Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹The sons of Issachar were: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

²The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel, heads of their fathers' households. The sons of Tola were courageous men in their generations; their number in the days of David was 22,600.

³The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah; all five of them were chief men.

⁴With them by their generations according to their fathers' households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and children.

⁵Their relatives among all the families of Issachar, courageous men, registered by genealogies, were 87,000 in all.

⁶The sons of Benjamin were three: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

⁷The sons of Bela were five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were heads of the households of their fathers, courageous men. By their genealogies they were 22,034.

⁸The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth, all these were sons of Becher.

⁹They were registered by their genealogies according to their generations, as heads of their fathers' households, courageous men, 20,200 in number.

¹⁰The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

¹¹All these were the sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers' households, 17,200 courageous men of valor, fit for military service.

¹²Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim the son of Aher.

¹³The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

¹⁴The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead.

¹⁵Machir took as a wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim; her name was Maacah. The name of a second [ descendant, the first being Gilead], was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had [only] daughters.

¹⁶Maacah the wife of Machir gave birth to a son; she named him Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

¹⁷The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

¹⁸His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod and Abiezer and Mahlah.

¹⁹The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

²⁰The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath [I] his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath [II] his son,

²¹Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead were killed by men who were natives of Gath, because they came down to take their livestock.

²²Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

²³Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Beriah (on misfortune), because tragedy had come on his house.

²⁴Beriah's daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah.

²⁵Rephah was his son along with Resheph; Resheph's son was Telah, Tahan his son,

²⁶Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

²⁷Non (Nun) his son, and Joshua [Moses' successor] his son.

²⁸Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, and Shechem, and as far as Ayyah with all their towns,

²⁹and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, with all their towns. In these [places] lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel (Jacob).

³⁰The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and Serah their sister.

³¹The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

³²Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.

³³The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet.

³⁴The sons of Shemer (Shomer) [his brother]: Ahi and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

³⁵The sons of his brother Helem (Hotham): Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

³⁶The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

³⁷Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

³⁸The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

³⁹The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

⁴⁰All these were sons (descendants) of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, choice men, courageous men, chiefs of the leaders. Their number, enrolled by genealogies for service in war, was 26,000 men.

¹Benjamin became the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third,

²Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.

³Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud,

⁴Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

⁵Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

⁶These are the sons of Ehud: These are the heads of the fathers' households of the inhabitants of Geba; they were exiled to Manahath:

⁷Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera—he forced them into exile; he became the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

⁸Shaharaim became the father of children in the country of Moab after he had sent away (divorced) Hushim and Baara his wives.

⁹By Hodesh his wife he became the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

¹⁰Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' households.

¹¹By Hushim he became the father of Abitub and Elpaal.

¹²The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns;

¹³and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers' households of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath;

¹⁴and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth.

¹⁵Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

¹⁶Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah.

¹⁷Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

¹⁸Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal.

¹⁹Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

²⁰Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

²¹Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei.

²²Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

²³Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

²⁴Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

²⁵Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

²⁶Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

²⁷Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham.

²⁸These [men] were heads of the fathers' households, according to their generations, chief men who lived in Jerusalem.

²⁹Now in Gibeon, Jeiel, the father of Gibeon lived, and his wife's name was Maacah;

³⁰and his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

³¹Gedor, Ahio, and Zecher.

³²Mikloth became the father of Shimeah. They also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their other relatives.

³³Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of [King] Saul, and Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal (Ish-bosheth).

³⁴The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (Mephibosheth), and Merib-baal became the father of Micah.

³⁵The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

³⁶Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri became the father of Moza.

³⁷Moza became the father of Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

³⁸Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

³⁹The sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

⁴⁰The sons of Ulam were courageous men, archers, and had many sons and grandsons—150 in all. All these were of the sons (descendants) of Benjamin.

¹So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away into exile to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness [to God].

²Now the first [of the returned exiles] who lived [again] in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim (temple servants).

³Some of the sons (people) of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:

⁴Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Perez the son of Judah.

⁵From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

⁶From the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their relatives, 690 [of them].

⁷From the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;

⁸Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;

⁹and their relatives according to their generations, 956. All these men were heads of fathers' households according to their fathers' houses.

