Bible in 90 Days

The Death of Saul^(A)

10 When the Philistines fought against Israel, the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were killed in battle on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines caught up to Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. ³ The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was wounded by them.

⁴ Saul told his armorbearer, “Draw your sword! Stab me, or these godless men will come and make fun of me.” But his armorbearer refused because he was terrified. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on the sword and died. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, and his dynasty died together.

⁷ When all the people of Israel in the valley saw that ⌞their army⌟ had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities. So the Philistines came to live in these cities.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped him and took his head and his armor. Then they sent men throughout Philistine territory to tell their idols and the people this good news. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head to the temple of Dagon.

¹¹ When all the people of Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the fighting men came and took away the dead bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried the bones under the oak tree in Jabesh. Then they fasted seven days.

¹³ So Saul died because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord: He did not obey the Lord’s word. He asked a medium to request information ⌞from a dead person⌟. ¹⁴ He didn’t request information from the Lord. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingship over to David, Jesse’s son.

David Anointed King of Israel^(B)

11 All Israel gathered around David at Hebron. “We are your own flesh and blood,” they said. ² “Even in the past when Saul ruled, you were the one who led Israel on its campaigns to war. The Lord your God has said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of my people Israel.’ ”

³ All the leaders of Israel had come to Hebron. David made an agreement with them at Hebron in front of the Lord. So they anointed David king of Israel, as the Lord had spoken through Samuel.

David Captures Jerusalem^(C)

⁴ David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites were living in that region. ⁵ They told David, “You will never get in here.” But David captured the fortress Zion (that is, the City of David).

⁶ Now, David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will be made a general and a prince.” Zeruiah’s son Joab was the first to go ⌞into Jerusalem⌟, so he became the general.

⁷ David lived in the fortress, so it was called the City of David. ⁸ He built the city ⌞of Jerusalem⌟ around it, starting from the Millo ^[a] and making a complete circuit. Joab rebuilt the rest of the city. ⁹ David continued to grow more powerful because the Lord of Armies was with him.

David’s Three Fighting Men^(D)

¹⁰ Now, these were the commanders of David’s fighting men, who exercised power with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel they made him king according to the Lord’s word to Israel. ¹¹ The first of David’s fighting men was Jashobeam, son of Hachmon, the leader of the three.^[b] He used his spear to kill 300 men on one occasion. ¹² Next in rank to him was Eleazar, another one of the three fighting men. He was the son of Dodo and grandson of Aho. ¹³ Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a field of ripe barley. When the troops fled from the Philistines, ¹⁴ they stood in the middle of the field and defended it by killing Philistines. So the Lord saved ⌞them⌟ with an impressive victory. ¹⁵ Once three of the thirty leading men went down to David’s rock at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ While David was in the fortified camp, Philistine troops were in Bethlehem.

¹⁷ David was thirsty and said, “I wish I could have a drink of water from the cistern at the city gate of Bethlehem.” ¹⁸ So the three burst into the Philistine camp and drew water from the cistern. They brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out ⌞as an offering⌟ to the Lord ¹⁹ and said, “It’s unthinkable that I would do this, God. Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? They had to risk their lives to get this water.” So he refused to drink it.

These are the things which the three fighting men did.

David’s Thirty Fighting Men^(E)

²⁰ Joab’s brother Abishai was the leader of the thirty. He used his spear to kill 300 men, but he was not one of the three, ²¹ although he was honored more than they were. So he became their captain but didn’t become a member of the three.

²² Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was from Kabzeel and was a brave man who did many things. He killed two distinguished soldiers from Moab. He also went into a cistern and killed a lion on the day it snowed. ²³ He killed an eight-foot-tall Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand. But Benaiah went to him with a club, grabbed the spear away from him, and killed him with it. ²⁴ These are the things that Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did. He was as famous as the three fighting men. ²⁵ He was honored more than the thirty, but he was not a member of the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguards.

