Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the ram's horn and shouted: We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse's son. Each man to his tent, Israel!

When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So Israel went to their tents,

but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was [still] empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you are siding with Jesse's son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?

Every day Jesse's son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me-- he deserves to die."

Saul said to his servants, "Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse's son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? [Do you think] he'll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

Then Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul's servants, answered: "I saw Jesse's son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

Saul asked him, "Why did you and Jesse's son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as [is the case] today."

But My faithful love will never leave him as I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way.

Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever.'"

Yet, I will not tear the entire kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem that I chose."

" 'However, I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand but will let him be ruler all the days of his life because of My servant David, whom I chose and who kept My commandments and My statutes.

I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city I chose for Myself to put My name there.

" 'After that, if you obey all I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and My commandments as My servant David did, I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give you Israel.

I will appoint him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.'"

Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain?

"Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints."

Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath:

Even human wrath will praise You; You will clothe Yourself with their remaining wrath.

I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as heaven lasts.

if they dishonor My statutes and do not keep My commandments,

But I will not withdraw My faithful love from him or betray My faithfulness.

Once and for all I have sworn an oath by My holiness; I will not lie to David.

like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky." Selah

There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

"This is what the LORD says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,

then also My covenant with My servant David may be broken so that he will not have a son reigning on his throne, and the Levitical priests will not be My ministers.

This is what the LORD says: If I do not [keep] My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,

then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David-- not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them."

My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances, and keep My statutes and obey them.

"They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.

In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We don't want this man to rule over us!'

But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.'"

Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne.

For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright Morning Star."

Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.

They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal ([that is,] Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.

Then an informer came to David and reported, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."

Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, "Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life-- how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse [me]; the LORD has told him to.

From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.

[[So each one went to his house.