And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother's name was Joktan.

And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bore him Segub.

And Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and its villages, even threescore towns. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as his wife; and she bore him Attai.

And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

And these recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and destroyed their tents, and the Meunim that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their place: because there was pasture there for their flocks.

And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their leaders Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

And they destroyed the rest of the Amalekites that had escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be recorded according to the birthright.

And the children of Gad dwelt next to them, in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah:

The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he heeded their prayer; because they put their trust in him.

And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of donkeys two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand.

And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir, and to mount Hermon.

And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.

And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of meeting with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they served in their office according to their order.

The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,

But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

But the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with its pasture lands, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their pasture lands,

And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands.

And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, namely, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

And with them, by their generations, according to the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.

And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor; and were listed by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

And the number of them, according to their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor, was twenty thousand and two hundred.

All these the sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valor, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy came to his house.

All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers' house, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were fit to go to war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men.

And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them captive to Manahath:

So all Israel were recorded by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.

And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the houses of their fathers.

All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were recorded by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their office of trust.

And their brethren, who were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them.

And they lodged round about the house of God, because the responsibility was upon them, and the opening of it every morning belonged to them.

Some of them also were appointed to oversee the furnishings, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the showbread, to prepare it every sabbath.

And these are the singers, heads of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free from other service: for they were employed in that work day and night.

Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

And it came to pass on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on mount Gilboa.

And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.

And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that was a medium, to seek council;

And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, You shall not come here. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, which is the city of David.

These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,

And said, My God forbid me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

Of the three, he was more honorable than the two; for he was their captain: however he attained not to the first three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many great deeds; he slew two lion-like men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that belonged to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

These are they that went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

And there came from the children of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold unto David.

And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If you are come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you: but if you are come to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look on it, and rebuke it.

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 unto you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you. Then David received them, and made them captains of his troop.

And there deserted some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines after counsel sent him away, saying, He will desert to his master Saul to the peril of our heads.

As he went to Ziklag, there deserted to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zellethai, captains of the thousands that were from Manasseh.

For at that time day by day there came more to David to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

And these are the numbers of the men that were ready armed for war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.

And Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house twenty and two captains.

And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for until now the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul.

And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name, to come and make David king.

And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were under their command.

Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, who could keep ranks: they had singleness of heart.

And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

All these men of war, that could keep ranks, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seems good unto you, and that it is of the LORD our God, let us send out unto our brethren everywhere, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and pasture lands, that they may gather themselves unto us:

And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we have not inquired at it in the days of Saul.

And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim, whose name is proclaimed there.

And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzzah put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

And David was displeased, because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah: therefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.

And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.

And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them.

So they came up to Baal-perazim; and David defeated them there. Then David said, God has broken in upon my enemies by my hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

And it shall be, when you shall hear a sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, that then you shall go out to battle: for God has gone forth before you to smite the army of the Philistines.

David therefore did as God commanded him: and they struck the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever.

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.