²⁶ The distinguished fighting men were

The Men Who Helped David Become King

12 These are the men who came to David at Ziklag when he was banished by Saul, son of Kish. They were among the soldiers who went into battle with David. ² They were armed with bows and could sling stones or shoot arrows with either their right or their left hands. They were Saul’s relatives, ⌞from the tribe of⌟ Benjamin. ³ Ahiezer was the leader, then Joash (they were the sons of Shemaah from Gibeah), Azmaveth’s sons Jeziel and Pelet, Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth, ⁴ Ishmaiah from Gibeon (one of the thirty fighting men and one of their leaders),^[c] Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah, ⁵ Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph, ⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam (Korah’s descendants), ⁷ and Joelah and Zebadiah, Jeroham’s sons from Gedor.

⁸ Some men left Gad to join David at the fortified camp in the desert. They were warriors, trained soldiers, able to fight with shields and spears. They looked like lions and were as fast as gazelles on the hills. ⁹ Ezer was the first of these soldiers. The second was Obadiah. The third was Eliab. ¹⁰ The fourth was Mishmannah. The fifth was Jeremiah. ¹¹ The sixth was Attai. The seventh was Eliel. ¹² The eighth was Johanan. The ninth was Elzabad. ¹³ The tenth was Jeremiah. The eleventh was Machbannai. ¹⁴ These descendants of Gad were army officers. The least able one was in command of 100 men, and the best one was in command of 1,000. ¹⁵ In the first month of the year, these men crossed the Jordan River when it was flooding its banks. They chased away all the people in the valleys to the east and west.

¹⁶ Some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the fortified camp. ¹⁷ David went to meet them. He told them, “If you’ve come to help me as friends would, then you may join me. But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, even though I haven’t committed a crime, may the God of our ancestors see this and judge you.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit gave Amasai, the leader of the thirty, the strength ⌞to say⌟,

So David welcomed them and made them officers over his troops.

¹⁹ Some men from Manasseh had deserted ⌞Saul’s army⌟ to join David when he went with the Philistines to attack Saul. (However, David didn’t help the Philistines because their rulers sent him away after considering the matter. They said, “It will cost us our heads when he deserts and joins his master Saul.”) ²⁰ When David went to Ziklag, these men from Manasseh deserted to join him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each one was an officer over 1,000 men in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David fight raiding parties because they were all warriors, commanders in the army. ²² From day to day, men came to help David until he had an army as large as God’s army.

²³ These are the numbers of the men equipped for war. The men joined David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingship over to David, as the Lord had said.

²⁴ From Judah’s descendants there were 6,800 men equipped for war. They carried shields and spears.

²⁵ From Simeon’s descendants there were 7,100 warriors.

²⁶ From Levi’s descendants there were 4,600 ²⁷ as well as Jehoiada (leader of Aaron’s families). With him there were 3,700 men, ²⁸ and Zadok, a young warrior from whose family came 22 officers.

²⁹ From Benjamin’s descendants, Saul’s relatives, there were 3,000 men, though most of them remained loyal to Saul’s family. ³⁰ From Ephraim’s descendants there were 20,800 warriors who were famous among their families.

³¹ From half of the tribe of Manasseh there were 18,000 who had been designated by name to make David king.

³² From Issachar’s descendants there were 200 leaders who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Their relatives were under their command.

³³ From Zebulun there were 50,000 experienced soldiers. They were equipped for battle with every kind of weapon. Their loyalty was unquestioned.

³⁴ From Naphtali there were 1,000 commanders. With them were 37,000 who fought with shields and spears.

³⁵ From Dan there were 28,600 ready for battle.

³⁶ From Asher there were 40,000 experienced soldiers ready for battle.

³⁷ From the east side of the Jordan River, from Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 soldiers ready to fight with all kinds of weapons.

³⁸ All of these soldiers, who were prepared for battle, came with a single purpose to Hebron—to make David king of all Israel. The rest of Israel also had agreed to make David king. ³⁹ They ate and drank with David for three days because their relatives ⌞in Judah⌟ had provided enough for them. ⁴⁰ Also, their neighbors as far as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There was plenty of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, and sheep, because Israel was celebrating.

