He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the <sc>Lordsc> had said to David and to his son Solomon, &#8220;This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director; a well-written song<n id="2" /> by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: &#8220;David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you boast about your evil plans,<n id="4" /> O powerful man?p> <p class="poetry">God&#8217;s loyal love protects me all day long!<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">His dominion will be vast<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will rule on David&#8217;s thronep> <p class="poetry">and over David&#8217;s kingdom,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">establishing it<n id="4" /> and strengthening itp> <p class="poetry">by promoting justice and fairness,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">from this time forward and forevermore.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s intense devotion to his people<n id="6" /> will accomplish this.p>

&#8220;Go and tell Hezekiah: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestor<n id="1" /> David says: &#8220;I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life,

If you do this,<n id="1" /> then the kings and princes who follow in David&#8217;s succession<n id="2" /> and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to enter through these gates, as well as their officials and the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.<n id="3" /> This city will always be filled with people.<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">O royal family descended from David.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;See to it that people each day<n id="2" /> are judged fairly.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Deliver those who have been robbed from those<n id="4" /> who oppress them.p> <p class="poetry">Otherwise, my wrath will blaze out against you.p> <p class="poetry">It will burn like a fire that cannot be put outp> <p class="poetry">because of the evil that you have done.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Enroll this man in the register as though he were childless.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Enroll him as a man who will not enjoy success during his lifetime.p> <p class="poetry">For none of his sons will succeed in occupying the throne of Davidp> <p class="poetry">or ever succeed in ruling over Judah.&#8221;p>

But just listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> has to say about<n id="1" /> the king who occupies David&#8217;s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalem<n id="2" /> and were not carried off into exile with you.

I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

So the <sc>Lordsc> says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, &#8220;None of his line will occupy the throne of David.<n id="1" /> His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The priest replied, &#8220;The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there&#8217;s nothing here.&#8221; David said, &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing like it! Give it to me!&#8221;

Then the king said to the messengers<n id="1" /> who were stationed beside him, &#8220;Turn and kill the priests of the <sc>Lordsc>, for they too have sided<n id="2" /> with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.&#8221; But the king&#8217;s servants refused to harm<n id="3" /> the priests of the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="bodytext">The leaders of the Philistines asked, &#8220;What about these Hebrews?&#8221; Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time?<n id="1" /> I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So Achish summoned David and said to him, &#8220;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you<n id="1" /> serving<n id="2" /> with me in the army.<n id="3" /> I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion<n id="4" /> of the leaders, you are not reliable.<n id="5" />

But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, &#8220;Since they didn&#8217;t go with us,<n id="1" /> we won&#8217;t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, &#8220;Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating<n id="1" /> loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives<n id="2" /> and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!<n id="3" />

They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, &#8220;Look! The head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The <sc>Lordsc> has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against<n id="1" /> Saul and his descendants!&#8221;p>

he<n id="1" /> sent his son Joram<n id="2" /> to King David to extend his best wishes<n id="3" /> and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer.<n id="4" /> He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze.<n id="5" />

Uriah replied to David, &#8220;The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord&#8217;s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations<n id="1" /> with my wife? As surely as you are alive,<n id="2" /> I will not do this thing!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, &#8220;While the child was still alive he would not listen to us<n id="1" /> when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>