Bible in 90 Days
Saul’s Death
10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines stayed right on the heels of[a] Saul and his sons. They[b] struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 The battle was thick[c] around Saul; the archers spotted him and wounded him.[d] 4 Saul told his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it. Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me.”[e] But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the 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 and his three sons died; his whole household[f] died together. 7 When all the Israelites who were in the valley saw that the army[g] had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped his corpse, and then carried off his head and his armor. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines proclaiming the news to their idols and their people. 10 They placed his armor in the temple of their gods[h] and hung his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 When all the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the warriors went and recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons[i] and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their remains[j] under the oak tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.
13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.[k] 14 He did not seek the Lord’s guidance, so the Lord[l] killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.
David Becomes King
11 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood![m] 2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general.[n] The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’” 3 When all the leaders[o] of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s message that came through Samuel.[p]
David Conquers Jerusalem
4 David and the whole Israelite army[q] advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus).[r] (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.)[s] 5 The residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot invade this place!” But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 [t] David said, “Whoever attacks[u] the Jebusites first will become commanding general!”[v] So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked[w] first and became commander.[x] 7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls;[y] Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.[z]
David’s Warriors
10 These were the leaders of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, stood courageously with him in his kingdom by installing him as king, in keeping with the Lord’s message concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:[aa]
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers.[ab] He killed 300 men with his spear in a single battle.[ac]
12 Next in command[ad] was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors. 13 He was with David in Pas Dammim[ae] when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines, 14 but then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it[af] and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.[ag]
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink[ah] from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 18 So the three elite warriors[ai] broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this![aj] Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”[ak] Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.[al]
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three[am] elite warriors. He killed 300 men with his spear[an] and gained fame along with the three elite warriors.[ao] 21 From[ap] the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.[aq]
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab;[ar] he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 23 He even killed an Egyptian who was 7½ feet[as] tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attacked[at] him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 25 He received honor from[au] the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
26 The mighty warriors were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite,[av]
Helez the Pelonite,[aw]
28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibbekai[ax] the Hushathite,
Ilai[ay] the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai[az] son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai[ba] from the valleys of Gaash,
Abiel[bb] the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,[bc]
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem[bd] the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shageh[be] the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sakar[bf] the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,[bg]
36 Hepher the Mekerathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro[bh] the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan,[bi]
Mibhar son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad son of Achli,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him,
43 Hanan son of Maacah,
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,
and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,
and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel,
and Obed,
and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Warriors Who Joined David at Ziklag
12 These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished[bj] from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle. 2 They were armed with bows and could shoot arrows or sling stones right or left-handed. They were fellow tribesmen of Saul from Benjamin.[bk]) These were:[bl]
3 Ahiezer, the leader, and Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, Jehu the Anathothite,
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, one of the thirty warriors and their leader, (12:5)[bm] Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,
5 (12:6) Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites,
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills.[bn] 9 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second in command, 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 Machbannai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand.[bo] 15 They crossed the Jordan River[bp] in the first month,[bq] when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west.[br]
16 Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said,[bs] “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you.[bt] But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you,[bu] may the God of our ancestors[bv] take notice and judge!” 18 But a spirit[bw] empowered[bx] Amasai, the leader of the group of warriors known as the Thirty, and he said:[by]
“We are yours, O David!
We support[bz] you, O son of Jesse!
May you greatly prosper.[ca]
May those who help you prosper.[cb]
Indeed[cc] your God helps you!”
So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.
19 Some men from Manasseh joined[cd] David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying, “It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.”)[ce] 20 When David[cf] went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of 1,000 soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh. 21 They helped David fight against raiding bands, for all of them were warriors and leaders in the army. 22 Each day men came to help David until his army became very large.[cg]
Support for David in Hebron
23 The following is a record of the armed warriors who came with their leaders and joined David in Hebron in order to make David king in Saul’s place, in accordance with the Lord’s decree:[ch]
24 From Judah came 6,800 trained warriors carrying shields and spears.[ci]
25 From Simeon there were 7,100 warriors.
26 From Levi there were 4,600. 27 Jehoiada, the leader of Aaron’s descendants, brought 3,700 men with him, 28 along with Zadok, a young warrior, and 22 leaders from his family.