David Has the Ark Brought to Obed Edom’s House^(F)

13 David consulted with every officer who commanded a regiment or battalion. ² Then he told the whole assembly of Israel, “If you approve and if the Lord our God has consented, we will send ⌞an invitation⌟ to the rest of our relatives in every region of Israel and to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands so that they may join us. ³ Then we’ll bring back our God’s ark, which we ignored while Saul was king.”

⁴ The whole assembly agreed to this because the people considered it the right thing to do. ⁵ So David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River near Egypt to the border of Hamath in order to bring God’s ark from Kiriath Jearim.

⁶ David and all Israel went to Baalah in Kiriath Jearim, which is in Judah, to bring God’s ark ⌞to Jerusalem⌟. (The Lord is enthroned over the angels ^[d] ⌞on the ark⌟ where his name is used.) ⁷ David and his men put God’s ark on a new cart from Abinadab’s home. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart. ⁸ David and all Israel were celebrating in God’s presence with all their might, with songs, with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁹ But when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,^[e] the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to grab the ark. ¹⁰ The Lord became angry with Uzzah and killed him for reaching for the ark. He died in God’s presence.

¹¹ David was angry because the Lord had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah [The Striking of Uzzah] today.) ¹² David was afraid of God that day. “How can I bring God’s ark to my ⌞city⌟?” he asked. ¹³ So he didn’t bring God’s ark to his ⌞home⌟, the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. ¹⁴ God’s ark stayed at the home of Obed Edom with his family for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom’s family and everything he owned.

David’s Palace, Wives, and Children in Jerusalem^(G)

14 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, masons, and carpenters to build a palace for David. ² So David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and that his kingdom was made famous for the sake of Israel, the Lord’s people.

³ David married more wives in Jerusalem and fathered more sons and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines^(H)

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went out to meet them. ⁹ The Philistines had come and raided the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁰ David asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord answered him, “Attack! I will hand them over to you.”

¹¹ So David ⌞and his men⌟ attacked and defeated the Philistines at Baal Perazim. David said, “Using my power like an overwhelming flood, God has overwhelmed my enemies.” That is why they call that place Baal Perazim [The Lord Overwhelms]. ¹² The Philistines left their gods there, so David ordered that the gods be burned.

¹³ The Philistines again raided the valley. ¹⁴ Once more David asked God.

God answered him, “Don’t go after them. Circle around, and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ¹⁵ As you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out and fight because God has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.”

¹⁶ David did as God ordered him, and his men defeated the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷ David’s fame spread through all lands, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem^(I)

15 After David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for God’s ark and set up a tent for it. ² Then David insisted that only the Levites carry God’s ark because the Lord had chosen them to carry his ark and to serve him forever.

³ David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the Lord’s ark to the place he had prepared for it. ⁴ David also called together Aaron’s descendants and the Levites. ⁵ Leading Kohath’s descendants was Uriel, who came with 120 of his relatives. ⁶ Leading Merari’s descendants was Asaiah, who came with 220 of his relatives. ⁷ Leading Gershom’s descendants was Joel, who came with 130 of his relatives. ⁸ Leading Elizaphan’s descendants was Shemaiah, who came with 200 of his relatives. ⁹ Leading Hebron’s descendants was Eliel, who came with 80 of his relatives. ¹⁰ Leading Uzziel’s descendants was Amminadab, who came with 112 of his relatives.

¹¹ David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹² He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I prepared for it. ¹³ Because you weren’t there the first time, the Lord our God struck us. We hadn’t dedicated our lives to serving him in the way ⌞he⌟ designated.”

¹⁴ So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the ark of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵ The Levites carried God’s ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to the Lord’s instructions.

¹⁶ David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their relatives to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph, Berechiah’s son. From their own relatives, Merari’s descendants, they appointed Ethan, son of Kushaiah. ¹⁸ In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah,^[f] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers. ¹⁹ The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals. ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were appointed to play harps according to alamoth.^{[g] 21} Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the sheminith.^{[h] 22} Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it. ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. ²⁴ The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God’s ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David, the leaders of Israel, and the army’s commanders joyfully went to get the ark of the Lord’s promise from Obed Edom’s house. ²⁶ Because God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s promise, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷ David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the ⌞Levites who were⌟ singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians’ prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.^[i]

²⁸ All Israel brought the ark of the Lord’s promise with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres. ²⁹ When the ark of the Lord’s promise came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.

