Bible Reading for April 6

2 Samuel Chapter 4

1 And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands
were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

2 And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of
the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon
a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was
reckoned to Benjamin:

3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until
this day.)

4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was
five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of
Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as
she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was
Mephibosheth.

5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and
came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a
bed at noon.

6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they
would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and
Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his
bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took
his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said
to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy,
which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this
day of Saul, and of his seed.

9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon
the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath
redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have
brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who
thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his
own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of
your hand, and take you away from the earth?

12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off
their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron.
But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of
Abner in Hebron.

2 Samuel Chapter 5

1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake,
saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that
leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou
shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David
made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed
David king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
forty years.

5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in
Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the
inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou
take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither:
thinking, David cannot come in hither.

7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city
of David.

8 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and
smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of
David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The
blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David
built round about from Millo and inward.

10 And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with
him.

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and
carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house.

12 And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over
Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after
he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to
David.

14 And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem;
Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over
Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of
it, and went down to the hold.

18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

19 And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the
Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said
unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into
thine hand.

20 And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said,
The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of
waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.

21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the
valley of Rephaim.

23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up;
but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the
mulberry trees.

24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of
the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall
the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.

25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the
Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.

2 Samuel Chapter 6

1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty
thousand.

2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from
Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is
called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the
house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of
Abinadab, drave the new cart.

4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah,
accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all
manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on
psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his
hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him
there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon
Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark
of the LORD come to me?

10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city
of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

11 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the
Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.

12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house
of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of
God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of
Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone
six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was
girded with a linen ephod.

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD
with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's
daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing
before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in
the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and
peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of
Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a
good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed
every one to his house.

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter
of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of
Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids
of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!