Bible in 90 Days
10 ¶ Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me through with it lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Then Saul took a sword and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword and died.
6 So Saul died and his three sons and all his house died together.
7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that, they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 ¶ And it came to pass on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in Mount Gilboa.
9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head and his weapons and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols and to the people.
10 And they put his weapons in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his rebellion which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he did not keep, and also for consulting a spiritist, to enquire of her
14 and not enquire of the LORD; therefore, he slew him and turned the kingdom unto David, the son of Jesse.
11 ¶ Then all Israel gathered themselves to David in Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 And moreover yesterday and the day before yesterday, when Saul was king, it was thou that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD thy God hath said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
3 Therefore, all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Samuel.
4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, for there the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of that land.
5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not enter here. Nevertheless, David took the fortress of Zion, which is the city of David.
6 And David said, Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be head and prince. So Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first and was made the head.
7 And David dwelt in the fortress; therefore, they called it the city of David.
8 And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about, and Joab restored the rest of the city.
9 So David waxed greater and greater, for the LORD of the hosts was with him.
10 ¶ These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, of Hachmoni, the chief of the captains; he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain at one time and killed them.
12 And after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was an inheritance of land full of barley; and as the people fled from before the Philistines,
14 they set themselves in the midst of that portion and delivered it and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great salvation.
15 Now three of the thirty principal ones went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the camp of the Philistines was pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the fortress, and the Philistines’ garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed and said, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And those three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
19 and said, May God keep me from doing this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore, he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.
20 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of three, who had lifted up his spear against three hundred, whom he slew and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he obtained the most honour in this second group of three, for he was their prince; however, he did not attain to the first three.
22 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of great acts, of Kabzeel; he slew two lions of Moab; he also went down and slew a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and slew him with his own spear.
24 These things did Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.
25 He was the most honoured among the thirty, but did not attain to the first three. And David placed him in his council.
26 Also the valiant men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth of Harori, Helez, the Pelonite,
28 Ira, the son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite, Abiezer, the Antothite,
29 Sibbecai, the Hushathite, Ilai, the Ahohite,
30 Maharai, the Netophathite, Heled, the son of Baanah, the Netophathite,
31 Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah, the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai of the Gaash river, Abiel, the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth, the Baharumite, Eliahba, the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem, the Gizonite, Jonathan, the son of Shage, the Hararite,
35 Ahiam, the son of Sacar, the Hararite, Eliphal, the son of Ur,
36 Hepher, the Mecherathite, Ahijah, the Pelonite,
37 Hezro, the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,
38 Joel, the brother of Nathan, Mibhar, the son of Haggeri,
39 Zelek, the Ammonite, Naharai, the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira, the Ithrite, Gareb, the Ithrite,
41 Uriah, the Hittite, Zabad, the son of Ahlai,
42 Adina, the son of Shiza, the Reubenite, head of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan, the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat, the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia, the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel, the sons of Hothan, the Aroerite,
45 Jediael, the son of Shimri, and Joha, his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel, the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah, the Moabite,
47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.
12 ¶ Now these are those that came to David to Ziklag, while he was yet restrained because of Saul, the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
2 They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah, the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah and Jehu, the Antothite,
4 and Ismaiah, the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and more than the thirty; and Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Josabad, the Gederathite,
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah, the Haruphite;
6 Elkanah, Jesiah, Azareel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korhites,
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David in the fortress in the wilderness, men of might of war fit for the battle, put in order with shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;
9 Ezer, the chief, Obadiah, the second, Eliab, the third,
10 Mishmannah, the fourth, Jeremiah, the fifth,
11 Attai, the sixth, Eliel, the seventh,
12 Johanan, the eighth, Elzabad, the ninth,
13 Jeremiah, the tenth, Machbanai, the eleventh.
14 These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host. One of the least was over one hundred men, and the greatest over a thousand.
15 These went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all its banks, and they put to flight all those of the valleys to the east and to the west.
16 Likewise, some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David, to the fortress.
17 And David went out to meet them and answered and said unto them, If you are come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if you are come to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no violence in my hands, let the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it.
18 Then the spirit clothed himself in Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, For thee, O David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse. Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helps thee. Then David received them and put them among the captains of the band.
19 And some of Manasseh passed over to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, although they did not help them, for the cardinals of the Philistines, upon counsel, sent him away, saying, He will pass over to his master Saul with our heads.
20 As he went to Ziklag, there passed over to him of Manasseh, Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zilthai, heads of the thousands that were of Manasseh.
21 And they helped David with a band; for they were all mighty men of valour and were captains in the host.
22 For at that time help came every day to David until it was a great camp, like the camp of God.
23 ¶ And this is the number of the heads of those that were ready armed for war and came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.
24 Of the sons of Judah that bore shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred, ready armed for war.
25 Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand one hundred.
26 Of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred.
27 Likewise Jehoiada, prince of those of the lineage of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred;
28 and Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains.
29 Of the sons of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand; for in that time many of them had the charge of the house of Saul.
30 And of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the houses of their fathers.
31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name, to come and make David king.
32 And of the sons of Issachar, two hundred chief men, who had understanding of the times and were wise to know what Israel ought to do; and all their brethren followed their word.
33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all weapons of war, fifty thousand, who could keep rank; they were not of double heart.
34 And of Naphtali a thousand captains and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand.
35 And of those of Dan expert in war twenty-eight thousand six hundred.
36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.
37 And of the other side of the Jordan, of those of Reuben and those of Gad and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, one hundred and twenty thousand.
38 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and likewise, all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
39 And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
40 And likewise, those that were near them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, and food, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly; for there was joy in Israel.
13 ¶ And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and with all the princes.
2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seems good unto you and unto the LORD our God, let us send everywhere to call our brethren who have remained in all the lands of Israel and with them also the priests and Levites who are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us;
3 and let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for from the time of Saul we have not paid attention to it.
4 And all the congregation said to do so, for the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
6 And David went up with all Israel to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which is in Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim, whose name is called on it.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and his brother drove the cart.
8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, with songs and with harps and with psalteries and with timbrels and with cymbals and with trumpets.
9 ¶ And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.
10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him because he had put his hand to the ark, and there he died before God.
11 And David was displeased because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza; therefore, that place is called Perezuzza to this day.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
13 So David did not bring the ark home to himself to the city of David but carried it into the house of Obededom, the Gittite.
14 And the ark of God remained with the household of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the household of Obededom and all that he had.
14 ¶ Now Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.
2 And David, understanding that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel and had lifted up his kingdom above his people Israel,
3 took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begat more sons and daughters.
4 Now these are the names of his children which were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpalet,
6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphalet.
8 ¶ And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it and went out against them.
9 And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
10 And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up, for I will deliver them into thy hands.
11 So they came up to Baalperazim, and David smote them there. Then David said, God has broken in upon my enemies by my hand like the breaking forth of waters. Therefore, they called the name of that place Baalperazim.
12 And they left their gods there, and David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
13 And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.
14 Therefore, David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Do not go up after them; go around them to come upon them over against the mulberry trees;
15 and it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God shall go forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
16 David, therefore, did as God commanded him, and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.
17 And the fame of David went out into all those lands, and the LORD put the fear of him upon all the Gentiles.
15 ¶ And David made houses for himself in the city of David and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
2 Then David said, The ark of God should not be brought except by the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him perpetually.
3 And David gathered all Israel together in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And David assembled the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
5 of the sons of Kohath: Uriel, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twenty;
6 of the sons of Merari: Asaiah, the chief and his brethren, two hundred and twenty;
7 of the sons of Gershon: Joel, the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty;
8 of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren, two hundred;
9 of the sons of Hebron: Eliel, the chief and his brethren, eighty;
10 of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twelve.
11 And David also called for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab
12 and said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers among the Levites; sanctify yourselves and your brethren and bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it,
13 for because ye did not do it thus at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us because we did not seek him according to his ordinance.
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.
15 And the sons of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.
16 And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint of their brethren as singers with instruments of music, with psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding, and to lift up their voice with joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari and of their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,
18 and with them their brethren of the second order, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.
19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass;
20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth.
21 And Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.
22 And Chenaniah, prince of the Levites in prophecy, for he presided in prophecy, because he had understanding.
23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
24 And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obededom and Jehiah were also doorkeepers for the ark.
25 ¶ So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.
26 And with God helping the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.
27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and also all the Levites that bore the ark and the singers and Chenaniah, the prince of the prophecy of the singers. David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the shofar and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
29 And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
16 ¶ So they brought the ark of God and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.
2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
3 And he dealt to all Israel, both men and women, to each one a loaf of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine.
4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD and to record and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:
5 Asaph, the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph resounded with cymbals;
6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel, the priests, with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 ¶ Then, on that day, David began to thank the LORD by the hand of Asaph and his brethren.
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, speak of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory in his holy name; let the heart of those that seek the LORD rejoice.