¹⁰Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

¹¹Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God;

¹²and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;

¹³and their relatives, heads of their fathers' households, 1,760—very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

¹⁴Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;

¹⁵and Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;

¹⁶and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites [near Jerusalem].

¹⁷The gatekeepers were: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives (Shallum the chief

¹⁸who until now was assigned to the king's gate on the east side) they were the gatekeepers for the camp of the Levites.

¹⁹Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives of his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, doorkeepers of the Tent; and their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance.

²⁰Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in times past, and the LORD was with him.

²¹Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

²²All those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds were 212. They were enrolled by their genealogies in their villages [around Jerusalem], these men [whose grandfathers] David and Samuel the seer had appointed to their official duty.

²³So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, that is, the house of the tabernacle, as guards.

²⁴The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides —on the east, west, north, and south.

²⁵Their relatives in their villages were to come in every seven days from time to time to be with them;

²⁶for these Levites, the four chief gatekeepers, had an official duty, and were in charge of the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

²⁷They spent the night around the house of God, for the [night] watch was theirs, and they were in charge of opening the house morning after morning.

²⁸Now some of them were in charge of the serving utensils, being required to count them when they brought them in or took them out.

²⁹Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the [sacred] utensils of the sanctuary, as well as over the fine flour and the wine and the [olive] oil and the frankincense and the spices.

³⁰Other sons of the priests prepared the mixture of spices.

³¹Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for the things baked in pans.

³²Some of their Kohathite relatives were in charge of the showbread to prepare it every Sabbath.

³³Now these are the singers, heads of the fathers' households of the Levites, living in the temple chambers, free from other service because they were on duty day and night.

³⁴These were heads of fathers' households of the Levites according to their generations, chief men, who lived in Jerusalem.

³⁵Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and his wife's name was Maacah,

³⁶and his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

³⁷Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

³⁸Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. They also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem, opposite their other relatives.

³⁹Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of [King] Saul, and Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

⁴⁰The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (Mephibosheth); Merib-baal became the father of Micah.

⁴¹The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea [and Ahaz].

⁴²Ahaz became the father of Jarah, and Jarah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri became the father of Moza,

⁴³Moza became the father of Binea and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

⁴⁴Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

²The Philistines followed closely after Saul and his sons and overtook them, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

³The battle became heavy against Saul, and the archers found him; and he was [mortally] wounded by the archers.

⁴Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and abuse and humiliate me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

⁵When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died.

⁶So Saul died with his three sons and all those of his house died together.

⁷When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸It came about the next day, when the Philistines came to strip (plunder) the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹So they stripped Saul and took his head and his armor and sent messengers around the land of the Philistines to bring the good news to their idols and to the people.

¹⁰They put Saul's armor in the house of their gods and nailed up his head in the house (temple) of Dagon.

¹¹When all Jabesh-gilead heard about everything that the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²all the brave men arose, took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh, and they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh; then they fasted seven days.

¹³So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, for his failure to keep the word of the LORD; and also because he consulted a medium [regarding a spirit of the dead], to inquire of her,

¹⁴and did not inquire of the LORD [instead]. Therefore the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

¹Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD your God said to you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince and leader over My people Israel.'"

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant (solemn agreement) with them there before the LORD; and they anointed him king over Israel, in accordance with the word of the LORD through Samuel.

⁴Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

⁵Then the Jebusites said to David, "You shall not come in here." But David captured the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

⁶Now David said, "Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander." Joab the son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] went up first, and so he was made chief.

⁷Then David lived in the stronghold; so it was called the City of David.

⁸He built the city around it, from the Millo (fortification) to the surrounding area; and Joab repaired the rest of the [old Jebusite] city.

⁹David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

¹⁰Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, in accordance with the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

¹¹This is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty [heroes]. He lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time.

¹²Next to him [in rank] was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

¹³He was with David at Pasdammim [where David had killed Goliath] and there the Philistines were gathered together for battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people [of Israel] fled before the Philistines.

¹⁴But they took their stand in the midst of that plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD rescued them by a great victory.

¹⁵Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem.

¹⁷David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is next to the gate!"

