Beginning
9 So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their unfaithfulness to God.
2 Now the first [of the returned exiles] to dwell again in their possessions in the cities of Israel were the priests, Levites, and the Nethinim [the temple servants].
3 In Jerusalem dwelt some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh:
4 Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Pharez son of Judah.
5 Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.
6 Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen, 690.
7 Of the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;
8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 And their kinsmen, according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers’ houses according to their fathers’ houses.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin;
11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief officer of God’s house;
12 And Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Massai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 And their kinsmen, heads of their fathers’ houses, 1,760—very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites [near Jerusalem].
17 The gatekeepers were: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen, Shallum being the chief
18 Who hitherto was assigned to the king’s east side gate. They were the gatekeepers of the camp of the Levites.
19 Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the Tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance.
20 Phinehas son of Eleazar was ruler over them in times past, and the Lord was with him.
21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
22 All these chosen to be keepers at the thresholds were 212. These were enrolled by their genealogies in their villages [around Jerusalem], these men [whose grandfathers] David and Samuel the seer had established to their office of trust.
23 So they and their sons had oversight of the gates of the Lord’s house, that is, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.
24 The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides [of the house of the Lord]—on the east, west, north, and south.
25 Their brethren in their villages were to come in every seven days to be with them.
26 But these Levites, the four chief gatekeepers, were in charge of the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
27 They lodged round about God’s house, for the duty [of watching] was theirs, as well as the opening of the house every morning.
28 Some of them had charge of the serving utensils, being required to count them when they brought them in or took them out.
29 Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the sacred utensils, as well as over the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices.
30 Other sons of the priests prepared the ointment of spices.
31 Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for the things baked in pans.
32 Of their Kohathite kinsmen, some were to prepare the showbread every Sabbath.
33 These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, dwelling in the temple chambers, free from other service because they were on duty day and night.
34 These were heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites, according to their generations, chief men, who lived in Jerusalem.
35 In Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife’s name was Maacah,
36 His firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,
37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They also dwelt beside their brethren, opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem.
39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of [King] Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40 The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (Mephibosheth); Merib-baal was the father of Micah.
41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.
42 Ahaz was the father of Jarah, and Jarah of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri was the father of Moza,
43 Moza of Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.
10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed close after Saul and his sons and overtook them, and the Philistines slew Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the battle raged about Saul, and the archers found and wounded him.
4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse and make sport of me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died.
6 So Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together.
7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 They stripped [Saul] and took his head and his armor, and sent [them] round about in Philistia to carry the news to their idols and to the people.
10 And they put [Saul’s] armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 All the brave men arose, took away the bodies of Saul and his sons, brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh; then they fasted seven days.(A)
13 So Saul died for his trespass against the Lord [in sparing Amalek], for his unfaithfulness in not keeping God’s word, and also for consulting [a medium with] a spirit of the dead to inquire pleadingly of it,
14 And inquired not so of the Lord [in earnest penitence]. Therefore the Lord slew him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.(B)
11 Then [after the death of Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, who ruled over eleven tribes of Israel for two troubled years after Saul’s death] all Israel gathered at Hebron and said to David, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.(C)
2 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 and leader over [them].
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them there before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel.(D)
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is Jebus, where the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were.
5 Then the Jebusites said to David, You shall not come in here! But David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David.
6 And David said, Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander. Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] went up first, and so he was made chief.
7 David dwelt in the stronghold; so it was called the City of David.
8 He built the city from the Millo [a fortification] on around; and Joab repaired and revived the rest of the [old Jebusite] city.
9 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.
10 Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number [thirty, and list] of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the Thirty [captains]. He lifted up his spear against 300, whom he slew at one time.
12 Next to him in rank was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.
13 He was with David at Pas-dammim [where David had long before slain Goliath], and there the Philistines were gathered for battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley or lentils; and the men [of Israel] fled before the Philistines.
14 And Eleazar [one of the Three] stood in the midst of that plot and defended it and slew the Philistines [until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword], and the Lord saved by a great victory and deliverance.(E)
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, and the army of the Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
16 David was then in the stronghold, and the Philistines’ garrison was in Bethlehem.
17 And David longingly said, Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!
18 Then the Three [mighty men] broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; he poured it out to the Lord,
19 And said, My God forbid that I should do this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it. So he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. For he lifted up his spear against 300 and slew them, and was named among the Three.
21 Of the Three [in the second rank] he was more renowned than the two, and became their captain; however, he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, whose father was a valiant man of Kabzeel, had done mighty deeds. He slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab. Also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in time of snow.
23 He slew an Egyptian also, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian held a spear like a weaver’s beam, and [Benaiah] went to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and slew him with the man’s own spear.
24 These things did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.
25 He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the rank of the first three. David put him over his guard and council.
26 Also the mighty men of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled son of Baanah of Netophah,
31 Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah of Pirathon,
32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba of Shaalbon,
34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister],
40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite [Bathsheba’s husband], Zabad son of Ahlai,
42 Adina son of Shiza, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty heroes with him,
43 Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45 Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation