Bible in 90 Days
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.
12 These are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he yet concealed himself because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.
2 They were bowmen and could use the right hand or the left to sling stones or shoot arrows from the bow; they were of Saul’s kinsmen of Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahiezer and then Joash the sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, and Jehu of Anathoth,
4 Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the Thirty and a [leader] over them; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah,
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
7 Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 Of the Gadites there went over to David to the stronghold in the wilderness men of might, men trained for war who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains:
9 Ezer the chief, 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, Machbannai the eleventh.
14 These Gadites were officers of the army. The lesser was equal to and over a hundred, and the greater equal to and over a thousand.
15 These are the men who went over the Jordan in the first month when it had overflowed all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, east and west.
16 There came some of the men of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold to David.
17 David went out to meet them and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no violence or wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look upon and rebuke you.
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Yours we are, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse! Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers, for your God helps you. Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.
19 Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. But [David’s] men did not actually fight with them, for the lords of the Philistines, upon advisement, sent him away, saying, He will desert to his master Saul at the risk of our heads.(F)
20 As David went to Ziklag, there deserted to him of Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.
21 They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of courage, and [all seven] became commanders in [his] army.
22 For at that time day by day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.
23 These are the numbers of the armed divisions who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord:
24 Those of Judah, who bore shield and spear, were 6,800 armed for war;
25 Those of Simeon, mighty and brave warriors, 7,100;
26 Those of Levi, 4,600—
27 Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronite [priests], and with him were 3,700,
28 And Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two captains from his own father’s house;
29 Of the Benjamites, the kindred of [King] Saul, 3,000—hitherto the majority of them had kept their allegiance [to Saul] and the charge of the house of Saul;
30 Of the Ephraimites, 20,800, mighty in valor, famous in their fathers’ houses;
31 Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were mentioned by name to come and make David king;
32 And of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs; and all their kinsmen were under their command;
33 Of Zebulun, 50,000 experienced troops, fitted out with all kinds of weapons and instruments of war that could order and set the battle in array, men not of double purpose but stable and trustworthy.
34 Of Naphtali, 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 [of the rank and file armed] with shield and spear;
35 Of Dan, 28,600, men who could set the battle in array;
36 Of Asher, men able to go forth to battle, fit for active service, 40,000;
37 On the other [the east] side of the Jordan River, of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 men, armed with all the weapons and instruments of war.
38 All these, being men of war arrayed in battle order, came with a perfect and sincere heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.
39 And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
40 Also those who were near them from as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, abundant supplies of meal, cakes of figs, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
13 David consulted the captains of thousands and hundreds, even with every leader.
2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, If it seems good to you and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send abroad everywhere to our brethren who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in their cities that have suburbs and pasturelands, that they may gather together with us.
3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it during the days of Saul.
4 And all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor, the brook of Egypt [that marked the southeast border of Palestine], to the entrance of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, which is called by the name of Him Who sits [enthroned] above the cherubim.
7 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio [his brother] drove the cart.
8 And David and all Israel merrily celebrated before God with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.
9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] stumbled and were restive.
10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him because he touched the ark; and there he died before God.(G)
11 And David was offended because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzza; that place to this day is called Perez-uzza [the breaking forth upon Uzza].
12 And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, How can I bring the ark of God home to me?
13 So David did not bring the ark home to the City of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite [a Levitical porter born in Gath-rimmon].(H)
14 And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had.
14 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar timbers, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.
2 And David perceived that the Lord had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted highly for His people Israel’s sake.
3 And David took more wives to Jerusalem, and [he] became the father of more sons and daughters.
4 Now these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8 And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, [they] all went up to seek David. And [he] heard of it and went out before them.
9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim.
10 David asked God, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said, Go up, and I will deliver them into your hand.
11 So [Israel] came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote [the Philistines] there. Then David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the bursting forth of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through].
12 [The Philistines] left their gods there; David commanded and they were burned.
13 And the Philistines again made a raid in the valley.
14 And David inquired again of God, and God said to him, Do not go up after them; turn away from them and come [around] upon them over opposite the mulberry trees.
15 And when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry or balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to smite the Philistine host.
16 So David did as God commanded him, and they smote the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.
17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.
15 David made for himself houses in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
2 Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.
3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
5 Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 kinsmen;
6 Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 kinsmen;
7 Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 kinsmen;
8 Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 kinsmen;
9 Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 kinsmen;
10 Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 kinsmen.
11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites—Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,
12 And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.
13 For because you bore it not [as God directed] at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us—because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained.(I)
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15 The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord.
16 David told the chief Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and lift up their voices with joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
18 And with them their brethren of the second class: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and also the gatekeepers, Obed-edom and Jeiel.
19 So the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound bronze cymbals;
20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps [resembling guitars] set to Alamoth [probably the treble voice];
21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith [the bass voice].
22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in singing, was put in charge of carrying the ark and lifting up song. He instructed about these matters because he was skilled and able.
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.
24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.
26 And when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord [with a safe start], they offered seven bulls and seven rams.
