Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow!" God granted him that which he requested.

They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for those who lived there before were of Ham.

The sons of Gad lived over against them, in the land of Bashan to Salecah:

They were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them, because they put their trust in him.

For there fell many slain, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until the captivity.

They trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

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 to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.

Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

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

To the sons of Merari [were given] by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,

and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;

and their brothers, heads of their fathers' houses, one thousand seven hundred sixty; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

who hitherto [waited] in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.

for the four chief porters, who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the rooms and over the treasuries in the house of God.

They lodged around the house of God, because that duty was on them; and to them pertained its opening morning by morning.

In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.'"

David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

The three broke through the army 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 Yahweh,

and said, "My God forbid it me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?" For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army: he who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

David went out to meet them, and answered 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, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it."

Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, [and he said], "We are yours, 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 captains of the band.

For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is of Yahweh our God, let us send abroad everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves to us;

and let us bring again the ark of our God to us. For we didn't seek it in the days of Saul."

So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor [the brook] of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.

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 Yahweh that sits [above] the cherubim, that is called by the Name.

They carried the ark of God on a new cart, [and brought it] out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Uzza, and he struck him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God.

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

The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months: and Yahweh blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he had.

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

So they came up to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

David inquired again of God; and God said to him, "You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them over against the mulberry trees.

It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

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

[David] made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever."

and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

For because you didn't carry it at first, Yahweh our God made broke out against us, because we didn't seek him according to the ordinance."

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

The children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of Yahweh.

Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

It happened, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

They brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

He appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Yahweh, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:

and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

He is Yahweh our God. His judgments are in all the earth.

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Say, "Save us, God of our salvation! Gather us together and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise."

Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. All the people said, "Amen," and praised Yahweh.

and with them Heman and Jeduthun [with] trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and [with] instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.

Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you."

It happened the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.

Then David the king went in, and sat before Yahweh; and he said, "Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

This was a small thing in your eyes, God; but you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have respected me according to the estate of a man of high degree, Yahweh God.

Yahweh, there is none like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeem out of Egypt?

For your people Israel you made your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God.

Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'Yahweh of Armies is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. The house of David your servant is established before you.'

For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you.

Now, Yahweh, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant.

So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him."

He brought forth the people who were therein, and cut [them] with saws, and with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.

David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly."

Yahweh spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,

So Gad came to David, and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Take your choice:

David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are very great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."

God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand." The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

David said to God, "Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued."

Then the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up, and raise an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of Yahweh.

Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all."

But David couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

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

David gave orders to gather together the foreigners who were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to cut worked stones to build the house of God.

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

David said to Solomon his son, "As for me, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God.

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

May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel; that so you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.

"Isn't Yahweh your God with you? Hasn't he given you rest on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before Yahweh, and before his people.

Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Yahweh your God. Arise therefore, and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, to bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of Yahweh."

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

For David said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;

Thus were they divided impartially by drawing lots; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

This was the ordering of them in their service, to come into the house of Yahweh according to the ordinance [given] to them by Aaron their father, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God; Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king.

Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him.

They cast lots, the small as well as the great, according to their fathers' houses, for every gate.

To Shuppim and Hosah westward, by the gate of Shallecheth, at the causeway that goes up, watch against watch.

Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.