¹⁸Then the three [mighty men] broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was next to the gate, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; he poured it out to the LORD [as an offering];

¹⁹and he said, "Far be it from me before my God that I would do this thing! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For they brought it at the risk of their lives." So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

²⁰Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the [other] three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and he had a name as well as the three.

²¹Of the three in the second [rank] he was the most honored and became their captain; however, he did not attain to the first three [Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah].

²²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a courageous man of Kabzeel who had done great things, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. Also he went down and killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

²³He killed an Egyptian also, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam, and Benaiah went down to him with [only] a staff (rod) and grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

²⁴Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name as well as the three mighty men.

²⁵He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to [the rank of] the [first] three. David appointed him over his bodyguard.

²⁶Now the mighty men of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

²⁸Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth,

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

³⁰Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

³¹Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³²Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,

³⁵Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,

³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah [David's half sister],

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite [Bathsheba's husband], Zabad the son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty [heroes] with him,

⁴³Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

⁴⁵Jediael the son of Shimri, and his brother Joha, the Tizite,

⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

¹These are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he still concealed himself from Saul the son of Kish; they were among the courageous men who helped him in battle.

²They were armed with bows, and could use the right hand or the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul's relatives from [the tribe of] Benjamin.

³The chief was Ahiezer and then Joash, the sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, and Jehu of Anathoth,

⁴Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty, and [a leader] over them; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah,

⁵Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites,

⁷and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸Courageous men from the Gadites came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains.

⁹Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

¹⁴These from the sons (descendants) of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was equal to a hundred, and the greatest was equal to a thousand.

¹⁵These are the men who crossed over the Jordan in the first month when it had overflowed all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, east and west.

¹⁶Then some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

¹⁷David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no violence or wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on [what you are doing] and punish [you]."

¹⁸Then the [Holy] Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, "We are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace be to you, And peace be to him who helps you; For your God helps you." Then David accepted and received them and made them officers of his troops.

¹⁹Some [of the men] of Manasseh also defected to David when he came with the Philistines to go to battle against Saul. But David's men did not [actually] assist the Philistines, for the lords (governors) of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, "At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul."

²⁰As David went to Ziklag, these men defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh.

²¹They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all courageous men, and [all seven] became commanders in his army.

²²For day by day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

²³These are the numbers of the [armed] units equipped for war who came to David at Hebron to turn [over] the kingdom of Saul to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD.

²⁴Those of the tribe of Judah who carried shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war;

²⁵of the tribe of Simeon, brave warriors, 7,100;

²⁶of the tribe of Levi, 4,600.

²⁷Jehoiada was the leader of [the house of] Aaron, and with him were 3,700,

²⁸and Zadok, a courageous young man, and twenty-two captains from his father's house.

²⁹Of the tribe of Benjamin, the relatives of [King] Saul, 3,000; for until now the majority of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

³⁰Of the tribe of Ephraim, 20,800, courageous men, famous in their fathers' houses.

³¹Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king.

³²Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, two hundred chiefs; and all their relatives were at their command;

³³of the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 in military service who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David, men with an undivided heart.

³⁴Of the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 [of the rank and file armed] with shield and spear.

³⁵Of the tribe of Dan, 28,600 men who could draw up in battle formation.

³⁶Of the tribe of Asher, 40,000 men in military service, able to draw up in battle formation.

³⁷From the other side [east] of the Jordan River, of [the tribes of] Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 men, armed with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

³⁸All these, being men of war arrayed in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect (committed) heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were also of one mind to make David king.

³⁹They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their relatives had prepared for them.

⁴⁰Also those who were [living] near them [from] as far as [the tribes of] Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, abundant supplies of flour, cakes of figs and raisins, wine, [olive] oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

¹David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader.

²David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send word everywhere to our fellow countrymen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, so that they may meet with us;

³and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it during the days of Saul."

⁴Then all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵So David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor [watercourse] of Egypt, to the entrance of Hamath [in the north], to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

⁶David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD who sits enthroned above the cherubim, the ark which is called by His name.

⁷They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio [his brother] drove the cart.

⁸David and all Israel celebrated [joyfully] before God with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁹When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] nearly overturned it.

¹⁰The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he touched the ark; and there he died before God.