16 The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. ² When David had finished sacrificing burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³ He also distributed to every person in Israel—both men and women—a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

The Levites Lead the Worship in Jerusalem^(J)

⁴ David appointed some Levites to serve in front of the Lord’s ark by offering prayers, thanks, and praise to the Lord God of Israel. ⁵ Asaph was the head; Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel with harps and lyres. Asaph played the cymbals. ⁶ The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played trumpets all the time in front of the ark of God’s promise. ⁷ For the first time David entrusted Asaph and his relatives with the task of singing songs of thanks to the Lord:

Then all the people said amen and praised the Lord.

³⁷ David left Asaph and his relatives to serve continually in front of the ark of the Lord’s promise, as the daily work required. ³⁸ David also left Obed Edom and 68 of his relatives ⌞to serve there⌟. Obed Edom (Jeduthun’s son) and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. ³⁹ David left Zadok and his priestly relatives to serve in the Lord’s tent at the place of worship in Gibeon. ⁴⁰ They were ordered to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. This happened on the altar of burnt offerings continually, morning and evening, as written in the Lord’s Teachings that he gave Israel. ⁴¹ With Zadok and his relatives were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of the Levites who had been selected, chosen by name, to give thanks to the Lord ⌞by singing,⌟ “His mercy endures forever.” ⁴² Also, Heman and Jeduthun played trumpets, cymbals, and the ⌞other⌟ musical instruments that accompany sacred songs. Jeduthun’s sons were stationed at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people went home. David went back to bless his family.

David’s Wish to Build a House for God^(K)

17 When David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan, “I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s promise is inside a tent.”

² Nathan told David, “Do everything you have in mind, because God is with you.”

³ But that same night God spoke his word to Nathan: ⁴ “Say to David, my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: You must not build this house for me to live in. ⁵ I haven’t lived in a house from the day I brought Israel out ⌞of Egypt⌟ to this day, but I’ve gone from tent site to tent site, moving the tent ⌞of meeting⌟ from one location ⌞to another⌟. ⁶ In all the places I’ve moved with all Israel, did I ever ask any of the judges of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’

⁷ “Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. ⁸ I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name like the names of the greatest people on earth. ⁹ I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer frighten them as they used to do ¹⁰ ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. I will crush all your enemies. I even tell you that I, the Lord, will build a house for you.

¹¹ “ ‘When the time comes for you to go and be with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants. He will be one of your sons. I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. And I will never stop showing him my love as I did to your predecessor. ¹⁴ I will place him in my royal house forever, and his throne will be established forever.’ ”

¹⁵ Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.

¹⁶ Then King David went into the tent and sat in front of the Lord. “Who am I, Lord God,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And this you consider to be a small act, God. You’ve spoken about the distant future of my house. Lord God, you’ve shown me the generation of the great man.

¹⁸ “What more can I do for you in light of the honor ⌞you have given⌟ to me and since you know me so well! ¹⁹ Lord, you’ve done this great thing for my sake and your own desire. You made this great thing known to me.

²⁰ “Lord, there is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²¹ Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make your name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced the nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt. ²² You made the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Lord, became their God.

²³ “Now, Lord, faithfully keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. ²⁴ Your name will endure and be respected forever when ⌞people⌟ say, ‘The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And the house of David, your servant, will be established in your presence. ²⁵ You, my God, have revealed especially to me that you will build me a house. That is why I have found ⌞the courage⌟ to pray to you.

²⁶ “Almighty Lord, you are God. You promised me this good thing. ²⁷ Now, you were pleased to bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Lord, have blessed it. It will be blessed forever.”

David’s Successes^(L)

18 After this, David defeated and crushed the Philistines. He took Gath and its surrounding villages from them.

² He also defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟.

³ When David went to establish his control ⌞over the territory⌟ along the Euphrates River, he defeated King Hadadezer at Hamath. ⁴ David took 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. David also disabled all but 100 of their horses so that they couldn’t pull chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans from Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ David put troops in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became his subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.

