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These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah.
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But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
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So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands.
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And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:
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And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people.
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In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’”
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Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon,
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All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
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And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
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And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord
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David's Song of Thanks
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
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For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
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Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
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Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
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In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
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Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel,
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Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”
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And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
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But Joab said, “May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?”
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And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword.
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And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.”
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“Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people.
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For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.
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Military Divisions
This is the number of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers' houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went, month after month throughout the year, each division numbering 24,000:
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Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.
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And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.”
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Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
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“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
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I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
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O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.