiers.
Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses,
except that he spared enough of them for 100
chariots. When the Syrians of Damascus came to
help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22
,000 of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons
in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became
David's servants and brought tribute. So the
Lord preserved David wherever he went. And David
took the shields of gold that had belonged to
the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to
Jerusalem. Also from Beta and from Berutai, cities
of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount
of bronze. When Toy king of Hamad heard that
David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer,
then Toy 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 Toy, and Joram brought with
him articles of silver, articles of gold, and
articles of bronze. King David also dedicated
these to the Lord, along with the silver and
gold that he had dedicated from all the nations
which he had subdued, from Syria, from Moab,
from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines,
from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer
the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And David made
himself a name when he returned from killing
18 ,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt. He also
put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom he
put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's
servants, and the Lord preserved David wherever
he went. So David reigned over all Israel, and
David administered judgment and justice to all
his people. Joab the son of Zeruiah was over
the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was
recorder. Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech,
the son of Abiathar, were the priests. Sariah
was the scribe. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada,
was over both the Caratites and the Pelitites,
and David's sons were chief ministers. Chapter
9 Now David said, Is there still anyone who is
left of the house of Saul, that I may show him
kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was a
servant of the house of Saul, whose name was
Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the
king said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, At your
service. Then the king said, Is there not still
someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show
the kindness of God? And Ziba said to the king,
There is still a son of Jonathan, who is lame
in his feet. So the king said to him, Where is
he? And Ziba said to the king, Indeed he is in
the house of Machir the son of Amiel in Lodabar.
Then king David sent and brought him out of the
house of Machir the son of Amiel from Lodabar.
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the
son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his
face and prostrated himself. Then David said,
Mephibosheth? And he answered, Here is your servant.
So David said to him, Do not fear, for I will
surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's
sake, and will restore you to all the land of
Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat bread
at my table continually. Then he bowed himself
and said, What is your servant that you should
look upon such a dead dog as I? And the king
called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him,
I have given to your master's son all that belong
to Saul and to all his house. You, therefore,
and your sons and your servants shall work the
land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest
that your master's son may have food to eat.
But Mephibosheth, your master's son, shall eat
bread at my table always. Now Ziba had fifteen
sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the
king, According to all that my lord the king
has commanded his servant, so will your servant
do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall
eat at my table like one of the king's sons.
Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah,
and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants
of Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,
for he ate continually at the king's table, and
he was lame in both his feet. Chapter 10 It happened
after this that the king of the people of Ammon
died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
Then David said, I will show kindness to Hanun
the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness
to me. So David sent by the hand of his servants
to comfort him concerning his father. And David's
servants came into the land of the people of
Ammon. And the princes of the people of Ammon
said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David
really honors your father because he has sent
comforters to you? Has David not rather sent
servants to you to search the city, to spy it
out, and to overthrow it? Therefore Hanun took
David's servants, shaved off half of their beards,
cut off their garments in the middle, add their
buttocks, and sent them away. When they told
David, he sent to meet them, because the men
were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Wait
at Jericho until your beards have grown, and
then return. When the people of Amun saw that
they had made themselves repulsive to David,
the people of Amun sent and hired the Syrians
of Beit Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, 20 ,000
foot soldiers, and from the king of Makkah, 1
,000 men, and from Ishtob, 12 ,000 men. Now when
David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army
of the mighty men. Then the people of Ammon came
out and put themselves in battle array at the
entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Jobah,
Beit Rehob, Ishtob, and Macca were by themselves
in the field. When Joab saw that the battle line
was against him before and behind, he chose some
of Israel's best and put them in battle array
against the Syrians, and the rest of the people
he put under the command of Abishah his brother,
that he might set them in battle array against
the people of Ammon. Then he said, If the Syrians
are too strong for me, then you shall help me.
But if the people of Ammon are too strong for
you, then I will come and help you. Be of good
courage, and let us be strong for our people
and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord
do what is good in his sight. So Joab and the
people who were with him drew near for the battle
against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians
were fleeing, they also fled before Abishah and
entered the city. So Joab returned from the people
of Ammon and went to Jerusalem. When Assyrians
saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they
gathered together. Then Hadadezer sent and brought
out the Assyrians who were beyond the river,
and they came to Helam. And Shobak, the commander
of Hadadezer's army, went before them. When it
was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed
over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And Assyrians
set themselves in battle array against David
and fought with him. Then the Syrians fled before
Israel, and David killed 700 charioteers and
40 ,000 horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobak,
the commander of their army, who died there.
And when all the kings, who were servants to
Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel,
they made peace with Israel and served them.
So the Syrians were afraid to help the people
of Ammon anymore. Chapter 11 It happened in the
spring of the year, at the time when kings go
out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants
with him. and all Israel, and they destroyed
the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But
David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened
one evening that David arose from his bed and
walked on the roof of the king's house. And from
the roof he saw a woman bathing. And the woman
was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and
inquired about the woman. And someone said, Is
this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the
wife of Uriah the Hittite? Then David sent messengers
and took her. And she came to him, and he lay
with her. For she was cleansed from her impurity,
and she returned to her house. And the woman
conceived. So she sent and told David, and said,
I am with child. Then David sent to Joab saying,
Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah
to David. When Uriah had come to him, David asked
how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing,
and how the war prospered. And David said to
Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet.