¹¹David became angry because of the Lord's outburst against Uzza; so that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.

¹²David was afraid of God that day, and he said, "How can I bring the ark of God home with me?"

¹³So David did not bring the ark with him to the City of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

¹⁴So the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had.

¹Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar timbers, masons and carpenters, to build a house (palace) for him.

²And David understood that the LORD had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

³Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters.

⁴Now these are the names of the children born [to him] in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

⁶Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

⁷Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went up in search of David; and he heard about it and went out against them.

⁹Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁰So David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You hand them over to me?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will hand them over to you."

¹¹So Israel came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters." Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim.

¹²The Philistines abandoned their gods (idols) there; so David gave a command and they were burned in a fire [as the Law of Moses required].

¹³The Philistines again made a raid in the valley.

¹⁴So David inquired again of God, and God said to him, "Do not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

¹⁵It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the Philistine army."

¹⁶So David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.

¹⁷Then David's fame spread into all the lands; and the LORD caused all nations to fear him.

¹David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

²Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever."

³And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place which he had prepared for it.

⁴David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his relatives;

⁶of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his relatives;

⁷of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his relatives;

⁸of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his relatives;

⁹of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his relatives;

¹⁰of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his relatives.

¹¹Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites—Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

¹²and he said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³Because you did not [carry it as God directed] the first time, the LORD our God made an [angry] outburst against us, for we did not seek Him in accordance with the ordinance."

¹⁴So the priests and the Levites consecrated (dedicated) themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁵The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.

¹⁶Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives as the singers, with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and to raise sounds of joy [with their voices].

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

¹⁸and with them their relatives of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud the bronze cymbals;

²⁰and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah [were to play] with harps tuned to Alamoth [that is, a high pitch];

²¹and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith [that is, the eighth string, a low pitch].

²²Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skilled.

²³Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

²⁴Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy.

²⁶Because God was helping the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD [to do it carefully and safely], they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

²⁷David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah, director of the music of the singers. David also wore an ephod (a priestly upper garment) of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.

²⁹It happened that as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, Michal [David's wife] the daughter of Saul, looking down through a window, saw King David leaping and dancing [in celebration]; and she despised him in her heart.

¹So they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

²When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

³He distributed to everyone in Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake.

⁴He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD and to profess [God's name] and to thank and praise the LORD, the God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel (Jaaziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel with musical instruments, harps and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals;

⁶and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day David first entrusted to Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD [as their chief task].

⁸O give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; Make His deeds known among the peoples.

⁹Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.

¹⁰Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

¹¹Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].

¹²Remember [with gratitude] His marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles and the judgments from His mouth,

¹³O seed of Israel His servant, Children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

¹⁴He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Be mindful of His covenant forever, The promise which He commanded and established to a thousand generations,

¹⁶The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath (sworn promise) to Isaac.

¹⁷He confirmed it as a statute to Jacob, And to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your possession and inheritance."

¹⁹When you were few in number, Even a very few, and strangers in it,

²⁰When they wandered from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people,

²¹He allowed no man to oppress or exploit them, And, He reproved and punished kings for their sakes, saying,

²²"Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

²³Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

²⁴Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples.

²⁵For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared [with awe-filled reverence] above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the peoples are [lifeless] idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence; Strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

²⁸Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and honor and strength.

²⁹Ascribe to the LORD the glory and honor due His name; Bring an offering [of thanksgiving], and come before Him; Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

³⁰Tremble [reverently] before Him, all the earth; The world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."

³²Let the sea roar, and all the things that fill it; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

³³Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He comes to judge and govern the earth.

³⁴O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.

³⁵Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together and rescue us from the nations, That we may give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise."

³⁶Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, Forever and ever. And all the people said, "Amen," and praised the LORD.

³⁷So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as each day's work required;

³⁸and Obed-edom with his sixty-eight relatives; also Obed-edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.

³⁹David left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the dwelling place (tabernacle) of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually, morning and evening, in accordance with all that is written in the Law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel.

⁴¹With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness endures forever.

⁴²With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to sound aloud, and instruments for [accompanying] the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

⁴³Then all the people departed, each to his house, and David returned [home] to bless his household.