⁷ David took the gold shields that Hadadezer’s servants carried, and he brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ David also took a large quantity of bronze from Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities. (⌞Later⌟ Solomon used it to make the pool, pillars, and utensils ⌞for the temple⌟.)

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Zobah’s King Hadadezer, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer. (There had often been war between Hadadezer and Tou.) ¹¹ King David dedicated all the articles of gold, silver, and bronze to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

¹² Zeruiah’s son Abishai killed 18,000 Edomites in the Dead Sea region. ¹³ He put troops in Edom, and all its people became David’s subjects. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.

¹⁴ So David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people. ¹⁵ Zeruiah’s son Joab was in charge of the army. Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the royal historian. ¹⁶ Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Abimelech ^[k] were priests. Shavsha was the royal scribe. ¹⁷ Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons were his main officials.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram^(M)

19 Later King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun because his father Nahash showed me kindness.” So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun after his father’s ⌞death⌟. But when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to comfort Hanun, ³ the Ammonite princes asked Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Haven’t his servants come to explore, destroy, and spy on the country?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s men, shaved them, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.

⁵ After people told David ⌞what had happened⌟ to the men, he sent ⌞someone⌟ to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return ⌞to Jerusalem⌟.”

⁶ The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and horses from the Arameans in Upper Mesopotamia, Maacah, and Zobah. ⁷ They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army. They camped near Medeba. The Ammonites gathered for the battle from their cities.

⁸ After David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the elite troops. ⁹ The Ammonites formed a battle line at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the kings who had come remained by themselves in the open country.

¹⁰ When Joab saw he was under attack in front and behind, he took the select troops of Israel and organized them for combat against the Arameans. ¹¹ He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the troops. They organized for combat against the Ammonites.

¹² Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for my ⌞troops⌟, be ready to help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for your ⌞troops⌟, I’ll help you. ¹³ Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what he considers right.”

¹⁴ Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled from Joab’s brother Abishai and went into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ Realizing that Israel had defeated them, the kings sent ⌞messengers⌟ to get ⌞other⌟ Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.

¹⁷ When David was told ⌞about this⌟, he assembled Israel’s army, crossed the Jordan, and confronted them. David formed a battle line against the Arameans, and they fought him. ¹⁸ The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 foot soldiers. David also killed Shophach. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with David and became his subjects. And the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

David Defeats the Philistines^(N)

20 In the spring, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led the army ⌞to war⌟. They destroyed the Ammonites and came to Rabbah to attack it, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. ² He took the gold crown from the head of Rabbah’s king and put it on David’s head. (The crown was found to weigh 75 pounds, and in it was a precious stone.) David also took a lot of goods from the city. ³ He brought out the troops who were there and put them to work with saws, hoes, and axes.^[l] He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.

⁴ After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai from Hushah ^[m] killed Sippai, a descendant of Haraphah, and the Philistines were defeated. ⁵ When more fighting broke out with the Philistines, Elhanan, son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath. (The shaft of Lahmi’s spear was like a beam used by weavers.) ⁶ In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah. ⁷ When he challenged Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimea, killed him. ⁸ These ⌞men⌟ were the descendants of Haraphah from Gath, and David and his men killed them.

David Counts the People^(O)

21 Satan attempted to attack Israel by provoking David to count the Israelites. ² David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Bring me ⌞the results⌟ so that I may know how many ⌞people⌟ there are.”

³ Joab responded, “May the Lord multiply his people a hundred times over. But, Your Majesty, aren’t they all your servants? Why are you trying to do this? Why do you wish to make Israel guilty of ⌞this⌟ sin?”

⁴ However, the king overruled Joab. So Joab left, went throughout Israel, and returned to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab reported the census figures to David: In Israel there were 1,100,000 men who could serve in the army, and in Judah there were 470,000 who could serve in the army. ⁶ Joab didn’t include Levi and Benjamin in the number because he was disgusted with the king’s order.

⁷ God considered the census to be sinful, so he struck Israel ⌞with a plague⌟.

