When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!

Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”

David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

So David asked the Lord what he should do. This time the Lord said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.

while David and all Israel were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing and playing various stringed instruments, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, he killed him on the spot for his negligence. He died right there beside the ark of God.

David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, which remains its name to this very day.

So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

“Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?

King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?

You made Israel your very own people for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.

So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised,

so you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you,

David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.

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,

Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves 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.”

Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.