The Book of Joshua marks a new beginning, to the story of Israel in Canaan. Yet the story continues straight on without a break. Deuteronomy had looked forward to the Israelites occupying Canaan

3.6 Abner’s Power Play?

6 As the battle was going on between Saul’s household and David’s household, Abner was asserting his strength in Saul’s household. 7 Now Saul had a secondary wife; her name was Ritspah bat Ayyah. [Shameful-man] said to Abner, ‘Why have you had sex with my father’s wife?’ 8 It really enraged Abner at Shameful-man’s words. He said, ‘Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I act in commitment with the household of Saul your father and to his brothers and to his friends, and I haven’t let you be found in David’s hand, and today you attribute waywardness to me with the woman. 9 May God do this to Abner and may he do more to him, because as Yahweh swore to David, so I will do for him, 10 to let the kingship pass over from Saul’s household and establish David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan as far as Be’er Sheba’. 11 He couldn’t say back anything further to Abner, for fear of him.

12 Abner sent envoys to David, in place of himself, saying ‘Whose is the country? You should solemnize your pact with me, and here, my hand will be with you to get all Israel to come round to you’. 13 He said, ‘Good, I myself will solemnize a pact with you. I’m going to ask only one thing from you: you will not see my face unless beforehand you bring Mikal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face’. 14 And David sent envoys to Shameful-man son of Saul, saying ‘Give over my wife Mikal whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins’. 15 Shameful-man sent and got her from being with the husband, from being with Palti’el ben Layish. 16 Her husband went with her, wailing as he followed her as far as Bahurim, but Abner said to him, ‘Go, go back’, and he went back.

3.17 Abner Miscalculates

17 Abner had word with Israel’s elders: ‘Even in previous days, you were seeking David as king over you. 18 So now, act, because Yahweh has said of David, “By the hand of David my servant I will deliver my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies”’. 19 Abner both spoke in Benjamin’s ear, and Abner also went to speak in David’s ear in Hebron of all that was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the entire household of Benjamin.

20 Abner came to David at Hebron, twenty men with him, and David made a banquet for Abner and for the men who were with him. 21 Abner said to David, ‘I’ll set off and go and collect all Israel for my lord the king so they can solemnize a pact with you and you can reign over all that your appetite longs for’. David sent Abner off and he went, with things being well.

22 But there, David’s servants and Yo’ab came from a raiding gang, and brought much spoil with them. Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had sent him off and he had gone, with things being well. 23 When Yo’ab and the entire army that was with him came, people told Yo’ab, ‘Abner ben Ner came to the king, and he sent him off; he went with things being well’.

24 Yo’ab came to the king and said, ‘What have you done? Here was Abner coming to you. Why did you send him off? He’s totally gone. 25 You know Abner ben Ner, that he would have come to deceive you and to know your coming and your going and to know everything that you’re doing’.

3.26 The Elimination of Abner

26 Yo’ab went out from being with David and sent envoys after Abner, and they brought him back from the Sirah cistern. David didn’t know. 27 So Abner came back to Hebron, Yo’ab took him aside inside the gateway to speak with him in private, but struck him down there, in the abdomen. He died for the blood of Asah’el his brother.

28 David heard afterward and said, ‘I and my kingdom are free of guilt before Yahweh permanently for the shedding of the blood of Abner ben Ner. 29 May it whirl on the head of Yo’ab and on his father’s entire household. May there not be cut off from Yo’ab’s household someone with a discharge or someone with scaliness, or a man who takes strong hold of the spindle or falls by the sword or lacks bread’. 30 Yo’ab and Abishay his brother had killed Abner because of the fact that he had put Asah’el their brother to death at Gib’on in the battle.

31 David said to Yo’ab and to the entire company that was with him, ‘Tear your clothes and wrap on sack and lament before Abner’, while King David was going behind the bier. 32 So they buried Abner at Hebron. The king lifted up his voice and wailed at Abner’s grave. The entire company wailed. 33 The king chanted for Abner:

Should Abner have been dying

the death of a villain?

34 Your hands were not tied up,

your feet were not in chains.

They were brought together like someone falling—

before evil men you fell.

So the entire company continued to wail over him.