27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, director of the music of the singers. David also wore an ephod [a priestly upper garment] of linen.
28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, sound of the cornet, trumpets, and cymbals, sounding aloud with harps and lyres.
29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal [David’s wife] daughter of Saul, looking from a window, saw King David leaping as in sport, and she despised him in her heart.
16 So they brought the ark of God and set it in the midst of the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
3 And he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.
4 He appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to celebrate [by calling to mind], thanking and praising the Lord, the God of Israel:
5 Asaph was the chief, next to him Zechariah, Jeiel (Jaaziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, and Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals;
6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David first entrusted to Asaph and his brethren the singing of thanks to the Lord [as their chief task]:
8 O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them!
10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!
12 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered [as in Egypt],
13 O you offspring of [Abraham and] of Israel His servants, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Be mindful of His covenant forever, the promise which He commanded and established to a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His sworn promise to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it as a statute to Jacob, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,(J)
18 Saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan, the measured portion of your possession and inheritance.
19 When they were but few, even a very few, and only temporary residents and strangers in it,
20 When they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people,
21 He allowed no man to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings for their sakes,(K)
22 Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm.(L)
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation.
24 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He also is to be [reverently] feared above all so-called gods.
26 For all the gods of the people are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength,
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and in holy array.
30 Tremble and reverently fear before Him, all the earth’s peoples; the world also shall be established, so it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigns!
32 Let the sea roar, and all the things that fill it; let the fields rejoice, and all that is in them.
33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge and govern the earth.
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
35 And say, Save us, O God of our salvation; gather us together and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, forever and ever! And all the people said Amen! and praised the Lord.
37 So David left Asaph and his brethren before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually, as each day’s work required,
38 And Obed-edom with [his] sixty-eight kinsmen. Also Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.
39 And David left Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon
40 To offer burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of burnt offering continually, morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel.
41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
42 With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and instruments for accompanying the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.
43 Then all the people departed, each man to his house, and David returned home to bless his household.
17 As David sat in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remains under tent curtains.
2 Then Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.
3 And that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
4 Go and tell David My servant, Thus says the Lord: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in,
5 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel from Egypt until this day; but I have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
6 Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I say a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?
7 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel.
8 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make your name like the name of the great ones of the earth.
9 Also I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first,
10 Since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Moreover, I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore, I foretell to you that the Lord will build you a house (a blessed posterity).
11 And it shall come to pass that when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.(M)
13 I will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy and steadfast love away from him, as I took it from him [King Saul] who was before you.(N)
14 But I will settle [a]him (Him) in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his (His) throne shall be established forevermore.(O)
15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
16 And David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house and family, that You have brought me up to this?
17 And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; for You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God!
18 What more can David say to You for thus honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant.
19 O Lord, for Your servant’s sake and in accord with Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things.
20 O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God beside You, according to all that our ears have heard.
21 And what nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to Himself as a people, making Yourself a name by great and terrible things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?
22 You made Your people Israel Your own forever, and You, Lord, became their God.
23 Therefore now, Lord, let the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever, and do as You have said.
24 Let it be established and let Your name [and the character that name denotes] be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God; and the house of David Your servant will be established before You.
25 For You, O my God, have told Your servant that You will build for him a house (a blessed posterity); therefore Your servant has found courage and confidence to pray before You.
26 And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant.
27 Therefore may it please You to bless the house (posterity) of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for what You bless, O Lord, is blessed forever.
18 After this, David smote and subdued the Philistines, and took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 He smote Moab, and the Moabites became David’s servants and brought tribute.
3 Also David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah toward Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
4 David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough for 100 chariots.
5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians 22,000 men.
6 Then David put garrisons in Syria, [whose capital was] Damascus; the Syrians became David’s servants and brought tribute. Thus the Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went.
7 David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Likewise from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought very much bronze, with which Solomon later made the bronze laver, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.
9 When Tou king of Hamath heard how David had defeated all the hosts of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
10 He sent Hadoram his son to King David to salute him and to congratulate him because he had fought and defeated Hadadezer, for Hadadezer had had wars with Tou. And Hadoram brought with him all manner of vessels of gold, silver, and bronze.
11 King David dedicated them also to the Lord, with the silver and the gold he brought from all these nations: Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites.
12 Also Abishai son of Zeruiah slew 18,000 of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
13 He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel and executed judgment and justice among all his people.
15 Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] was over the army; and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were the priests; and Shavsha was secretary [of state];
17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over [David’s bodyguards] the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chiefs next to the king.
19 After this, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father’s death. So the servants of David came into the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun.
3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Do you think that David has sent comforters to you because he honors your father? Have his servants not come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle near their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When David was told how the men were served, he sent to meet them, for [they] were greatly shamed and embarrassed. The king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return.
6 When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves hateful to David, Hanun and [his people] sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Aram-maacah and Zobah.
7 So they hired 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and pitched before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered from their cities and came to battle.
8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty men.
9 And the Ammonites came out and lined up in battle array before the entrance of the city [Medeba], and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.
