Trouble in David’s House

AFTER David begins ruling in Jerusalem, Jehovah gives his army many victories over their enemies. Jehovah had promised to give the land of Caʹnaan to the Israelites. And now, with Jehovah’s help, all the land that was promised to them finally becomes theirs.

David is a good ruler. He loves Jehovah. So one of the first things that he does after capturing Jerusalem is to bring Jehovah’s ark of the covenant there. And he wants to build a temple in which to put it.

When David grows older, he makes a bad mistake. David knows that it is wrong to take something that belongs to someone else. But one evening, when he is on the roof of his palace, he looks down and sees a very beautiful woman. Her name is Bath-sheʹba, and her husband is one of his soldiers named U·riʹah.

David wants Bath-sheʹba so much that he has her brought to his palace. Her husband is away fighting. Well, David makes love to her and later she finds she is going to have a baby. David is very worried and sends word to his army chief Joʹab to have U·riʹah put in the front of the battle where he will be killed. When U·riʹah is dead, David marries Bath-sheʹba.

Jehovah is very angry with David. So he sends his servant Nathan to tell him about his sins. You can see Nathan there talking to David. David is very sorry for what he has done, and so Jehovah does not put him to death. But Jehovah says: ‘Because you have done these bad things, you will have a lot of trouble in your house.’ And what trouble David has!

First, Bath-sheʹba’s son dies. Then David’s firstborn son Amʹnon gets his sister Taʹmar alone and forces his love on her. David’s son Abʹsa·lom is so angry about this that he kills Amʹnon. Later, Abʹsa·lom wins the favor of many of the people, and he has himself made king. Finally, David wins the war against Abʹsa·lom, who is killed. Yes, David has a lot of trouble.

In between all of this, Bath-sheʹba gives birth to a son named Solomon. When David is old and sick, his son Ad·o·niʹjah tries to make himself king. At that David has a priest named Zaʹdok pour oil on Solomon’s head to show that Solomon will be king. Soon afterward David dies at 70 years of age. He ruled for 40 years, but now Solomon is the king of Israel.