David’s First Supporters

12 The following were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still banned from the presence of Saul son of Kish.^(A) They were among the warriors who helped him in battle. ² They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow.^(B) They were Saul’s relatives^(C) from Benjamin:

⁸ Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were valiant warriors, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.^(D)

¹⁴ These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand.^{(E) 15} These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month^[a] when it was overflowing all its banks,^(F) and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold.^{(G) 17} David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit enveloped^[b](H) Amasai,^(I) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

¹⁹ Some Manassites defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. However, they did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers sent David away after a discussion. They said, “It will be our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”^{(K) 20} When David went to Ziklag, some men from Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against the raiders,^(L) for they were all valiant warriors and commanders in the army. ²² At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.^[c](M)

David’s Soldiers in Hebron

²³ The numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him,^(N) according to the Lord’s word,^(O) were as follows:

³⁸ All these warriors, lined up in battle formation, came to Hebron wholeheartedly determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel was also of one mind to make David king.^{(T) 39} They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them. ⁴⁰ In addition, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came and brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant provisions of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine and oil, herds, and flocks.^(U) Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

David and the Ark

13 David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. ² Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let’s spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands,^(V) that they should gather together with us. ³ Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him^[g](W) in Saul’s days.” ⁴ Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel,^(X) from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,^[h](Y) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.^{(Z) 6} David^(AA) and all Israel went to Baalah^(AB) (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim.^{(AC) 7} At Abinadab’s house^(AD) they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio^[i] were guiding the cart.

⁸ David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.^{(AE) 9} When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,^(AF) Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. ¹⁰ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark.^(AG) So he died there in the presence of God.^(AH)

¹¹ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[j] as it is still named today. ¹² David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ So David did not bring the ark of God home^[k] to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.^{(AI) 14} The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(A) the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes,^(B) and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³ You are already clean^(C) because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.^{(D) 5} I am the vine; ^(E) you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,^(F) because you can do nothing without me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside^(G) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,^(H) and they are burned.^{(I) 7} If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.^{(J) 8} My Father is glorified^(K) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] my disciples.

Christlike Love

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.^{(L) 10} If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.^(M)

¹¹ “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.^(N)

¹² “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved^(O) you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life^(P) for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master^[b](Q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you.^(R) I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask^(S) the Father in my name,^(T) he will give you.^(U)

¹⁷ “This is what I command you: Love one another.