⁸ David said to God, “I have committed a terrible sin by doing this thing. Forgive me because I have acted very foolishly.”

⁹ The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer.^{[n] 10} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I’m offering you three choices. Choose the one you want me to do to you.’ ”

¹¹ When Gad came to David, he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your pick: ¹² either three years of famine, or three months during which your enemies will chase you away when their swords catch up to you, or three days of the Lord’s sword—a plague in the land with the Messenger of the Lord destroying the whole country of Israel.’ Decide what answer I should give the one who sent me.”

¹³ “I’m in a desperate situation,” David told Gad. “Please let me fall into the Lord’s hands because he is extremely merciful. But don’t let me fall into human hands.”

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelites died. ¹⁵ God also sent a Messenger to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was destroying it, the Lord reconsidered and changed his mind about the disaster. “Enough!” he said to the destroying Messenger. “Put down your weapon.” The Messenger of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor ^[o] of Ornan the Jebusite.

¹⁶ When David looked up, he saw the Messenger of the Lord standing between heaven and earth. The Messenger had a sword in his hand and stretched it over Jerusalem. David and the leaders were dressed in sackcloth. They bowed down with their faces touching the ground. ¹⁷ David said to God, “I’m the one who ordered the people to be counted. I am the one who sinned and did wrong. What have these sheep done? Lord my God, let your punishment be against me and my father’s family, but don’t punish your people with a plague.”

¹⁸ The Lord’s Messenger told Gad to tell David to go and set up an altar for the Lord at Ornan the Jebusite’s threshing floor. ¹⁹ David went as Gad had told him in the Lord’s name.

²⁰ Now, Ornan had turned around and seen the Messenger. Ornan’s four sons who were with him hid, but Ornan kept on threshing the wheat.

²¹ When David arrived, Ornan looked up and saw him. So he left the threshing floor and bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of David. ²² David said to Ornan, “Let me have the land this threshing floor is on. I’ll build an altar for the Lord on it. Sell it to me for the full price. Then the plague on the people will stop.”

²³ Ornan said to David, “Take it, Your Majesty, and do whatever you think is right. I’ll give you oxen for the burnt offering, threshers ^[p] for firewood, and wheat for the grain offering. I’ll give you everything.”

²⁴ “No,” King David told Ornan, “I insist on buying it for the full price. I won’t take what is yours for the Lord and offer burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.” ²⁵ So David gave Ornan 15 pounds of gold for that place.

²⁶ David built an altar for the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him by ⌞sending⌟ fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings. ²⁷ So the Lord spoke to the Messenger, and he put his sword back in its scabbard.

²⁸ At that time, when David saw the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. ²⁹ The Lord’s tent that Moses made in the desert and the altar for burnt offerings were at the worship site at Gibeon. ³⁰ However, David couldn’t go there to consult God because he was frightened by the sword of the Lord’s Messenger.

22 Then David said, “This is where the Lord God’s temple will be. Israel’s altar for burnt offerings will also be here.”

David Helps Solomon Prepare to Build the Temple

² David ordered the foreigners living in Israel to gather. He appointed some of them to cut stones to build God’s temple. ³ David prepared a large quantity of iron for nails and fittings on the doors of the gates. He also prepared so much bronze that it couldn’t be weighed. ⁴ The men of Sidon and Tyre brought David so many cedar logs that the logs couldn’t be counted.

⁵ David thought, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the temple that will be built for the Lord must be magnificent, large, famous, praised, and honored in all other countries. I’ll prepare ⌞the building materials⌟ for him.” So David prepared many materials ⌞for Solomon⌟ before he died.

⁶ He summoned his son Solomon and commanded him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. ⁷ David told his son Solomon, “I had my heart set on building a temple for the name of the Lord, my God. ⁸ But the Lord spoke his word to me by saying, ‘You have caused a lot of bloodshed and fought in a lot of wars. You must not build a temple for my name because you have caused so much bloodshed in my presence. ⁹ You will have a son who will be a peaceful man. I will give him peace from all the enemies around him. His name will be Solomon [Peace], and in his time I will give Israel peace and quiet. ¹⁰ He will build a temple for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently over Israel.’ ”

¹¹ ⌞David continued,⌟ “Now, son, the Lord will be with you. You will be successful, and you will build the temple of the Lord your God as he predicted you would. ¹² The Lord will give you insight and understanding as he commands you to take charge of Israel and to follow the Teachings of the Lord your God. ¹³ Then you will succeed if you will carefully obey the laws and decrees the Lord commanded Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or terrified.

