2 Samuel

World English Bible

2 Samuel has 24 chapters. Read 2 Samuel in the World English Bible, chapter by chapter, free and without an account.

2 Samuel recounts David’s reign, first over Judah and then over all Israel. Jerusalem becomes his royal city, and God promises an enduring dynasty through Nathan. Military successes give way to David’s wrongdoing against Bathsheba and Uriah, violence within his family, and Absalom’s rebellion. The closing chapters gather further accounts and songs from his reign.

Read the 2 Samuel summary and outline →

In Christian Bibles, 2 Samuel is one of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. In the Jewish Tanakh it belongs to the Nevi’im, the Prophets. See it on the shelf.

David tearing his robe in grief as a messenger presents Saul’s crown
2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1: grief honors fallen rivals rather than exploiting their defeat.

Elders anointing David at Hebron while northern leaders gather elsewhere
2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2: patient kingship begins within a painfully divided nation.

David and Abner sealing an agreement while Joab watches from a shadowed gate
2 Samuel 3

2 Samuel 3: political reconciliation remains vulnerable to personal revenge.

David refusing royal insignia presented by the killers of Ish-bosheth
2 Samuel 4

2 Samuel 4: righteous rule refuses to profit from treacherous violence.

Israel’s elders anointing David with Jerusalem rising behind the gathered tribes
2 Samuel 5

2 Samuel 5: united tribes establish David’s kingdom and capital.

David dancing before the ark as Jerusalem celebrates and Michal watches
2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6: joyful worship must remain joined to reverent obedience.

David praying before the ark beneath a star-filled sky over Jerusalem
2 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 7: god’s covenant promise reshapes David’s royal ambition.

David receiving tribute and dedicating captured treasures before his commanders
2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 8: victory establishes ordered rule and dedicated resources.

David welcoming Mephibosheth beside a prepared place at the royal table
2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 9: covenant loyalty restores belonging to the vulnerable.

David meeting humiliated envoys as armies gather beyond Jerusalem
2 Samuel 10

2 Samuel 10: rejected diplomacy escalates into costly international conflict.

David on his rooftop looking toward Bathsheba’s distant courtyard beside a messenger
2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel 11: unchecked desire turns royal power into exploitation and concealment.

Nathan confronting a convicted David beside a carved image of a lamb
2 Samuel 12

2 Samuel 12: prophetic truth exposes hidden sin and begins repentance.

Absalom comforting Tamar outside a closed royal doorway
2 Samuel 13

2 Samuel 13: abuse and failed justice fracture David’s household.

The wise woman of Tekoa appealing to David while Absalom waits beyond
2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14: a staged return cannot substitute for genuine reconciliation.

David climbing the Mount of Olives in grief while Absalom’s supporters fill Jerusalem
2 Samuel 15

2 Samuel 15: charm-driven rebellion sends the rightful king into exile.

David walking humbly as Shimei throws dust and Abishai reacts
2 Samuel 16

2 Samuel 16: humility endures public shame amid uncertain judgment.

Hushai counseling Absalom while hidden messengers leave toward the Jordan
2 Samuel 17

2 Samuel 17: wise counter-counsel delays rebellion and preserves the king.

Absalom suspended by his hair from a tree as soldiers discover him
2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 18: rebellion ends in victory shadowed by a father’s grief.

Joab supporting grieving David as representatives welcome the king near the Jordan
2 Samuel 19

2 Samuel 19: a king must balance private sorrow with public responsibility.

A wise woman speaking from Abel’s wall to Joab and his army below
2 Samuel 20

2 Samuel 20: courageous diplomacy saves a city from renewed rebellion.

Rizpah keeping vigil beneath a shelter over respectfully covered remains
2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21: long injustice demands reckoning, lament, and honorable burial.

David singing on a high rock as storm clouds part over Jerusalem
2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22: a lifetime of deliverance becomes a song of grateful trust.

Elderly David speaking as three warriors pour precious water beside a campfire
2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23: final words honor covenant hope and costly courage.

David kneeling beside a fieldstone altar on Araunah’s threshing floor above Jerusalem
2 Samuel 24

2 Samuel 24: repentant responsibility finds mercy at the threshing floor.