29 From Benjamin, Saul’s tribe,[cj] there were 3,000, most of whom, up to that time, had been loyal to Saul.[ck]
30 From Ephraim there were 20,800 warriors, who had brought fame to their families.[cl]
31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh there were 18,000 who had been designated by name to come and make David king.
32 From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command—they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.[cm]
33 From Zebulun there were 50,000 warriors who were prepared for battle, equipped with all kinds of weapons, and ready to give their undivided loyalty.[cn]
34 From Naphtali there were 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears.
35 From Dan there were 28,600 men prepared for battle.
36 From Asher there were 40,000 warriors prepared for battle.
37 From the other side of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 men armed with all kinds of weapons.
38 All these men were warriors who were ready to march.[co] They came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel by acclamation;[cp] all the rest of the Israelites also were in agreement that David should become king.[cq] 39 They spent three days feasting[cr] there with David, for their relatives had given them provisions. 40 Also their neighbors, from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There were large supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, beef, and lamb,[cs] for Israel was celebrating.[ct]
Uzzah Meets Disaster
13 David consulted with his military officers, including those who led groups of a thousand and those who led groups of a hundred.[cu] 2 David said to the whole Israelite assembly, “If you so desire and the Lord our God approves,[cv] let’s spread the word[cw] to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities,[cx] so they may join us. 3 Let’s move the ark of our God back here,[cy] for we did not seek his will[cz] throughout Saul’s reign.”[da] 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this,[db] for the proposal seemed right to all the people.[dc] 5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River[dd] in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,[de] to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who sits enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by his Name.[df]
7 They transported the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 8 while David and all Israel were energetically[dg] celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments,[dh] tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of[di] the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,[dj] he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark.[dk] He died right there before God.[dl]
11 David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah;[dm] so he called that place Perez Uzzah,[dn] which remains its name to this very day. 12 David was afraid of God that day and said, “How will I ever be able to bring the ark of God up here?” 13 So David did not move the ark to the City of David;[do] he left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months; the Lord blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything that belonged to him.
David’s Prestige Grows
14 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons,[dp] and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated[dq] his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
3 In Jerusalem David married[dr] more wives and fathered more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada,[ds] and Eliphelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed[dt] king of all Israel, all the Philistines marched up to confront him.[du] When David heard about it, he marched out against[dv] them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and raided[dw] the Valley of Rephaim. 10 David asked God, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to him, “March up! I will hand them over to you!” 11 So they marched against Baal Perazim and David defeated them there. David said, “Using me as his instrument,[dx] God has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So that place is called Baal Perazim.[dy] 12 The Philistines left[dz] their idols[ea] there, so David ordered that they be burned.
13 The Philistines again raided the valley. 14 So David again asked God what he should do.[eb] This time[ec] God told him, “Don’t march up after them; circle around them and come against them in front of the trees.[ed] 15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, then attack.[ee] For at that moment God is going before you to strike down the army[ef] of the Philistines.” 16 David did just as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.
17 So David became famous[eg] in all the lands; the Lord caused all the nations to fear him.[eh]
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
15 David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually.” 3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. 4 David gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.
6 From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives.
7 From the descendants of Gershom:[ei] Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives.
8 From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives.
9 From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives.
10 From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.
11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, along with the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He told them: “You are the leaders of the Levites’ families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it. 13 The first time you did not carry it; that is why the Lord God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it.”[ej] 14 The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had commanded in keeping with the Lord’s instruction.[ek]
16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully.[el] 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari,[em] Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah,[en] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.
19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style;[eo] 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style,[ep] as led by[eq] the director; 22 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport,[er] for he was well-informed[es] on this matter; 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians[et] of the ark; 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians[eu] of the ark.
25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. 26 When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians;[ev] David also wore a linen ephod.[ew] 28 All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord’s covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments. 29 As the ark of the Lord’s covenant entered the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David jumping and celebrating, she despised him.[ex]
David Leads in Worship
16 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings[ey] before God. 2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second-in-command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.
David Thanks God
7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord.
8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
10 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence[ez] continually!
12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[fa]
13 O children[fb] of Israel, God’s[fc] servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s[fd] chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[fe]
15 Remember[ff] continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[fg] to a thousand generations—
16 the promise[fh] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac![fi]
17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[fj]
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.[fk]
21 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
22 saying,[fl] “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every day[fm] how he delivers.
24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
tell[fn] all the nations about his miraculous deeds.
25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome than[fo] all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,[fp]
but the Lord made the heavens.[fq]
27 Majestic splendor emanates from him,[fr]
he is the source of strength and joy.[fs]
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves![ft]
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire![fu]
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say,[fv] “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures.[fw]
35 Say this prayer:[fx] “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thanks[fy] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.”[fz]
36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,
in the future and forevermore.[ga]
Then all the people said, “We agree![gb] Praise the Lord.”
David Appoints Worship Leaders
37 David[gc] left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,[gd] 38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served[ge] before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center[gf] in Gibeon, 40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.[gg] 41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)[gh] 42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.[gi]
43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.[gj]
God Makes a Promise to David
17 When David had settled into his palace,[gk] he[gl] said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace[gm] made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.”[gn] 2 Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind,[go] for God is with you.”
3 That night God told Nathan,[gp] 4 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live. 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt[gq] to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.[gr] 6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say[gs] to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,[gt] ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’
7 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[gu] says: “I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd[gv] to make you a leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated[gw] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.[gx] 9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle[gy] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed[gz] anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning[ha] 10 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.
“‘“I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house[hb] for you! 11 When the time comes for you to die,[hc] I will raise up your descendant,[hd] one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.[he] 13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you.[hf] 14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.”’”[hg] 15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.[hh]
David Praises God
16 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family,[hi] that you should have brought me to this point? 17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.[hj] You have revealed to me what men long to know,[hk] O Lord God. 18 What more can David say[hl] to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition.[hm] 19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,[hn] you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.[ho] 20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true![hp] 21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation[hq] in the earth? Their God[hr] went to claim[hs] a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds[ht] when you drove out[hu] nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.[hv] 22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time.[hw] You, O Lord, became their God. 23 So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality![hx] Do as you promised,[hy] 24 so[hz] it may become a reality[ia] and you may gain lasting fame,[ib] as people say,[ic] ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is the God of Israel.’[id] The dynasty[ie] of your servant David will be established before you, 25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty[if] for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.[ig] 26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God;[ih] you have made this good promise to your servant.[ii] 27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty[ij] so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future.”[ik]
David Conquers the Neighboring Nations
18 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its surrounding towns[il] away from the Philistines.[im]
2 He defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.[in]
3 David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, when he went to extend his authority[io] to the Euphrates River.[ip] 4 David seized from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers,[iq] and 20,000 infantrymen . David cut the hamstrings of all but 100 of Hadadezer’s[ir] chariot horses.[is] 5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus;[it] the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected[iu] David wherever he campaigned.[iv] 7 David took the golden shields which Hadadezer’s servants had carried[iw] and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tibhath[ix] and Kun,[iy] Hadadezer’s cities, David took a great deal of bronze. (Solomon used it to make the big bronze basin called “The Sea,”[iz] the pillars, and other bronze items.)
9 When King Tou[ja] of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram[jb] to King David to extend his best wishes[jc] and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Tou had been at war with Hadadezer.[jd] He also sent various items made of gold, silver, and bronze.[je] 11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord,[jf] along with the silver and gold which he had carried off from all the nations, including[jg] Edom,[jh] Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.