11 The rest of the soldiers he delivered to Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites.
12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you.
13 Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves courageously for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.
14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him.
15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered into the city [Medeba]. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head.
17 It was told to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and drew up his army against them. So when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians 7,000 men in chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and killed Shophach the commander of the army.
19 When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him; nor would the Syrians any longer help the Ammonites.
20 After the end of the year, when kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. Joab smote Rabbah and overthrew it.
2 David took their king’s crown from off his head and found that it weighed a talent of gold and that precious stones were in it. It was set upon David’s head. He brought also very much spoil out of the city of Rabbah.
3 He brought out the people who were in it and set them at cutting with saws, iron wedges, and axes. So David dealt with all the Ammonite cities. And David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant, and they were subdued.
5 There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and each foot. He also was born to the giant.
7 And when he reproached and defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, slew him.
8 These were born to the giant [clan] in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.
21 Satan [an adversary] stood up against Israel and stirred up David to number Israel.
2 David said to Joab and the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me the total, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, May the Lord multiply His people a hundred times! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this? Why will he bring guilt upon Israel?
4 But the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 Joab gave the total number of the people to David. And all of Israel were 1,100,000 who drew the sword, and of Judah 470,000 who drew the sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin he did not include among them, for the king’s order was detestable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this [reliance on human resources], and He smote Israel.
8 And David said to God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. But now, I beseech You, take away the hateful wickedness of Your servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the Lord said to Gad, David’s seer,
10 Go and tell David, Thus says the Lord: I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.
11 So Gad came to David and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Take which one you will:
12 Either three years of famine, or three months of devastation before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him Who sent me.
13 And David said to Gad, I am in great and distressing perplexity; let me fall, I pray you, into the hands of the Lord, for very great and many are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hands of man.
14 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 70,000 men.
15 God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and He regretted and relented of the evil and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and the heavens, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said to God, Is it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is I who has sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father’s house, but not on Your people, that they should be plagued.
18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 So David went up at Gad’s word, which he spoke in the name of the Lord.
20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat, and he turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons hid themselves.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw him, and went out from the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, that the plague may be averted from the people.
23 Ornan said to David, Take it; and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. I give you the oxen also for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.
24 And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will pay the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings which cost me nothing.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the site 600 shekels of gold by weight.
26 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the Lord; and He answered him by fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 Then the Lord commanded the [avenging] angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
28 When David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
22 Then David said, Here shall be the house of the Lord God, and here the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
2 David commanded to gather together the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God.
3 David prepared iron in abundance for nails for the doors of the gates and for the couplings, and bronze in abundance without weighing,
4 Also cedar trees without number, for the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar timber to David.
5 David said, Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 David said to Solomon, My son, it was in my heart to build a house to the [b]Name and [for the symbol of] the Presence of the Lord my God.
8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
9 Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon [peaceable], and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.(P)
10 He shall build a house for My Name and [the symbol of My] Presence. He shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever.
11 Now, my son, the Lord be with and prosper you in building the house of the Lord your God, as He has spoken concerning you.
12 Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding as you are put in charge of Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.
13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to keep and fulfill the statutes and ordinances with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.
14 In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them.
15 You have workmen in abundance: hewers, workers of stone and timber, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skillful in doing every kind of work
16 With gold, silver, bronze, and iron. So arise and be doing, and the Lord be with you!
17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
18 Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you peace on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and His people.
19 Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house built to the Name and renown of the Lord.
23 When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.
3 The Levites thirty years old and upward numbered, man by man, 38,000,
4 Of whom [c]24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord and 6,000 were to be officers and judges.
5 And, said David, 4,000 shall be gatekeepers and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments which I made for praise.
6 And David organized them in sections according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Of the Gershonites: Ladan (Libni) and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan.
10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina (Zizah), Jeush, and Beriah. Of these four sons of Shimei,
11 Jahath was chief and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons [not enough for a father’s house or clan]; so they were counted together as one father’s house.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy and to consecrate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever might burn incense before the Lord, minister to Him, and bless in His name [and the character which that name denotes] forever.
14 But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The son of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.
17 The son of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah’s sons were very many.
18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the chief.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, and their kinsmen, sons of Kish, took them as wives.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.
24 These were the Levites by their fathers’ houses, the heads of the fathers’ houses of those registered, according to the number of names of the individuals who were the servants of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward.
25 For David said, The Lord, the God of Israel has given peace and rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever.
26 So the Levites no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.
27 For by the last words and acts of David, these were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and above.
28 But their duty should be to wait on [the priests] the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, caring for the courts, the chambers, the cleansing of all holy things, and any work of the service of God’s house,
29 For the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a cereal offering, whether of unleavened wafers or of what is baked on the griddle or soaked [in oil], and for all measuring of amount and size [as the Law of Moses required].
30 They are also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening,
31 And to assist in offering all burnt sacrifices to the Lord on Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and set feast days by number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord.
32 So they shall keep charge of the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place and shall attend to the sons of Aaron their kinsmen, for the service of the house of the Lord.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation