The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; [these] three were born to him from Bathshua the Canaanite. Now Er, Judah's firstborn, [was] evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he put him to death.

And Jehozadak went into exile [when] Yahweh [sent] Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Now these [are the men] whom David appointed for {control of singing} in the house of Yahweh where the ark rested.

They were ministering with song before the tabernacle of the tent of assembly until Solomon built the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem. And they stood according to their order with respect to their duty.

And Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of the house of his fathers, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, the guardians of the entrances to the tent, and their fathers [were] over the camp of Yahweh, guardians of the entrance.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him.

So they and their sons [were] over the gates of the house of Yahweh at the house of the tent as guards.

So Saul died on account of his sin which he had sinned against Yahweh concerning the command of Yahweh that he did not keep. He also consulted a medium to seek [guidance].

But he did not seek Yahweh. So Yahweh put him to death and turned over the kingship to David, the son of Jesse.

{For some time now}, even when Saul was king, you were {the one who led the army of Israel in battle}. And Yahweh your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel and will be leader over my people Israel.'"

Then all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh. And they anointed David as king over Israel according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Samuel.

And David {became greater and greater}. And Yahweh of hosts [was] with him.

Now these [are] the chiefs of the mighty men who [were] for David, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel to make him king according to the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.

But they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it. And they killed the Philistines. And Yahweh saved [them] [with] a great victory.

Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that [was] by the gate and brought [it] and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh.

And these are the numbers of the chiefs of those prepared for the army who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him according to the word of Yahweh.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "{If it seems good to you} and before Yahweh our God, {let us send word abroad} to our brothers who remain in all the land of Israel and [to] the priests and Levites with them in the cities with their pasturelands that they might be gathered to us.

And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, Kiriath-Jearim of Judah, to bring up from there the ark of Yahweh God [who] is enthroned [between] the cherubim, which is called the name.

And Yahweh {was angry} with Uzza, and he struck him down because he reached his hand upon the ark. And he died there before God.

And David {was angry} because Yahweh had broken out in wrath against Uzza. And that place is called Perez Uzza unto this day.

And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And Yahweh blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

And David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel [and] that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

Then David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you put them into my hand?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up. I will put them into your hand."

And the fame of David went out through all the lands. And Yahweh put the fear of him upon all the nations.

Then David ordered [that] none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever.

And David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh to its place that he had established for it.

And he said to them, "You [are] the heads of the {families} for the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brothers and bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to [the place] I have established for it.

Because the first time you did not, [and] Yahweh our God burst out against us, for we did not care for it according to the law."

Then the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God according to what Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, on their shoulders with the carrying poles upon them.

And it happened [that] David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

And it happened [that] when God helped the Levites carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, with the sound of a shofar, and with trumpets and cymbals, making loud music with musical instruments and stringed instruments.

And when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the city of David, then Michal the daughter of Saul looked down from the window and saw the king, David, leaping and dancing. And she despised him in her heart.

And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to invoke, thank, and praise Yahweh the God of Israel.

Then on that day David first appointed to give thanks to Yahweh by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.

Give thanks to Yahweh; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations!

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those seeking Yahweh rejoice!

Seek Yahweh and his strength; seek his face continually!

He [is] Yahweh our God; his judgments [are] in all the earth.

Sing to Yahweh, all the earth! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

For Yahweh [is] great and greatly praised, and he is feared among all gods.

For all the gods of the nations [are] idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.

Ascribe to Yahweh, O clans of the nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength!

Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of his name! Lift up an offering and come before him! Bow down to Yahweh in the splendor of holiness!

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, and let them tell the peoples, "Yahweh reigns!"

Then the trees of the forest shall sing for joy before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth.

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he [is] good; his loyal love [is] everlasting.

Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised Yahweh.

So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to minister before the ark regularly {as each day required},

And [he left] Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of Yahweh at the high place which [was] at Gibeon

to offer burnt offerings regularly to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the law of Yahweh that he commanded concerning Israel.

And with them [were] Heman and Jeduthun and the remainder of those chosen, who were designated by name to give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love [is] everlasting.

And as David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh [is] under tent curtains."

"Go and say to David my servant, 'Thus says Yahweh, "You [are] not to build a house for me to live [in],

So now, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over my people Israel,

from the day that I commanded judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue your enemies, and I declare to you [that] Yahweh will build for you a house.

Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, "Who [am] I, O Yahweh God, and what [is] my house that you have brought me thus far?

And this was a small [matter] in your eyes, O God. And you have spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long [time] and have shown me {future generations to come}, O Yahweh God.

O Yahweh, for the sake of your servant and according to your heart you have done all this greatness, to make known all [these] great things.

O Yahweh, there is none like you, and there is no God except you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And you made your people Israel an everlasting nation for yourself. And you, O Yahweh, became their God.

So now, O Yahweh, let the word that you spoke to your servant and to his house be established forever, that you might do what you have spoken.

And let your name be established and be magnified forever, saying, 'Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God, and may the house of David your servant be established before you.'

So now, O Yahweh, you yourself [are] God, and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.

And now may you begin to bless the house of your servant {to continue forever} before you, for you, O Yahweh, have blessed. And it will be blessed forever."

Then David set up [garrisons] in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bearing tribute. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went.

King David dedicated these also to Yahweh, along with the silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

And he put garrisons in Edom, and all Edom became servants to David. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went.

Be strong! Let us strengthen ourselves on behalf of our people and on behalf of the cities of our God. And may Yahweh do [what is] good in his eyes."

But Joab said, "May Yahweh add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king's servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?"

Then Yahweh spoke to Gad the seer of David, saying,

"Go, you must speak to David, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh: "Three [choices] I offer to you. Choose one of them for yourself that I will do to you." '"

So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: 'Choose for yourself:

whether three years of famine or three months of devastation by your enemies while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or three days of the sword of Yahweh, with disease in the land and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the territory in Israel.' So now, see what word I should return to my sender."

Then David said to Gad, "{I am very troubled}. Let me into the hand of Yahweh, for his compassion is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of a man."

So Yahweh sent a pestilence through Israel, and seventy thousand men from Israel fell.

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as [he was about] to destroy [it], Yahweh saw and was grieved on account of the calamity. Then he said to the angel, the destroyer, "[It is] enough; slacken your hand." And the angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, with his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

Then David said to God, "Was it not I [who] gave a command to count the people? Now I [am] he who has sinned, and I have certainly done wickedness, but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh, my God, please let your hand be against me and against the house of my father, but against your people, [let there be] no plague."

Now the angel of Yahweh had spoken to Gad to say to David that David should go up [and] erect an altar for Yahweh.

So David went up at the word of Gad that he had spoken in the name of Yahweh.

Then David said to Ornan, "Please give me the place, the threshing floor, that I might build an altar on it to Yahweh; at full price please give it to me, that the plague against the people might be stopped."

But King David said to Ornan, "No, for I will certainly buy [it] at full value; indeed, I will not take what is yours for Yahweh and offer burnt offerings for nothing."

Then David built an altar there to Yahweh, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he called to Yahweh. And he answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.

Then Yahweh commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

At that time, when David saw that Yahweh answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.

Now the tabernacle of Yahweh that Moses had made in the desert and the altar of burnt offering [were] at that time at the high place of Gibeon.

But David was not able to go before it to seek God, for he was afraid on account of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

Then David said, "This will be the house of Yahweh God, and this altar of burnt offering for Israel."

Then David said, "Solomon my son [is] a boy and inexperienced, and the house built for Yahweh [must be] exceedingly great in fame and splendor throughout every land. I will make preparations for him." So David provided abundant [materials] before he died.

Then he called to Solomon his son and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.

And David said to Solomon his son, "I myself had in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God,

but it happened [that] the word of Yahweh [came] over me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have made much war; you shall not build a house for my name because you have shed much blood upon the ground before me.

Now, my son, Yahweh will be with you, that you may succeed and build the house of Yahweh your God as he has spoken concerning you.

Only may Yahweh give to you understanding and insight that he might give you charge over Israel and the keeping of the law of Yahweh your God.

Then you will prosper if you take care to do the statutes and judgments which Yahweh commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and be courageous; fear not and do not be dismayed.

Now see, with great effort I have made provision for the house of Yahweh: 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron [that] cannot be weighed, for there is an abundance. Also timber and stone I have provided, but to these you should add.

with gold, silver, bronze, and iron without number. Arise and work! Yahweh will be with you!"