The fighting between the forces supporting Saul's family and those supporting David went on for a long time. As David became stronger and stronger, his opponents became weaker and weaker.

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and said to him, "We are your own flesh and blood.

David's army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in Ephraim Forest.

The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.

All over the country they started quarreling among themselves. "King David saved us from our enemies," they said to one another. "He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country.

David's words won the complete loyalty of all the men of Judah, and they sent him word to return with all his officials.

There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, "Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!"

So the Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

"Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control."

Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury.

You saved me from a rebellious people and made me ruler over the nations; people I did not know have now become my subjects.

By means of the Holy Spirit you spoke through our ancestor David, your servant, when he said, 'Why were the Gentiles furious; why did people make their useless plots?

For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to a cross.

God raised him to his right side as Leader and Savior, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven.

Some time later King David attacked the Philistines again, defeated them, and ended their control over the land.

Then he defeated the king of the Syrian state of Zobah, Hadadezer son of Rehob, as Hadadezer was on his way to restore his control over the territory by the upper Euphrates River.

When the Syrians of Damascus sent an army to help King Hadadezer, David attacked it and killed twenty-two thousand men.

David captured the gold shields carried by Hadadezer's officials and took them to Jerusalem.

King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated all of Hadadezer's army.

King David dedicated them for use in worship, along with the silver and gold he took from the nations he had conquered---

David became even more famous when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.

The LORD your God will make you the leader among the nations and not a follower; you will always prosper and never fail if you obey faithfully all his commands that I am giving you today.

Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole earth will be yours.

But I will use Moab as my washbowl, and I will throw my sandals on Edom, as a sign that I own it. Did the Philistines think they would shout in triumph over me?"

Who, O God, will take me into the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

His kingdom will reach from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

The peoples of the desert will bow down before him; his enemies will throw themselves to the ground.

He will pass judgment on the nations and fill the battlefield with corpses; he will defeat kings all over the earth.

But nations that do not serve you Will be completely destroyed.

He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve him. His authority would last forever, and his kingdom would never end.

And again, Isaiah says, "A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him."

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!"

Now you will summon foreign nations; at one time they did not know you, but now they will come running to join you! I, the LORD your God, the holy God of Israel, will make all this happen; I will give you honor and glory."

The LORD said, "I was ready to answer my people's prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, 'Here I am; I will help you.'

I will establish my people in the land and make them prosper. I will show love to those who were called "Unloved," and to those who were called "Not-My-People" I will say, "You are my people," and they will answer, "You are our God."

This is what he says in the book of Hosea: "The people who were not mine I will call 'My People.' The nation that I did not love I will call 'My Beloved.'