1 Kings 2:1–12; 2 Samuel 23:1–7; 1 Chronicles 29:26–30; Psalms 4–6; Psalm 8; Psalm 9; Psalm 11

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1 Kings 2:1–12

David’s Instructions to Solomon

nWhen David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, oI am about to go the way of all the earth. pBe strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, qthat you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may restablish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, sIf your sons pay close attention to their way, tto walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, uyou shall not lack1 a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah vdid to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, wAbner the son of Ner, xand Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging2 in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war3 on the belt around his4 waist and on the sandals on his feet. Act therefore yaccording to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. But deal loyally with the sons of zBarzillai the Gileadite, and let them be aamong those who eat at your table, bfor with such loyalty5 they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. And there is also with you cShimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day dwhen I went to Mahanaim. eBut when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, ffor you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall gbring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.

The Death of David

10 hThen David slept with his fathers and was buried in ithe city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was jforty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 kSo Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.


2 Samuel 23:1–7

The Last Words of David

Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,

the oracle of lthe man who was raised on high,

jthe anointed of the God of Jacob,

the sweet psalmist of Israel:1

mThe Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;

his word is on my tongue.

The God of Israel has spoken;

nthe Rock of Israel has said to me:

When one rules justly over men,

ruling oin the fear of God,

he pdawns on them like the morning light,

like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,

like rain2 that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

For does not my house stand so with God?

qFor he has made with me an everlasting covenant,

ordered in all things and secure.

For will he not cause to prosper

all my help and my desire?

But worthless men3 are all like thorns that are thrown away,

for they cannot be taken with the hand;

but the man who touches them

arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,

and they are utterly consumed with fire.4


1 Chronicles 29:26–30

The Death of David

26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 The utime that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28 Then he died vat a good age, wfull of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles xof Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of yNathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of zGad the seer, 30 with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the circumstances athat came upon him and upon Israel and upon all the kingdoms of the countries.


Psalms 4–6

Answer Me When I Call

To the echoirmaster: with estringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my frighteousness!

You have ggiven me relief when I was in distress.

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men,1 how long shall my honor be turned into shame?

How long will you love vain words and seek after hlies? Selah

But know that the Lord has iset apart jthe godly for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

kBe angry,2 and do not sin;

lponder in your own hearts mon your beds, and be silent. Selah

Offer nright sacrifices,

and put your otrust in the Lord.

There are many who say, Who will show us some good?

pLift up qthe light of your face upon us, O Lord!

You have put rmore joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both slie down and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me tdwell in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O Lord;

consider my ugroaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my vKing and my God,

for wto you do I pray.

O Lord, in xthe morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you3 and ywatch.

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.

The zboastful shall not astand before your eyes;

you bhate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak clies;

the Lord abhors dthe bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house.

I will ebow down ftoward your gholy temple

in the fear of you.

hLead me, O Lord, in your righteousness

because of my enemies;

imake your way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouth;

their inmost self is jdestruction;

ktheir throat is lan open grave;

they mflatter with their tongue.

10  nMake them bear their guilt, O God;

let them ofall by their own counsels;

because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,

for they have rebelled against you.

11  But let all who ptake refuge in you qrejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rexult in you.

12  For you sbless the righteous, O Lord;

you tcover him with favor as with ua shield.

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to vThe Sheminith.4 A Psalm of David.

O Lord, wrebuke me not in your anger,

nor xdiscipline me in your wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;

yheal me, O Lord, zfor my bones are troubled.

My asoul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O Lordbhow long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;

save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

For in cdeath there is no remembrance of you;

in Sheol who will give you praise?

I am dweary with my emoaning;

every night I flood my bed with tears;

I drench my couch with my weeping.

My feye wastes away because of grief;

it grows weak because of all my foes.

gDepart from me, all you hworkers of evil,

for the Lord ihas heard the sound of my weeping.

The Lord has heard my jplea;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

10  All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;

they shall kturn back and be put to shame in a moment.


Psalm 8

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The pGittith.1 A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your qname in all the earth!

You have set your rglory above the heavens.

sOut of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established tstrength because of your foes,

to still uthe enemy and the avenger.

When I vlook at your heavens, the work of your wfingers,

the moon and the stars, xwhich you have set in place,

ywhat is man that you are zmindful of him,

and athe son of man that you bcare for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than cthe heavenly beings2

and crowned him with dglory and honor.

You have given him edominion over the works of your hands;

fyou have put all things under his feet,

all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!


Psalm 9

I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds

1 To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben.2 A Psalm of David.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your gwonderful deeds.

I will be glad and hexult in you;

I will ising praise to your name, jO Most High.

When my enemies turn back,

they stumble and perish before3 your presence.

For you have kmaintained my just cause;

you have lsat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

You have mrebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;

you have nblotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;

their cities you rooted out;

the very memory of them has perished.

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,

and he ojudges the world with righteousness;

he pjudges the peoples with uprightness.

The Lord is qa stronghold for rthe oppressed,

a stronghold in stimes of trouble.

10  And those who tknow your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11  Sing praises to the Lord, who usits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his vdeeds!

12  For he who wavenges blood is mindful of them;

he xdoes not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13  yBe gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,

O you who lift me up from zthe gates of death,

14  that I may recount all your praises,

that in the gates of athe daughter of Zion

I may brejoice in your salvation.

15  The nations have sunk in cthe pit that they made;

in dthe net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

16  The Lord has made himself eknown; he has executed judgment;

the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.4 Selah

17  The wicked shall freturn to Sheol,

all the nations that gforget God.

18  For the needy shall not always be forgotten,

and hthe hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19  iArise, O Lord! Let not jman prevail;

let the nations be judged before you!

20  Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but jmen! Selah


Psalm 11

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

zFlee like a bird to your mountain,

for behold, the wicked abend the bow;

bthey have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

if cthe foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?1

dThe Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord’s ethrone is in heaven;

his eyes see, his eyelids ftest the children of man.

The Lord gtests the righteous,

but hhis soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Let him rain coals on the wicked;

ifire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be jthe portion of their cup.

For the Lord is righteous;

he kloves righteous deeds;

lthe upright shall behold his face.