The Reign of David

As the ark of ADONAI entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before ADONAI; and she was filled with contempt for him.

They brought the ark of ADONAI in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before ADONAI.

When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of ADONAI-Tzva'ot.

Then he distributed to all the people of Isra'el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes.

When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul came out to meet him and said, "Such honor the king of Isra'el earned for himself today - exposing himself before his servants' slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!"

David answered Mikhal, "In the presence of ADONAI- who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over ADONAI's people, over Isra'el - I will celebrate in the presence of ADONAI!

I will make myself still more contemptible than that, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, but those slave-girls you mentioned will honor me!"

Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul remained childless until the day she died.

After the king had been living in his palace awhile and ADONAI had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

the king said to Natan the prophet, "Here, I'm living in a cedar-wood palace; but the ark of God is kept in a tent!"

Natan said to the king, "Go, do everything that is in your heart, for ADONAI is with you."

But that same night the word of ADONAI came to Natan:

"Go and tell my servant David that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are going to build me a house to live in?

Since the day I brought the people of Isra'el out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle.

Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Isra'el, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Isra'el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra'el, asking, "Why haven't you built me a cedar-wood house?"'

"Therefore say this to my servant David that this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people, over Isra'el.

I have been with you wherever you went; I have destroyed all your enemies ahead of you; and I am making your reputation great, like the reputations of the greatest people on earth.

I will assign a place to my people Isra'el; I will plant them there, so that they can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will no longer oppress them, as they did at the beginning,

and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people Isra'el; instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies. "'Moreover, ADONAI tells you that ADONAI will make you a house.

When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership.

He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever.

I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished;

nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha'ul, whom I removed from before you.

Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.'"

Natan told David all of these words and described this entire vision.