¹⁹ Some of the men of Manas′seh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.”) ²⁰ As he went to Ziklag these men of Manas′seh deserted to him: Adnah, Jo′zabad, Jedi′a-el, Michael, Jo′zabad, Eli′hu, and Zil′lethai, chiefs of thousands in Manas′seh. ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders;^[a] for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army. ²² For from day to day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.

David’s Army at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops, who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴ The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred armed troops. ²⁵ Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand one hundred. ²⁶ Of the Levites four thousand six hundred. ²⁷ The prince Jehoi′ada, of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred. ²⁸ Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers’ house. ²⁹ Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had hitherto kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the E′phraimites twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manas′seh eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king. ³² Of Is′sachar men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³ Of Zeb′ulun fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David^[b] with singleness of purpose. ³⁴ Of Naph′tali a thousand commanders with whom were thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites twenty-eight thousand six hundred men equipped for battle. ³⁶ Of Asher forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle. ³⁷ Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas′seh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with all the weapons of war.

³⁸ All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. ³⁹ And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰ And also their neighbors, from as far as Is′sachar and Zeb′ulun and Naph′tali, came bringing food on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

The Ark Brought from Kiriath-jearim

13 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. ² And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. ³ Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we neglected it in the days of Saul.” ⁴ All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kir′iath-je′arim. ⁶ And David and all Israel went up to Ba′alah, that is, to Kir′iath-je′arim which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim. ⁷ And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, from the house of Abin′adab, and Uzzah and Ahi′o^[c] were driving the cart. ⁸ And David and all Israel were making merry before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

⁹ And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and he smote him because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. ¹¹ And David was angry because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe′rez-uz′za^[d] to this day. ¹² And David was afraid of God that day; and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” ¹³ So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of O′bed-e′dom the Gittite. ¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the household of O′bed-e′dom in his house three months; and the Lord blessed the household of O′bed-e′dom and all that he had.

David Established at Jerusalem

14 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. ² And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

³ And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammu′a, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Eli′shu-a, El′pelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhi′a, ⁷ Elish′ama, Beeli′ada, and Eliph′elet.

Defeat of the Philistines

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Reph′aim. ¹⁰ And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” ¹¹ And he went up to Ba′al-pera′zim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through^[e] my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Ba′al-pera′zim.^{[f] 12} And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

¹³ And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴ And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. ¹⁵ And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines.” ¹⁶ And David did as God commanded him, and they smote the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷ And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

Salutation

1 Paul, a servant^[a] of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, ³ the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶ including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;

⁷ To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, ¹⁰ asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I want you to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish: ¹⁵ so I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The Power of the Gospel

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.”^[b]