Ishbaal Assassinated

4 When Ish-bo′sheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. ² Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Ba′anah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Be-er′oth (for Be-er′oth also is reckoned to Benjamin; ³ the Be-er′othites fled to Gitta′im, and have been sojourners there to this day).

⁴ Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezre′el; and his nurse took him up, and fled; and, as she fled in her haste, he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephib′osheth.

⁵ Now the sons of Rimmon the Be-er′othite, Rechab and Ba′anah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bo′sheth, as he was taking his noonday rest. ⁶ And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept; so Rechab and Ba′anah his brother slipped in.^{[a] 7} When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him. They took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night, ⁸ and brought the head of Ish-bo′sheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bo′sheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” ⁹ But David answered Rechab and Ba′anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be-er′othite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, ¹⁰ when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and slew him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bo′sheth, and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

Descendants of Reuben

5 The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but because he polluted his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright; ² though Judah became strong among his brothers and a prince was from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), ³ the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ⁴ The sons of Jo′el: Shemai′ah his son, Gog his son, Shim′e-i his son, ⁵ Micah his son, Re-a′iah his son, Ba′al his son, ⁶ Be-er′ah his son, whom Til′gath-pilne′ser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chieftain of the Reubenites. ⁷ And his kinsmen by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Je-i′el, and Zechari′ah, ⁸ and Bela the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Jo′el, who dwelt in Aro′er, as far as Nebo and Ba′al-me′on. ⁹ He also dwelt to the east as far as the entrance of the desert this side of the Euphra′tes, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. ¹⁰ And in the days of Saul they made war on the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the region east of Gilead.

Descendants of Gad

¹¹ The sons of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Bashan as far as Sal′ecah: ¹² Jo′el the chief, Shapham the second, Ja′nai, and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³ And their kinsmen according to their fathers’ houses: Michael, Meshul′lam, Sheba, Jo′rai, Jacan, Zi′a, and Eber, seven. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Ab′ihail the son of Huri, son of Jaro′ah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshish′ai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz; ¹⁵ Ahi the son of Ab′di-el, son of Guni, was chief in their fathers’ houses; ¹⁶ and they dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon to their limits. ¹⁷ All of these were enrolled by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jerobo′am king of Israel.

¹⁸ The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas′seh had valiant men, who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, ready for service. ¹⁹ They made war upon the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab; ²⁰ and when they received help against them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him. ²¹ They carried off their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and a hundred thousand men alive. ²² For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their place until the exile.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

²³ The members of the half-tribe of Manas′seh dwelt in the land; they were very numerous from Bashan to Ba′al-her′mon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher,^[a] Ishi, Eli′el, Az′riel, Jeremiah, Hodavi′ah, and Jah′di-el, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. ²⁵ But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Til′gath-pilne′ser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas′seh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

Descendants of Levi

6 ^[b] The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merar′i. ² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz′ziel. ³ The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abi′hu, Elea′zar, and Ith′amar. ⁴ Elea′zar was the father of Phin′ehas, Phin′ehas of Abishu′a, ⁵ Abishu′a of Bukki, Bukki of Uzzi, ⁶ Uzzi of Zerahi′ah, Zerahi′ah of Mera′ioth, ⁷ Mera′ioth of Amari′ah, Amari′ah of Ahi′tub, ⁸ Ahi′tub of Zadok, Zadok of Ahim′a-az, ⁹ Ahim′a-az of Azari′ah, Azari′ah of Joha′nan, ¹⁰ and Joha′nan of Azari′ah (it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). ¹¹ Azari′ah was the father of Amari′ah, Amari′ah of Ahi′tub, ¹² Ahi′tub of Zadok, Zadok of Shallum, ¹³ Shallum of Hilki′ah, Hilki′ah of Azari′ah, ¹⁴ Azari′ah of Sera′iah, Sera′iah of Jeho′zadak; ¹⁵ and Jeho′zadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnez′zar.

^16 [c] The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merar′i. ¹⁷ And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shim′e-i. ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz′ziel. ¹⁹ The sons of Merar′i: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. ²⁰ Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹ Jo′ah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Je-ath′erai his son. ²² The sons of Kohath: Ammin′adab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³ Elka′nah his son, Ebi′asaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴ Tahath his son, U′riel his son, Uzzi′ah his son, and Sha′ul his son. ²⁵ The sons of Elka′nah: Ama′sai and Ahi′moth, ²⁶ Elka′nah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷ Eli′ab his son, Jero′ham his son, Elka′nah his son. ²⁸ The sons of Samuel: Jo′el^[d] his first-born, the second Abi′jah.^{[e] 29} The sons of Merar′i: Mahli, Libni his son, Shim′e-i his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰ Shim′e-a his son, Haggi′ah his son, and Asa′iah his son.

Musicians Appointed by David

³¹ These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark rested there. ³² They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they performed their service in due order. ³³ These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Ko′hathites: Heman the singer the son of Jo′el, son of Samuel, ³⁴ son of Elka′nah, son of Jero′ham, son of Eli′el, son of To′ah, ³⁵ son of Zuph, son of Elka′nah, son of Mahath, son of Ama′sai, ³⁶ son of Elka′nah, son of Jo′el, son of Azari′ah, son of Zephani′ah, ³⁷ son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebi′asaph, son of Korah, ³⁸ son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; ³⁹ and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechi′ah, son of Shim′e-a, ⁴⁰ son of Michael, son of Ba-ase′iah, son of Malchi′jah, ⁴¹ son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Ada′iah, ⁴² son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shim′e-i, ⁴³ son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. ⁴⁴ On the left hand were their brethren the sons of Merar′i: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ⁴⁵ son of Hashabi′ah, son of Amazi′ah, son of Hilki′ah, ⁴⁶ son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, ⁴⁷ son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merar′i, son of Levi; ⁴⁸ and their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons made offerings upon the altar of burnt offering and upon the altar of incense for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. ⁵⁰ These are the sons of Aaron: Elea′zar his son, Phin′ehas his son, Abishu′a his son, ⁵¹ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahi′ah his son, ⁵² Mera′ioth his son, Amari′ah his son, Ahi′tub his son, ⁵³ Zadok his son, Ahim′a-az his son.

Settlements of the Levites

⁵⁴ These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the families of Ko′hathites, for theirs was the lot, ⁵⁵ to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasture lands, ⁵⁶ but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephun′neh. ⁵⁷ To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemo′a with its pasture lands, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth-she′mesh with its pasture lands; ⁶⁰ and from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Al′emeth with its pasture lands, and An′athoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen.

⁶¹ To the rest of the Ko′hathites were given by lot out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manas′seh, ten cities. ⁶² To the Gershomites according to their families were allotted thirteen cities out of the tribes of Is′sachar, Asher, Naph′tali, and Manas′seh in Bashan. ⁶³ To the Merar′ites according to their families were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zeb′ulun. ⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. ⁶⁵ They also gave them by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities which are mentioned by name.

⁶⁶ And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory out of the tribe of E′phraim. ⁶⁷ They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of E′phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, ⁶⁸ Jok′me-am with its pasture lands, Beth-hor′on with its pasture lands, ⁶⁹ Ai′jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim′mon with its pasture lands, ⁷⁰ and out of the half-tribe of Manas′seh, Aner with its pasture lands, and Bil′e-am with its pasture lands, for the rest of the families of the Ko′hathites.

⁷¹ To the Gershomites were given out of the half-tribe of Manas′seh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ash′taroth with its pasture lands; ⁷² and out of the tribe of Is′sachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Dab′erath with its pasture lands, ⁷³ Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands; ⁷⁴ out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; ⁷⁶ and out of the tribe of Naph′tali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Ham′mon with its pasture lands, and Kiriatha′im with its pasture lands. ⁷⁷ To the rest of the Merar′ites were allotted out of the tribe of Zeb′ulun: Rim′mono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands, ⁷⁸ and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the steppe with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, ⁷⁹ Ked′emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph′a-ath with its pasture lands; ⁸⁰ and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahana′im with its pasture lands, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.

Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness

A Psalm of David.