¹As David sat in his house (palace), he said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I live in a house of cedars, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under tent curtains."

²Then Nathan said to David, " Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."

³But it came about that same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴"Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;

⁵for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought Israel up [from Egypt] until this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another.

⁶Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I say a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, 'Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?'"'

⁷Now, therefore, this is what you shall say to My servant David: 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

⁸I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name like the name of the great ones of the earth.

⁹I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be moved again [nor tremble with fear]; and the wicked will not waste (persecute) them anymore, as formerly,

¹⁰since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will humble and subdue all your enemies. "Furthermore, I tell you that the LORD will build you a house (a blessed posterity).

¹¹And it shall come to pass that when your days are completed and you must go to be with your fathers [in death], I will raise up one of your descendants after you, one of your own sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹²He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

¹³I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My steadfast love and mercy away from him, as I took it from him (King Saul) who was before you.

¹⁴But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forevermore."'"

¹⁵According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house and family that You have brought me this far?

¹⁷This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard and estate of a man of high degree (prominence), O LORD God.

¹⁸What more can David say to You for the honor granted to Your servant? For You know Your servant.

¹⁹O LORD, for Your servant's sake, and in accordance with Your own heart, You have accomplished all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

²⁰O LORD, there is no one like You, nor is there any God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make a name for Yourself by great and awesome and terrible things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?

²²You made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, LORD, became their God.

²³"Therefore now, O LORD, let the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house endure forever, and do as You have said.

²⁴Let Your name [and the character that it denotes] endure and be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, yes, a God to Israel; and the house of Your servant David is established before You.'

²⁵For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house (descendants); therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You.

²⁶And now, O LORD, You are God, and you have spoken and promised this good thing to Your servant.

²⁷Therefore may it please You to bless the house (descendants) of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for what You bless, O LORD, is blessed forever."

¹After this it came about that David defeated and subdued the Philistines, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.

²He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David's servants and brought tribute (gifts).

³David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion to the Euphrates River.

⁴David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers (infantrymen). David also hamstrung [nearly] all the chariot horses [to make them lame and useless], but left enough of them for 100 chariots.

⁵When the Arameans (Syrians) of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.

⁶Then David put military outposts among the Arameans in Damascus; and the Arameans became David's servants and brought tribute. Thus the LORD helped David wherever he went.

⁷David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸Likewise from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought a very large amount of bronze, with which Solomon later made the bronze Sea (large basin), the pillars, and the utensils of bronze.

⁹When Tou king of Hamath heard how David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

¹⁰he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless (congratulate) him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze.

¹¹King David also dedicated these to the LORD [setting them apart for sacred use], with the silver and the gold which he brought from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹²Also Abishai the son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹³He put military outposts in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD helped David wherever he went.

¹⁴So David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

¹⁵Joab the son of Zeruiah was in command of the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;

¹⁶Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Shavsha was secretary (state scribe);

¹⁷and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Cherethites and the Pelethites [David's bodyguards], and the sons of David were chiefs at the king's side.

¹Now it came about after this, that Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place.

²David said, "I will be kind (gracious) to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father was kind to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning [the death of] his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun.

³But the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, " Do you think that David has sent people to console and comfort you because he honors your father? Have his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?"

⁴Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved them [cutting off half their beards], and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away [in humiliation].

⁵When David was told how the men were treated, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were very humiliated and ashamed [to return]. So the king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow [back], and then return."

⁶When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves hateful to David, Hanun and his people sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

⁷So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and camped before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered together from their cities and came to battle.

⁸When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army of courageous men.

⁹The Ammonites came out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance of the city [Medeba], while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

¹⁰Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in the front and in the rear, he chose warriors from all the choice men of Israel and put them in formation against the Arameans (Syrians).

¹¹The rest of the soldiers he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they lined up against the Ammonites.

¹²He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you.

¹³Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight."

¹⁴So Joab and the people who were with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him.

¹⁵When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered the city [Medeba]. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶When the Arameans (Syrians) saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the [Euphrates] River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them.

¹⁷When this was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. So when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him.

¹⁸But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army.

¹⁹When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to and served him. And the Arameans (Syrians) were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.