So Uriah departed from the king's house, and
a gift of food from the king followed him. But
Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with
all the servants of his lord, and did not go
down to his house. So when they told David saying,
Uriah did not go down to his house, David said
to Uriah, Did you not come from a journey? Why
did you not go down to your house? And Uriah
said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah are
dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants
of my lord are encamped in open fields. Shall
I then go to my house to eat and drink and to
lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul
lives, I will not do this thing. Then David said
to Uriah, Wait here today also, and tomorrow
I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem
that day and the next. Now when David called
him, he ate and drank before him, and he made
him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie
on his bed with the servants of his Lord. But
he did not go down to his house. In the morning
it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab
and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote
in the letter saying, Set Uriah in the forefront
of the hottest battle, and retreat from him,
that he may be struck down and die. So it was
while Joab besieged the city that he assigned
Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant
men. Then the men of the city came out and fought
with Joab, and some of the people of the servants
of David fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told David all the things
concerning the war, and charged the messenger,
saying, When you have finished telling the matters
of the war to the king, if it happens that the
king's wrath rises and he says to you, Why did
you approach so near to the city when you fought?
Did you not know that they would shoot from the
wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerobesheth?
Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone
on him from the wall, so that he died at Tebiz?
Why did you go near the wall? Then you shall
say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
So the messenger went and came and told David
all that Joab had sent by him. And the messenger
said to David, Surely the men prevailed against
us and came out to us in the field. Then we drove
them back as far as the entrance of the gate.
The archers shot from the wall at your servants,
and some of the king's servants are dead. And
your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Then David said to the messenger, Thus you shall
say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease
you. For the sword devours one as well as another.
Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow
it. So encourage him. When the wife of Uriah
heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned
for her husband. And when her mourning was over,
David sent and brought her to his house, and
she became his wife and bore him a son. But the
thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
Chapter 12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David.
And he came to him and said to him, There were
two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.
The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and
herds, but the poor man had nothing, except one
little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished,
and it grew up together with him and with his
children. It ate of his own food and drank from
his own cup and lay in his bosom, and it was
like a daughter to him. And a traveller came
to the rich man, who refused to take from his
own flock and from his own herd, to prepare one
for the wayfaring man who had come to him. But
he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for
the man who had come to him. So David's anger
was greatly aroused against the man, and he said
to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who hath
done this shall surely die, and he shall restore
fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing,
and because he had no pity. Then Nathan said
to David, You are the man. Thus says the Lord
God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel,
and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I
gave you your master's house and your master's
wives into your keeping, and gave you the house
of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too
little, I also would have given you much more.
Why have you despised the commandment of the
Lord, to do evil in his sight? You have killed
Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken
his wife to be your wife, and have killed him
with the sword of the people of Amun. Now therefore
the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me. and have taken
the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up adversity
against you from your own house, and I will take
your wives before your eyes and give them to
your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives
in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly,
but I will do this thing before all Israel before
the sun. So David said to Nathan, I have sinned
against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The
Lord also has put away your sin, you shall not
die. However, because by this deed you have given
great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to
blaspheme, the child also who is born to you
shall surely die. Then Nathan departed to his
house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's
wife bore to David, and it became ill. David
therefore pleaded with God for the child, and
David fasted and went in and lay all night on
the ground. So the elders of his house arose
and went to him to raise him up from the ground,
but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
Then on the seventh day it came to pass that
the child died. And the servants of David were
afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For
they said, Indeed, while the child was alive,
we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice.
How can we tell him that the child is dead? He
may do some harm. When David saw that his servants
were whispering, David perceived that the child
was dead. Therefore David said to his servants,
Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed
himself, and changed his clothes. And he went
into the house of the Lord and worshipped. Then
he went to his own house, and when he requested,
they set food before him, and he ate. Then his
servants said to him, What is this that you have
done? You fasted and wept for the child while
he was alive. But when the child died, you arose
and ate food. And he said, While the child was
alive, I fasted and wept. For I said, Who can
tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me,
that the child may live? But now he is dead.
Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?
I shall go to him, but he shall not return to
me. Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife,
and went into her and lay with her. So she bore
a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the
Lord loved him, and he sent word by the hand
of Nathan the prophet. So he called his name
Jedidiah, because of the Lord. Now Joab fought
against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took
the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David
and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and I
have taken the city's water supply. now therefore
gather the rest of the people together and encamp
against the city and take it lest i take the
city and it be called after my name so david
gathered all the people together and went to
rabba fought against it and took it then he took
their king's crown from his head its weight was
a talent of gold with precious stones and it
was set on david's head Also he brought out the
spoil of the city in great abundance, and he
brought out the people who were in it, and put
them to work with saws and iron picks and iron
axes, and made them cross over to the brickworks.
So he did to all the cities of the people of
Ammon. Then David and all the people returned
to Jerusalem. Psalm 51 Inscription To the Chief
Musician A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet
went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your
lovingkindness, according to the multitude of
your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions,
wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse
me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. Against you,
you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in
your sight, that you may be found just when you
speak, and blameless when you judge. Behold,
I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my
mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth
in inward parts, and in the hidden part you will
make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop
and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be
whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness,
that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide
your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew
a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me
away from your presence and do not take your
Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of
your salvation and uphold me by your generous
spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your
ways and sinners shall be converted to you. Deliver
me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God
of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud
of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For
you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would
give it. You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a
broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you
will not despise. Do good in your good pleasure
to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you
shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering.
Then they shall offer bulls on your altar. I
hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I
did and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to continue on our journey. God bless you and
have a great day.