¹⁴ “Despite my troubles I’ve made preparations for the Lord’s temple. There are 7,500,000 pounds of gold, 75,000,000 pounds of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can’t be weighed. I’ve also prepared wood and stones, and you may add to them. ¹⁵ You have many kinds of workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and men skilled in every kind of work. ¹⁶ The gold, silver, bronze, and iron are more than can be counted. So get to work! May the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷ David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. ¹⁸ ⌞David said,⌟ “Isn’t the Lord your God with you? Hasn’t he given you peace with all your neighbors? He put the people who live in this country under my power, and the country has been conquered by the Lord and his people. ¹⁹ So dedicate your hearts and lives to serving the Lord your God. Start building the holy place of the Lord God so that you can bring the ark of the Lord’s promise and God’s holy utensils into the temple that will be built for the Lord’s name.”

The Levites Are Organized to Serve in the Temple

23 When David had grown old and had lived out his years, he made his son Solomon king of Israel. ² He gathered all the officials of Israel and the priests and Levites. ³ Every male Levite who was at least 30 years old was counted. There were 38,000. ⁴ Of these, 24,000 were appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple, 6,000 were appointed to be officers and judges, ⁵ 4,000 were appointed to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 were appointed to praise the Lord with the instruments David had made for praising God. ⁶ David organized the Levites into divisions based on which of Levi’s sons (Gershon, Kohath, or Merari) they were descended from.

⁷ Ladan and Shimei were Gershon’s descendants. ⁸ Ladan had three sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel. ⁹ Shimei had three sons: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran. They were the heads of Ladan’s families. ¹⁰ Shimei’s sons were Jahath, Zina,^[q] Jeush, and Beriah. They were Shimei’s four sons. ¹¹ Jahath was the first, and Ziza was the second. Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons, so they were given an assignment as one family.

¹² Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹³ Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his sons were forever designated to dedicate the most holy things ⌞to God⌟, to offer sacrifices to the Lord, to serve him, and always give the blessing in his name. ¹⁴ The sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted with the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ Gershom’s only son was Shebuel. ¹⁷ Eliezer’s only son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many sons. ¹⁸ Izhar’s only son was Shelomith. ¹⁹ Hebron’s first son was Jeriah; his second was Amariah; his third was Jahaziel; his fourth was Jekameam. ²⁰ Uzziel’s first son was Micah; his second was Isshiah.

²¹ Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died without having any sons. He only had daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. ²³ Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

²⁴ These were Levi’s descendants, who were grouped according to their families. The heads of their families were registered by name as they were counted. Everyone who served in the Lord’s temple was at least 20 years old. ²⁵ David had said, “The Lord God of Israel has given his people rest. He will now live in Jerusalem forever. ²⁶ The Levites will no longer have to carry the tent and all the utensils used in worship.”

²⁷ David’s last instructions were to count the Levites who were at least 20 years old. ²⁸ They were appointed to stand beside Aaron’s descendants to serve in the Lord’s temple. They were appointed to be in charge of the courtyards and the temple rooms, to ensure that all the holy things were clean,^[r] and to serve in God’s temple. ²⁹ They were also responsible for the rows of bread, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread wafers, and the bread made in frying pans. In addition, they were responsible for mixing the ingredients and keeping track of all weights and measures. ³⁰ They were appointed to stand to give thanks and praise to the Lord every morning. They were appointed to do the same thing in the evening. ³¹ They were appointed to stand in front of the Lord in the required numbers whenever burnt offerings were made—on weekly days of rest—holy days, at New Moon Festivals, and on appointed annual festivals. ³² They were appointed to follow the regulations for the tent of meeting and the holy place and to help their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, as they served in the Lord’s temple.