¹⁹ Some people from the tribe of Manasseh went over to David’s side. They did this when he marched out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But David and his men didn’t help the Philistines. That’s because after all the Philistine rulers had discussed the matter, they sent him away. They said, “Suppose he deserts to his master Saul. Then our heads will be cut off!” ²⁰ So David went to Ziklag. Here are the men of Manasseh who went over to his side. They were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai. They were leaders of groups of 1,000 men in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David fight against enemy armies. All the men of Manasseh were brave fighting men. They were commanders in David’s army. ²² Day after day men came to help David. Soon he had a large army. It was like the army of God.

Other Fighting Men Join David at Hebron

²³ Large numbers of men came to David at Hebron. They were prepared for battle. They came to hand Saul’s kingdom over to him, just as the Lord had said. Here are the numbers of the men who came.

³⁸ All these fighting men offered to serve in the army.

Before they came to Hebron, they had agreed completely to make David king over all the Israelites. All the rest of the people also agreed to make David king. ³⁹ The men spent three days there with David. They ate and drank what their families had given them. ⁴⁰ Their neighbors also brought food. They brought it on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. They came from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali. There was plenty of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep. The Israelites brought all these things because they were so happy.

David Brings Back the Ark

13 David talked with each of his officers. He wanted to get their advice. Some of them were commanders of thousands of men. Others were commanders of hundreds. ² David spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, “Let’s send word to the rest of our people no matter how far away they live. They live in all the territories of Israel. Let’s also send word to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and on their grasslands. Let’s invite everyone to come and join us. Let’s do it if it seems good to you and if that’s what the Lord our God wants. ³ Let’s bring the ark of our God back here to us. We didn’t use it to ask God for advice during the whole time Saul was king.” ⁴ So that’s what the whole community agreed to do. It seemed right to them.

⁵ David gathered together all the Israelites. They came from the area between the Shihor River in Egypt and Lebo Hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem. ⁶ David went to Baalah of Judah. The whole community of Israel went with him. Baalah is also called Kiriath Jearim. All the people went there to get the ark of God the Lord. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The ark is named after the Lord.

⁷ The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was moved from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding it. ⁸ David was celebrating with all his might in front of God. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.

⁹ They came to the threshing floor of Kidon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out his hand to hold the ark steady. ¹⁰ Then the Lord became very angry with Uzzah. The Lord struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So Uzzah died there in front of God.

¹¹ David was angry because the Lord’s great anger had broken out against Uzzah. That’s why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this day.

¹² David was afraid of God that day. David asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God back here to me?” ¹³ So he didn’t take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. ¹⁴ The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom. It stayed in his house for three months. And the Lord blessed his family. He also blessed everything that belonged to him.

David’s Palace and Family

14 Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers to build a palace for David. They worked with stone and wood. ² David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that the Lord had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people.

³ In Jerusalem David married more women. He also became the father of more sons and daughters. ⁴ Here is a list of the children born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle Over the Philistines

⁸ The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over the entire nation of Israel. So the whole Philistine army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went out to where they were. ⁹ The Philistines had come and attacked the people in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ So David asked God for advice. David asked, “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

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

¹¹ So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim. There David won the battle over the Philistines. He said, “God has broken through against my enemies, just as water breaks through a dam.” That’s why the place was called Baal Perazim. ¹² The Philistines had left statues of their gods there. So David gave orders to burn them up.

¹³ Once more the Philistines attacked the people in the valley. ¹⁴ So David asked God for advice again. God answered him, “Do not go straight after them. Instead, circle around them. Attack them in front of the poplar trees. ¹⁵ Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move out to fight. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army.” ¹⁶ So David did just as God had commanded him. He and his men struck down the Philistine army. They struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.

¹⁷ So David became famous in every land. The Lord made all the nations afraid of him.

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I serve Christ Jesus. I have been appointed to be an apostle. God set me apart to tell others his good news. ² He promised the good news long ago. He announced it through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. ³ The good news is about God’s Son. He was born into the family line of King David. ⁴ By the Holy Spirit, he was appointed to be the mighty Son of God. God did this by raising him from the dead. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵ We received grace because of what Jesus did. He made us apostles to the Gentiles. We must invite all of them to obey God by trusting in Jesus. We do this to bring glory to him. ⁶ You also are among those Gentiles who are appointed to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷ I am sending this letter to all of you in Rome. You are loved by God and appointed to be his holy people.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Longs to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. People all over the world are talking about your faith. ⁹ I serve God with my whole heart. I preach the good news about his Son. God knows that I always remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers. I pray that now at last it may be God’s plan to open the way for me to visit you.

¹¹ I long to see you. I want to make you strong by giving you a gift from the Holy Spirit. ¹² I want us to encourage one another in the faith we share. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I planned many times to visit you. But until now I have been kept from coming. My work has produced results among the other Gentiles. In the same way, I want to see results among you.

¹⁴ I have a duty both to Greeks and to non-Greeks. I have a duty both to wise people and to foolish people. ¹⁵ So I really want to preach the good news also to you who live in Rome.

¹⁶ I want to preach it because I’m not ashamed of the good news. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for the Gentiles. ¹⁷ The good news shows God’s power to make people right with himself. God’s power to be made right with him is given to the person who has faith. It happens by faith from beginning to end. It is written, “The one who is right with God will live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)