3.35 The Disabled Son

35 The entire comoany came to get David to eat bread while it was still day, but David swore, ‘May God do this to me and may he do more if I taste bread or anything before sundown’. 36 When the entire company recognized, it was good in their eyes, as everything that the king did was good in the eyes of the entire company. 37 The entire company and all Israel acknowledged that day that putting Abner ben Ner to death did not come from the king.

38 The king said to his servants, ‘You acknowledge do you not, that a leader and a great man has fallen this day in Israel. 39 And I myself am raw today, though anointed king, whereas these men, the sons of Tseruyah, are tougher than me. May Yahweh make good to the person who does what is bad in accordance with the bad thing that he did’.

4 Ben Saul heard that Abner had died at Hebron, and his hands went slack, while all Israel was fearful. 2 Now ben Saul had two men who were officers over raiding gangs. The name of one was Ba’anah and the name of the second was Rekab, sons of Rimmon the Be’erotite, of the Benjaminites because Be’erot was also counted with Benjamin. 3 The Be’erotites had taken flight to Gittayim, and they have been residents there until this day.

4 Now Yehonatan son of Saul had a son who was injured in both feet. He was a boy of five years when the report about Saul and Yehonatan came from Yizre’e’l. His nurse had carried him and fled, and as she was making haste to flee, he fell, so he limped. His name was Mephiboshet [From Shame’s Mouth].

4.5 The Elimination of Saul’s Other Son

5 So the sons of Rimmon the Be’erotite, Rekab and Ba’anah, went and at the very heat of the day came to Shameful-man’s house. He was taking a midday lie down. 6 So there, they came inside the house like people getting wheat and struck him down in the abdomen. Then Rekab and Ba’anah his brother escaped. 7 They had come to the house when he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, struck him down, and put him to death, and they removed his head, took his head, went by the Steppe road all night, 8 and brought Shameful-man’s head to David at Hebron. They said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Shameful-man son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. This day Yahweh has given my lord the king full redress from Saul and his offspring’.

9 David answered Rekab and Ba’anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be’erotite, ‘As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from every pressure: 10 when someone told me, “Here, Saul is dead”, and in his eyes he was like someone bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Tsiqlag, one to whom I might have given something for the news. 11 How much more when faithless men have killed a faithful man in his house on his bed! I will seek his blood from your hand and burn you away from the country, won’t I’. 12 So David ordered the boys and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them over the pool at Hebron. The head of Shameful-man they took and buried in Abner’s grave at Hebron.

5.1 David Becomes King and Jerusalem Becomes His City

5 Then all the Israelite clans came to David at Hebron and said, ‘Here, we are your flesh and blood. 2 Further, in previous days, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who took Israel out and brought Israel in. Yahweh said to you, “You’re the one who will shepherd my people Israel. You’re the one who will be ruler over Israel”‘.

3 So all Israel’s elders came to the king at Hebron, King David solemnized a pact to them at Hebron before Yahweh, and they anointed David as king over Israel. 4 David was a man of thirty years when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years: 5 in Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Yebusites, the inhabitants of the region. They said to David, ‘You won’t come in here. Actually, the blind and the lame could have removed you’ (saying, ‘David won’t come in here’). 7 But David captured the Zion stronghold (i.e., David’s Town). 8 David said on that day, ‘Anyone striking down the Yebusites (the blind and the lame, treated with hostility by David himself—that’s why they say, “A blind or lame person will not come into the house”) should take possession of the conduit’.

9 David lived in the stronghold and named it ‘David’s Town’. David built it up all round from the Fill to the house. 10 David went on getting bigger and bigger, as Yahweh the God of Armies was with him. 11 Hiram king of Tsor [Tyre] sent envoys to David with cedar wood, crafsmen in wood, and craftsmen in stone for walls, and they built a house for David.

5.12 For the sake of David’s People Israel

12 David acknowledged that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingship for the sake of his people Israel. 13 David took more secondary wives and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Natan, Solomon, 15 Yibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Yaphia, Elishama, Elyada, and Eliphelet.

