¹⁸ All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites^(A) and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

¹⁸ Benaiah^(A) son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites^(B) and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.^[a]

¹⁷ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;^(A) and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

³⁸ So Zadok^(A) the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites^(B) and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.^(C)

David’s Officials

²³ Joab^(A) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;

⁷ So Joab’s men and the Kerethites^(A) and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,^(A) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.^(B) And we burned^(C) Ziklag.”

² David sent out his troops,^(A) a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai^(B) son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai^(C) the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”

¹⁹ The king said to Ittai^(A) the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner,^(B) an exile from your homeland. ²⁰ You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander^(C) about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”^[a](D)

²¹ But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”^(E)

²² David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.