He made the sky sink ¹  as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.

Foreigners lose their courage; ¹  they shake with fear ²  as they leave ³  their strongholds. ⁴ 

But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. ¹  Do as you promised, ² 

He instructed the messenger as follows: “When you finish giving the battle report to the king,

All the land was weeping loudly ¹  as all these people were leaving. ²  As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving ³  on the road that leads to the desert.

Moreover, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” ¹ 

So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.”

You rescue me from a hostile army; ¹  you preserve me as a leader of nations; people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ² 

He threw stones at David and all of King David’s servants, as well as all the people and the soldiers who were on his right and on his left.

Then King David reached ¹  Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. ² 

So Joab visited ¹  the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines.

I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated ¹  all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. ² 

David then grabbed his own clothes ¹  and tore them, as did all the men who were with him.

Smoke ascended from ¹  his nose; ²  fire devoured as it came from his mouth; ³  he hurled down fiery coals. ⁴ 

The Lord is alive! ¹  My protector ²  is praiseworthy! ³  The God who delivers me ⁴  is exalted as king! ⁵ 

So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers ¹  were.

Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations ¹  with my wife? As surely as you are alive, ²  I will not do this 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.

She replied, “In that case, ¹  let the king invoke the name of ²  the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s head ³  will fall to the ground.”