17 The Philistines heard that they had anointed David as king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to look for David. David heard, and went down to the stronghold. 18 When the Philistines came, they ran loose in Repha’ites Vale. 19 David asked of Yahweh, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?’ Yahweh said to David, ‘Go up, because I shall definitely give the Philistines into your hand’, 20 and David came to Ba’al-peratsim. David struck them down there and said, ‘Yahweh has broken out on my enemies before me like a breakout of water’. That’s why they named that place Ba’al Peratsim [Master of Breakouts]. 21 They abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

22 The Philistines yet again went up and ran loosein Repha’ites Vale. 23 David asked of Yahweh, but he said, ‘You will not go up. Make a turn round behind them and come to them from the direction of the weeper trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the weeper trees, then take action, because Yahweh will have gone out before you to strike down the Philistines’ camp’. 25 David did so, as Yahweh ordered him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as when you come to Gezer.

6.1 Little Things Can Have Terrible Consequences

6 David again gathered every picked man in Israel, 30,000. 2 David set off and went, he and the entire company that was with him, from Ba’alim-in-Judah to take up from there God’s chest over which the name is called out (the name of Yahweh Armies who sits above the Sphinxes). 3 They transported God’s chest on a new wagon and carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill, with Uzza and Ahyo, Abinadab’s sons, driving the new wagon. 4 So they carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill, with God’s chest, with Ahyo going before the chest, 5 and David and the entire household of Israel made fun before Yahweh with all juniper wood [instruments], with guitars, with mandolins, with tambourines, with rattles, and with cymbals.

6 But they came as far as Nakon’s threshing floor, and Uzza reached out to God’s chest and grasped it because the cattle had stumbled, 7 and Yahweh’s anger raged at Uzzah. God struck him down there because of the blunder. He died there near God’s chest.

8 It really enraged David that Yahweh had broken out at Uzzah (he called that place Perets Uzzah [Breakout at Uzzah], until this day). 9 David was afraid of Yahweh that day and said, ‘How can Yahweh’s chest come to me?’ 10 So David was not willing to move Yahweh’s chest to him, to David’s Town. David got it to turn aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11 Yahweh’s chest stayed at the house of Obed Edom the Gittite for three months. Yahweh blessed Obed Edom and his entire household, 12 and it was told King David, ‘Yahweh has blessed the household of Obed Edom and all that belongs to him on account of God’s chest’, so David went and brought up God’s chest from Obed Edom’s house to David’s Town with rejoicing.

6.13 How David Honoured Himself Today!

13 When the people carrying Yahweh’s chest had taken six steps he sacrificed a bull and a fatling, 14 with David whirling before Yahweh with all his vigour, and David wrapped round in a linen chasuble, 15 and David and all the household of Israel bringing up Yahweh’s chest with a shout and with the sound of a horn. 16 Yahweh’s chest was coming into David’s Town as Mikal, Saul’s daughter, was looking out through the window. She saw King David jumping and whirling before Yahweh, and she despised him inside.

17 They brought in Yahweh’s chest and put it in its place inside the tent that David had spread for it. David offered up burnt offerings and well-being sacrifices before Yahweh. 18 David finished offering up the burnt offering and the well-being sacrifices, blessed the people in the name of Yahweh Armies, 19 and shared out to the entire people, to the entire Israelite horde, both men and women, to each individual, a round of bread, a date block, and a raisin block.

The entire people went each person to his house, 20 and David went back to bless his household. Mikal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet David, but she said, ‘How the king of Israel honoured himself today when he exposed himself today before the eyes of his servants’ handmaids, as one of the empty-headed people totally exposes himself!’

21 David said to Mikal, ‘It was before Yahweh, who chose me rather than your father and his entire household to charge me to be ruler over Yahweh’s people, over Israel. I’ll make fun before Yahweh 22 and slight myself yet more than this and be low in my own eyes, but with the handmaids that you speak of, with them I’ll find honour’.

23 To Mikal, Saul’s daughter, no child was born till the day of her death.

7.1 Yahweh Doesn’t Like Settling Down

7 When the king had gone to live in his house, when Yahweh had given him a settled position in relation to all his enemies around, 2 the king said to Natan the prophet, ‘Please look: I’m living in a cedar house, but God’s chest is living inside a tent’. 3 Natan said to the king, ‘Go do everything that’s in your mind, because Yahweh is with you’.

4 But that night Yahweh’s word came to Natan: 5 ‘Go and say to my servant, to David, “Yahweh has said this: ‘Are you to build me a house to live in? 6 Because I haven’t lived in a house from the day that I took the Israelites up from Egypt till this day. I’ve been going about in a tent as a dwelling. 7 Everywhere I went about among all the Israelites, did I speak a word with one of the Israelite clan leaders whom I ordered to shepherd my people Israel, saying “Why have you not built me a cedar house?”’”

8 So now you’re to say this to my servant, to David, “Yahweh Armies has said this: ‘I myself took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be ruler over my people, over Israel, 9 and I’ve been with you everywhere you’ve gone. I’ve cut off all your enemies from before you and I shall make a big name for you, like the name of the big people who are on the earth. 10 I shall make a place for my people, for Israel, and plant them. They will dwell in their place and not tremble again. Evil people won’t humble them again as they did previously, 11 from the day that I ordered leaders over my people Israel. I shall give you a settled position in relation to all your enemies.

7.11 A House and a Household

Yahweh tells you that Yahweh will make a house(hold) for you. 12 When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors, I shall set up your offspring after you, who will come out from inside you, and I shall establish his kingship. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my name. I shall establish his royal throne permanently. 14 I myself will become a father to him and he will become a son to me. When he goes wrong, I shall reprove him with a club in the hand of human beings, with the blows of human hands, 15 but my commitment will not depart from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your household and your kingship will be trustworthy permanently before you. Your throne will be established permanently’”’.

17 In accordance with all these words and in accordance with this entire vision, so Natan spoke to David.

18 King David came and sat before Yahweh, and said, ‘Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and who are my household, that you have brought me as far as this? 19 Moreover, this has been small in your eyes, Lord Yahweh. You’ve spoke further about your servant’s household for the distant future. This is instruction about a human being, Lord Yahweh: 20 what more can David speak to you? You yourself have acknowledged your servant, Lord Yahweh. 21 On account of your word and in accordance with your mind you’re doing this entire big thing, making it known to your servant.

7.22 No God Like Yahweh, No People Like Israel

22 Thus you are great, Lord Yahweh, because there is no one like you, no God except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation on the earth that God went to redeem for himself as a people, to make for himself a name, and to do big and awe-inspiring things (for you all) for your country before your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt (nations and their gods). 24 You established your people Israel for yourself as a people permanently, and you Yahweh became God for them.

25 Now, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken about your servant and about his household—establish it permanently and do as you have spoken. 26 May your name be great permanently: “Yahweh Armies is God over Israel”. May your servant David’s household be established before you. 27 Because you, Yahweh Armies, God of Israel, have opened your servant’s ear, saying “I will build a household for you”. That’s why your servant has found his courage to make this plea to you.

28 Now, Lord Yahweh, you are God, and your words are truthful. You have spoken this good thing to your servant. 29 Now resolve to bless your servant’s household so it will be before you permanently, because you, Lord Yahweh, have spoken. May your servant’s household be blessed permanently through your blessing’.

8.1 David’s Victories

8 Subsequently, David struck down the Philistines and made them bow down. David took the reins of control from the hand of the Philistines. 2 He also struck down the Mo’abites. He measured them with a length of cord, making them lie down on the ground. He measured two lengths for putting them to death and one full length for letting them live. The Mo’abites became servants to David, bringing offerings. 3 David struck down Hadad’ezer ben Rehob king of Tsobah, when he was going to put back his monument at the river Euphrates. 4 David captured from him 1,700 cavalry and 20,000 men on foot. David hamstrung all the chariotry but of them left 100 chariotry.

5 Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadad’ezer king of Tsobah, and David struck down 22,000 men in Aram. 6 David put outposts in Aram of Damascus and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing offerings. Yahweh delivered David in every place where he went. 7 David took the gold quivers that Hadad’ezer’s servants had and brought them to Jerusalem, 8 and from Betah and from Berotay, Hadad’ezer’s towns, King David took very much copper.

9 To’i king of Hamat heard that David had struck down Hadad’ezer’s entire force, 10 and To’i sent Yoram his son to King David to ask him about whether things were well and to bless him, because he had battled against Hadad’ezer and had struck him down, on account of the fact that Hadad’ezer had been involved in battles with To’i. In his hand were objects of silver, objects of gold, and objects of copper. 11 King David also made them sacred for Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he made sacred from all the nations that he had subjugated: 12 from Edom, from Mo’ab, from the Ammonites, from the Philistines, from Amaleq, and from the spoil of Hadad’ezer ben Rebob king of Tsobah.

8.13 David’s Best Time

13 David made a name when he came back from striking down the Arameans in Salt Ravine, 18,000. 14 He put outposts in Edom. When he put outposts in all Edom, all Edom became servants to David. Yahweh delivered David wherever he went. 15 David reigned over all Israel and David exercised authority in faithfulness for all his people.

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  16 Yo’ab ben Tseruyah was over the army
  
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  Yehoshaphat ben Ahilud was recorder
  
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  17 Tsadoq [Zadok] ben Ahitub and Abimelek ben Ebyatar were priests
  
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  Tserayah was secretary
  
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  18 Benayah ben Yehoyada: both the Keretites and the Peletites
  
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  David’s sons were priests.
  

9 David said, ‘Is there anyone still left of Saul’s household, so I can act in commitment with him for the sake of Yehonatan?’ 2 There was a servant belonging to Saul’s household; his name was Tsiba. They called for him to David, and the king said to him, ‘Are you Tsiba?’ He said, ‘Your servant ‘. 3 The king said, ‘Is there no one at all still left of Saul’s household so that I can act in God’s commitment with him?’ Tsiba said to the king, ‘There’s still a son of Yehonatan; he’s injured in both feet’. 4 The king said to him, ‘Where is he?’ Tsiba said to the king, ‘There, he’s at the house of Makir ben Ammi’el, in Lo Debar’. 5 King David sent and got him from the house of Makir ben Ammi’el, from Lo Debar. 6 Mephiboshet ben Yehonatan, son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face, and bowed low. David said, ‘Mephiboshet!’ He said, ‘Here is your servant’. 7 David said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I’ll definitely act in commitment with you for the sake of Yehonatan your father. I’ll give back to you all the fields of Saul, your father, and you yourself may eat bread at my table regularly’. 8 He bowed low and said, ‘What is your servant, that you have turned your face to a dead dog like me?’

9.9 Mephiboshet (‘From-Shame’s-Mouth’)

9 The king called for Tsiba, Saul’s boy, and said to him, ‘Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire household I am giving to your lord’s son. 10 You are to serve the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants, and bring it so it may be bread for your lord’s son, so he may eat it. But Mephiboshet, your lord’s son, himself is to eat bread continually at my table’ (Tsiba had fifteen sons and twenty servants). 11 Tsiba said to the king, ‘In accordance with all that my lord the king orders his servant, so your servant will act, “with Mephiboshet eating at my table like one of the king’s sons”‘.

12 Mephiboshet had a young son; his name was Mika. Everyone who lived in Tsiba’s household—they were servants of Mephiboshet, 13 though Mephiboshet lived in Jerusalem, because he was eating at the king’s table regularly. He was lame in both feet.

10 Subsequently, the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son began to reign in place of him. 2 David said, ‘I will act in commitment with Hanun ben Nahash, as his father acted in commitment with me’. So David sent by the hand of his servants to console him over his father. David’s servants came to the Ammonites’ country, 3 but the Ammonites’ officials said to Hanun their lord, ‘Is David honouring your father, in your eyes, because he sent you people offering consolation? It’s for the sake of searching out the town and investigating it so as to overthrow it that David sent his servants to you, isn’t it’.

4 So Hanun got David’s servants, clipped off half their beard and cut their clothes in half up to their behinds, and sent them off. 5 People told David and he sent to meet them, because the men were very ashamed. The king said, ‘Stay in Jericho until your beard grows, then you can come back’.

6 The Ammonites saw that they stank with David, and the Ammonites sent and hired Arameans from Bet-rehob and Arameans from Tsobah (20,000 men on foot), the king of Ma’akah (1000 men), and men from Tob (12,000).