12 Abishai son of Zeruiah[ji] killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected[jj] David wherever he campaigned.[jk]
David’s Officials
14 David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.[jl] 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was commanding general of[jm] the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha[jn] was scribe; 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada supervised[jo] the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were the king’s leading officials.[jp]
David’s Campaign against the Ammonites
19 Later King Nahash of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him. 2 David said, “I will express my loyalty[jq] to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal[jr] to me.” So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father’s death.[js] When David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king’s sympathy,[jt] 3 the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?[ju] No, his servants have come to you so they can get information and spy out the land!”[jv] 4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved their beards off.[jw] He cut off the lower part of their robes so that their buttocks were exposed[jx] and then sent them away. 5 People[jy] came and told David what had happened to the men, so he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow again; then you may come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,[jz] Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents[ka] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah.[kb] 7 They hired 32,000 chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his army, who came and camped in front of Medeba. The Ammonites also assembled from their cities and marched out to do battle.
8 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.[kc] 9 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. 10 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.[kd] 11 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab[ke] said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,[kf] you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,[kg] I will come to your rescue. 13 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”[kh] 14 So Joab and his men[ki] marched toward the Arameans to do battle, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before Joab’s[kj] brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River,[kk] led by Shophach the commanding general of Hadadezer’s army.[kl] 17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,[km] and marched against them.[kn] David deployed his army against the Arameans for battle and they fought against him.[ko] 18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 7,000[kp] Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen; he also killed Shophach[kq] the commanding general. 19 When Hadadezer’s subjects saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
20 In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars,[kr] Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. 2 David took the crown from the head of their king[ks] and wore it[kt] (its weight was a talent[ku] of gold and it was set with precious stones). He took a large amount of plunder from the city. 3 He removed the city’s residents and made them labor with saws, iron picks, and axes.[kv] This was his policy[kw] with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
Battles with the Philistines
4 Later there was a battle[kx] with the Philistines in Gezer.[ky] At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai,[kz] one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and the Philistines[la] were subdued.
5 There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,[lb] whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom.[lc]
6 In a battle in Gath[ld] there was a large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea,[le] David’s brother, killed him.
8 These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed[lf] by the hand of David and his soldiers.[lg]
The Lord Sends a Plague against Israel
21 An adversary[lh] opposed[li] Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had.[lj] 2 David told Joab and the leaders of the army,[lk] “Go, count the number of warriors[ll] from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have.”[lm] 3 Joab replied, “May the Lord make his army[ln] a hundred times larger! My master, O king, do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? Why bring judgment on Israel?”[lo]
4 But the king’s edict stood, despite Joab’s objections.[lp] So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported to David the number of warriors.[lq] In all Israel there were 1,100,000 sword-wielding[lr] soldiers; Judah alone had 470,000 sword-wielding soldiers.[ls] 6 Now Joab[lt] did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king’s edict disgusted him. 7 God was also offended by it,[lu] so he attacked Israel.
8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 9 The Lord told Gad, David’s prophet,[lv] 10 “Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’”[lw] 11 Gad went to David and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pick one of these: 12 three[lx] years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords,[ly] or three days being struck down by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the angel of the Lord will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’[lz] Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” 13 David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!”[ma] 14 So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.
15 God sent an angel[mb] to ravage[mc] Jerusalem. As he was doing so,[md] the Lord watched[me] and relented from[mf] his judgment.[mg] He told the angel who was destroying, “That’s enough![mh] Stop now!”[mi]
Now the angel of the Lord was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan[mj] the Jebusite. 16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.[mk] 17 David said to God, “Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed![ml] As for these sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family,[mm] but remove the plague from your people!”[mn]
18 So the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build[mo] an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do in the name of the Lord.[mp] 20 While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the messenger, and he and his four sons hid themselves. 21 When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David; he came out from the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face[mq] to the ground. 22 David said to Ornan, “Sell me the threshing floor[mr] so I can build[ms] on it an altar for the Lord—I’ll pay top price[mt]—so that the plague may be removed[mu] from the people.” 23 Ornan told David, “You can have it![mv] My master, the king, may do what he wants.[mw] Look, I am giving you the oxen for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for an offering. I give it all to you.” 24 King David replied to Ornan, “No, I insist on buying it for top price.[mx] I will not offer to the Lord what belongs to you or offer a burnt sacrifice[my] that cost me nothing.[mz] 25 So David bought the place from Ornan for 600 pieces of gold.[na] 26 David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings.[nb] He called out to the Lord, and the Lord[nc] responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar. 27 The Lord ordered the messenger[nd] to put his sword back into its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord responded to him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 Now the Lord’s tabernacle (which Moses had made in the wilderness) and the altar for burnt sacrifices were at that time at the worship center[ne] in Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to seek God’s will, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord. 22 1 David then said, “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”
David Orders a Temple to Be Built
2 David ordered the resident foreigners[nf] in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple. 3 David supplied a large amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, more bronze than could be weighed, 4 and more cedar logs than could be counted. (The Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large amount of cedar logs to David.)
