Beginning
12 These are the men who came to David at Ziklag, when he was a fugitive from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who helped him wage war.
2 Among them were relatives of Saul from Benjamin, who were able to use bow and arrow and to sling stones right-handed or left-handed.
3 Their leader was Ahiezer along with Joash, sons of Shema’ah the Gibeathite,
Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth,
Berakah and Jehu the Anathothite,
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a powerful warrior among the Thirty and over the Thirty,
Jeremiah and Jahaziel and Johanan and Jozabad the Gederathite,[a]
5 Eluzai and Jerimoth and Bealiah
and Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite,
6 Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korathites,
7 Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some men from Gad defected and went to David at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were powerful warriors, military men, skilled for war with shield and spear, with faces like lions and with speed like gazelles on the mountains.
9 Ezer the head, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Makbannai the eleventh.
14 These men from Gad were leaders of the army. The less capable were leaders for a hundred, the more capable for a thousand.[b] 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month[c] when it was overflowing all its banks. They forced those living in the valleys to the east and the west to flee.
16 Men also came from Benjamin and Judah to David at the stronghold. 17 David went out to meet with them and said to them, “If you have come to me with peaceful intentions to help me, my heart will be one with yours. But if you come to betray me to my enemies, even though there is no violence in my hands, the God of our fathers will see and judge.”
18 A spirit[d] came upon[e] Amazai, head of the Thirty. He said, “We are yours, David, and we are with you, son of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and peace to those helping you, for your God helps you.” David received them and made them leaders of the troops.
19 Men from Manasseh deserted to David when he came along with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. These men did not help the Philistines, because the serens[f] of the Philistines decided to send David away, because they thought, “He will desert to his master Saul with our heads.”
20 When he went to Ziklag, men from Manasseh deserted to David. They were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of groups of a thousand which belonged to Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the bands of raiders, because all of them were powerful warriors and commanders in the army.
22 Every day men kept coming to David to help him, until the army became great, like an army of God. 23 The following are the numbers of the troops equipped for war who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him according to the word of the Lord:
24 from the descendants of Judah, bearing shields and spears, 6,800 equipped for war,
25 from the descendants of Simeon, powerful warriors, 7,100 equipped for war,
26 from the descendants of Levi, 4,600, 27 and[g] Jehoiada the tribal ruler for Aaron, who had with him 3,700; 28 also Zadok, a powerful young warrior, and from the house of his father 22 commanders,
29 from the descendants of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, 3,000 (until then the majority of them had been keeping their connection with the house of Saul),
30 from the descendants of Ephraim, 20,800 powerful warriors, men who had earned a name for themselves in the house of their fathers,
31 from the half tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 who were designated by name to come and make David king,
32 from the descendants of Issachar, men who understood the times and what Israel should do, 200 leaders and all their relatives under their command,
33 from Zebulun, 50,000 men qualified to serve in the army, ready to line up for battle with all kinds of weapons for battle and with undivided allegiance,
34 from Naphtali, 1,000 commanders and with them 37,000 men with shields and spears,
35 from the Danites, 28,600 men ready to line up for battle,
36 from Asher, 40,000 men qualified to serve in the army, ready to line up for battle,
37 and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, with all the weapons of an army ready for battle, 120,000 men.
38 All these soldiers, organized for battle, totally committed, came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel also was totally committed to make David king. 39 They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, because their fellow citizens[h] had prepared provisions for them. 40 Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, including provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, oxen, and sheep in abundance, because there was joy in Israel.
The Attempt to Bring the Ark to Jerusalem
13 David consulted with the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader. 2 David said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and receives approval from the Lord our God, we should send word everywhere to our brothers who remain in the whole land of Israel and get together with them. We will also send word to the priests and to the Levites in their cities with their pasturelands that they should assemble with us. 3 We will bring the Ark of our God back to us, because we did not seek it during the days of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do it because it was the right thing to do in the view of all the people. 5 David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River in Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,[i] to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.
6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah in Judah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) to bring up the ark from there, the Ark of God the Lord, who is seated above the cherubim and who is called by the Name.[j] 7 They transported God’s ark on a new cart from the house of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio[k] were leading the cart. 8 David and all Israel were celebrating enthusiastically before God with songs, lyres, harps, hand drums, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon,[l] Uzzah reached out to grab the ark because the oxen stumbled. 10 The anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and the Lord struck him down because Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark. He died there in the presence of God. 11 David was angry because the Lord had burst out against Uzzah. That place is called Perez Uzzah[m] to this day. 12 David was afraid of God on that day. He said, “How can I bring the Ark of God to me?”
13 David did not take the ark along with him into the City of David. He set it aside in the house of Obed Edom the Gittite. 14 The Ark of God stayed in the house of Obed Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obed Edom and all that belonged to him.
Events of David’s Reign
14 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2 David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel because his kingdom had been lifted high for the sake of his people Israel.
3 David took wives in Jerusalem and fathered sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Be’eliada, and Eliphelet.
David Defeats the Philistines
8 The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel. So all the Philistines went up to search for David. David heard about it and went out to face them. 9 The Philistines came and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 David asked God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?”
The Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. David said, “By my hand God has broken through my enemies like a wall of water.” That is why they named that place Baal Perazim.[n] 12 The Philistines abandoned their gods there. David gave the order, and they were burned with fire.
13 The Philistines made another raid in the valley. 14 David again consulted God. God said to him, “Do not go directly at them. Go around them and come to them in the area of the balsam trees.[o] 15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, you are to go out in battle, because God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 16 David did what God had commanded him, and they struck the army of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.
17 David’s reputation spread into all the lands. The Lord caused all the nations to be terrified.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.