11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth;
13 O, ye seed of Israel, his slave, ye sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Be mindful always of his covenant, the word which he commanded in a thousand generations,
16 the covenant which he cut with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;
17 which he confirmed unto Jacob by statute, and to Israel in everlasting covenant,
18 saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the cord of your inheritance,
19 when ye were but few in number, and strangers in it.
20 And they went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people.
21 He would allow no one to oppress them; he reproved kings for their sakes,
22 saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day his saving health.
24 Declare his glory among the Gentiles; his marvellous works among all peoples.
25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he also is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the people are worthless, but the LORD made the heavens.
27 Glory and beauty are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
28 Give unto the LORD, ye families of the peoples, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
29 Give unto the LORD the glory of his name; bring a present and come before him; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
30 Fear before him, all the earth; the world also is being made stable, that it be not moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the Gentiles, The LORD reigns.
32 Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he comes to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy is eternal.
35 And say, Save us, O God our saving health, and gather us together and deliver us from the Gentiles, that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise.
36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from eternity unto eternity. And all the people said, Amen and praised the LORD.
37 ¶ So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren to minister before the ark continually, each thing in its day;
38 and Obededom with their brethren, sixty-eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters.
39 And Zadok, the priest, and his brethren, the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,
40 to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;
41 and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest that were chosen expressly by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy is eternal.
42 And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals to sound, and with other musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.
43 And all the people departed each one to his house; and David returned to bless his house.
17 ¶ Now it came to pass, as David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan, the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD under curtains.
2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thy heart for God is with thee.
3 And it came to pass the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
4 Go and tell David my slave, Thus hath the LORD said, Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in,
5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
6 Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedars?
7 Now, therefore, thus shalt thou say unto my slave David, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, I took thee from the sheepfold, from following the sheep that thou should be ruler over my people Israel;
8 and I have been with thee wherever thou hast walked and have cut off all thy enemies from before thee and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.
9 Likewise I have ordained a place for my people Israel and have planted him that he dwell by himself and no longer be moved; neither shall the sons of iniquity waste them any more, as before,
10 since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I have humbled all thy enemies and announce unto thee that the LORD will build thee a house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days are fulfilled to go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne eternally.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son; and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee;
14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom for ever, and his throne shall be established for evermore.
15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
16 ¶ And David, the king, came and sat before the LORD and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me here?
17 And yet this was a small thing in thy eyes, O God, for thou hast also spoken of thy slave’s house for a great while to come and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.
18 What more can David add asking thee to glorify thy slave? For thou knowest thy slave.
19 O LORD, for thy slave’s sake and according to thy own heart, thou hast done all this greatness, in making known all thy great things.
20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to ransom to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out the Gentiles from before thy people, whom thou didst redeem out of Egypt?
22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thy own people for ever, and thou, LORD, didst become their God.
23 Therefore, now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy slave and concerning his house be established for ever and do as thou hast said.
24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, that it may be said, The LORD of the hosts, God of Israel, is God unto Israel; and let the house of David thy slave be established before thee.
25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy slave that thou wilt build him a house; therefore, thy slave has found in his heart to pray before thee.
26 And now, LORD, thou art God and hast promised this goodness unto thy slave;
27 now it has pleased thee to bless the house of thy slave, that it may be before thee for ever; for thou, O LORD, hast blessed it, and it shall be blessed for ever.
18 ¶ Now after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab, and the Moabites became David’s slaves, bringing him presents.
3 And David smote Hadarezer, king of Zobah in Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion unto the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; David also hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved those of one hundred chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer, king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.
6 Then David put garrisons in Syria, the Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became David’s slaves, bringing him presents. For the LORD saved David wherever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that the slaves of Hadarezer carried and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Likewise from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, with which Solomon made the brasen sea and the pillars and the vessels of brass.
9 ¶ Now when Tou, king of Hamath, heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer, king of Zobah,
10 he sent Hadoram, his son, to King David, to greet him and to bless him because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him, for Hadarezer had war with Tou. And he sent him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass,
11 which King David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these Gentiles, from Edom and from Moab and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines and from Amalek.
12 Moreover, Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, smote Edom in the valley of salt, eighteen thousand men.
13 And he put a garrison in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s slaves. Thus the LORD saved David wherever he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel and executed judgment and righteousness among all his people.
15 And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the host; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, writer of the chronicles;
16 and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;
17 and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were first, at the hand of the king.
19 ¶ Now it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed mercy to me. And David sent ambassadors to comfort him concerning his father. So the slaves of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem unto thee that David honours thy father, that he has sent comforters unto thee? Are not his slaves come unto thee to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?
4 Then Hanun took David’s slaves and shaved them, and cut off their garments in half, exposing their buttocks and sent them away.
5 Then they left, and it was told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown and then return.
6 ¶ And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Syria of the rivers (Mesopotamia), and out of Syria of Maachah and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.
9 And the sons of Ammon came out and put the battle in order before the gate of the city, and the kings that had come were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel and put them in order against the Syrians.
11 And he put the rest of the people into the hand of Abishai, his brother, putting them in order against the sons of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will save thee.
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew near before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
15 And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent ambassadors and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river, whose captain was Shophach, the prince of the host of Hadarezer.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel and passed over the Jordan and came upon them and ordered his host against them. And when David had put his troops in order against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians those of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen; likewise he killed Shophach, the captain of the host.
19 And when the slaves of Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants; neither would the Syrians help the sons of Ammon any more.
20 ¶ And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army and destroyed the country of the sons of Ammon and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah and destroyed it.
2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head. And in addition to this he took exceeding much spoil out of the city.
3 And he brought out the people that were in it and dominated them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 ¶ And it came to pass after this that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite, slew Sippai, of the lineage of the giant; and they were subdued.
5 And there was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan, the son of Jair, slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was the son of the giant.
7 But when he dishonoured Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimea, David’s brother slew him.
8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his slaves.
21 ¶ And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s slaves? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guiltiness unto Israel?
4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And they found in all Israel eleven times one hundred thousand men that drew sword, and of Judah four hundred seventy thousand men that drew sword.
6 Among these the Levites and the sons of Benjamin were not counted, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 ¶ And God was also displeased with this word; therefore, he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy slave, for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three things: choose one of them that I will do unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Choose thee,
12 either three years’ famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 Then David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are his mercies, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of that evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up according to the word of Gad, which he had spoken unto him in the name of the LORD.
20 And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshingfloor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD; thou shalt grant it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; I even give thee the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for wood and the wheat for the present; I give it all.
24 And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will truly buy it for the full price, for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the LORD, and he answered him from the heavens by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 And when the LORD spoke to the angel, he put up his sword again into its sheath.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place at Gibeon,
30 but David could not go before it to enquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
22 ¶ Then David said, This shall be the house of the LORD God, and this shall be the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel, and he made them masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
3 Likewise, David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings, and brass in abundance without weight,
4 also cedar trees in abundance, for the Zidonians and those of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
5 And David said, Solomon, my son, is yet young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be magnificent par excellence, of fame and of glory throughout all lands; I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
6 ¶ Then he called for Solomon, his son, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God;
8 but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly and hast made great wars; thou shalt not build a house unto my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about, for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
10 He shall build a house for my name, and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11 Now, my son, the LORD be with thee, and be thou prospered and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he has said of thee.
12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding and give thee commandments for Israel, and that thou keep the law of the LORD thy God.
13 Then shalt thou be prospered if thou shalt keep thyself to do the statutes and rights which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel; be strong and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD one hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and the brass and iron are without weight, for it is in abundance. Likewise, I have prepared timber and stone, unto which thou shalt add.
15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber and all manner of expert men for every manner of work.
16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and go to work, and the LORD be with thee.
17 ¶ David, likewise, commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon, his son, saying,
18 Is not the LORD your God with you who has given you rest on every side? For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before his people.
19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built unto the name of the LORD.
23 ¶ So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon, his son, king over Israel.
2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and the Levites,
3 were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
4 Of which, twenty-four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges;
5 moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith.
6 And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 The sons of Gershon: Laadan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Laadan: Jehiel, the first, Zetham and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11 And Jahath was the first, and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not multiply in many sons; therefore, they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be dedicated to the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him and to bless in his name for ever.
14 And the sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted in the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.
16 Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the chief.
17 And the son of Eliezer was Rehabiah, the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the chief.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, the first, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel: Michah, the first, and Jesiah, the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 ¶ These are the sons of Levi after the houses of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did work in the ministry of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel has given rest unto his people, and he shall dwell in Jerusalem for ever.
26 And also unto the Levites, they shall no longer carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for its ministry.
27 For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above.
28 And their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and in the work of the ministry of the house of God,
29 both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size,
30 and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;
31 and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons and solemnities, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD.
32 And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, in the ministry of the house of the LORD.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International