5 David said, “My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man,[ng] and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations.[nh] Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.
6 He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon: “My son, I really wanted[ni] to build a temple to honor[nj] the Lord my God. 8 But this was the Lord’s message to me: ‘You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me,[nk] for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me. 9 Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man.[nl] I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side.[nm] Indeed, Solomon[nn] will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign.[no] 10 He will build a temple to honor me;[np] he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.’[nq]
11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.[nr] 12 Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey[ns] the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel.[nt] Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![nu] 14 Now, look, I have made every effort to supply what is needed to build the Lord’s temple.[nv] I have stored up 100,000 talents[nw] of gold, 1,000,000 talents[nx] of silver, and so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. Feel free to add more! 15 You also have available many workers, including stonecutters, masons, carpenters,[ny] and an innumerable array of workers who are skilled 16 in using gold, silver, bronze, and iron.[nz] Get up and begin the work! May the Lord be with you!”
17 David ordered all the officials of Israel to support[oa] his son Solomon. 18 He told them,[ob] “The Lord your God is with you![oc] He has made you secure on every side,[od] for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region[oe] and the region[of] is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being![og] Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God! Then you can bring[oh] the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy items dedicated to God’s service[oi] into the temple that is built to honor the Lord.”[oj]
David Organizes the Levites
23 When David was old and approaching the end of his life,[ok] he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
2 David[ol] assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men.[om] 4 David said,[on] “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges; 5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship.”[oo] 6 David divided them into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 The Gershonites included Ladan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the oldest, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all.
These were the leaders of the family of Ladan.
10 The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina,[op] Jeush, and Beriah. These were Shimei’s sons—four in all.[oq] 11 Jahath was the oldest and Zizah the second oldest. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered one family with one responsibility.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses.
Aaron and his descendants were chosen on a permanent basis to consecrate the most holy items, to offer sacrifices before the Lord, to serve him, and to praise his name.[or] 14 The descendants of Moses the man of God were considered Levites.[os]
15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The son[ot] of Gershom: Shebuel[ou] the oldest.
17 The son of Eliezer was[ov] Rehabiah, the oldest. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.
18 The son[ow] of Izhar: Shelomith the oldest.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the oldest, and Isshiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died without having sons; he had only daughters. The sons of Kish, their cousins, married them.[ox]
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.
24 These were the descendants of Levi according to their families, that is, the leaders of families as counted and individually listed who carried out assigned tasks in the Lord’s temple and were twenty years old and up.[oy] 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given his people rest and has permanently settled in Jerusalem. 26 So the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the items used in its service.” 27 According to David’s final instructions, the Levites twenty years old or older were counted.[oz]
28 Their job was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the Lord’s temple. They were to take care of the courtyards, the rooms, ceremonial purification of all holy items, and other jobs related to the service of God’s temple.[pa] 29 They also took care of[pb] the bread that is displayed, the flour for offerings, the unleavened wafers, the round cakes, the mixing, and all the measuring.[pc] 30 They also stood in a designated place[pd] every morning and offered thanks and praise to the Lord. They also did this in the evening 31 and whenever burnt sacrifices were offered to the Lord on the Sabbath and at new moon festivals and assemblies. A designated number were to serve before the Lord regularly in accordance with regulations.[pe] 32 They were in charge of the meeting tent and the Holy Place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the Lord’s temple.[pf]
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