Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.”

Now it’s your turn to listen to your servant! Let me set before you a bit of bread so that you can eat. When you regain your strength, you can go on your way.”

When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.

And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Lord God?

King David dedicated these things to the Lord, along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations that he had subdued,

So David said to Uriah, “Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one.

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die.

Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.

Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely to his house!”

Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us.

On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were two hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around.

The Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off Jeroboam’s dynasty. It is ready to happen!

They even built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the Lord their God; they followed Israel’s example.

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before Joab’s brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to Jerusalem.

He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord and led Judah away from the Lord.

They closed the doors of the temple porch and put out the lamps; they did not offer incense or burnt sacrifices in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.

In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command.