² So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, ^(A)from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that ^(B)I may know the number of the people.”

¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the ^[a]house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, ^(A)from Dan to Beersheba.”

Israel’s War with the Benjamites

20 So ^(A)all the children of Israel came out, from ^(B)Dan to ^(C)Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord ^(D)at Mizpah.

David’s Government Officers

²³ And ^(A)Joab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(B)a messenger of Satan to ^[a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

⁵ Thus says the Lord:

³¹ However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they ^(A)sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to ^(B)test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

²⁵ But Hezekiah ^(A)did not repay according to the favor shown him, for ^(B)his heart was lifted up; ^(C)therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. ^26 (D)Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them ^(E)in the days of Hezekiah.