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

Later on, Jabez called on the God of Israel, asking him, ""whether you would bless me again and again, enlarge my territory, keep your power with me, keep me from evil, and keep me from harm!" And God granted what he had requested.

Gad's descendants lived beside them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:

The descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh produced 44,700 valiant soldiers expert in shield, sword, and bow. Trained in warfare, they were equipped to serve at a moment's notice.

When they received assistance against them, the Hagrites and all of their allies were handed over to their control, because they cried out to God during the battle. He honored their entreaty, because they had placed their trust in him.

Many fell slain, because the battle's outcome was directed by God. They lived in their territory until the exile.

But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors by prostituting themselves to the gods of the nations of the land, whom God had exterminated right in front of them.

So the God of Israel incited King Pul of Assyria (also known as King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria), who took them prisoner and brought the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.

along with their relatives, descendants of Levi who had been appointed for all the service of the tent of the Temple of God.

Meanwhile, Aaron and his sons presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, carrying out the work of the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel in accordance with everything that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

The descendants of Merari were allotted 12 towns according to their families from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

From the tribe of Gad were allotted Ramoth in Gilead with its surrounding suburbs, Mahanaim with its surrounding suburbs,

and Hilkiah's son Azariah, who was fathered by Meshullam, who was fathered by Zadok, who was fathered by Meraioth, who was fathered by Ahitub, the Chief Operating Officer of the Temple of God.

along with 1,760 of their relatives, who were leaders of their ancestral households, valiant and qualified to serve in the Temple of God.

He used to be stationed in the King's Gate on the east side as one of the gatekeepers of the camp belonging to the descendants of Levi.

because the four senior gatekeepers (who were descendants of Levi) had been placed in charge of the chambers and the treasury of the Temple of God.

They spent the night near the Temple of God, since they had been entrusted to guard it. They were in charge of opening it every morning.

every valiant soldier got up, removed the bodies of Saul and his sons, took them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Then they fasted for seven days.

Even back when Saul was ruling as king, you kept on leading the army of Israel out to battle and bringing them in again. The LORD your God told you, "You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and will be Commander-in-Chief over my people Israel.'"

David expressed a longing, "Oh, how I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the Bethlehem well that's by the city gate!"

So the Three Warriors broke through the Philistine ranks, drew some water from the Bethlehem well that was next to the city gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, poured it out in the LORD's presence, and

said in response, "May God forbid me to do this! I won't drink the blood of these men, will I? After all, they risked their lives to bring it to me." That's why he wouldn't drink it. The Three Warriors did these things.

Mighty and experienced warriors from the descendants of Gad joined David at his wilderness stronghold. They were expert handlers of both shield and spear, with hardened looks and as agile as a gazelle on a mountain slope.

These descendants of Gad were army leaders. The least of them was equal to a hundred other soldiers and the greatest to a thousand.

and David went out to meet them. He told them, "If you've come in peace to be of help to me, then you'll have my commitment. But if you've come to betray me to my enemies, even though I'm innocent of wrongdoing, then may the God of our ancestors watch and judge."

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said, "David, we belong to you; we're with you, son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to the one who helps you! For your deliverer is your God."

The tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan supplied 120,000 men armed with every kind of war weapon.

Then he addressed the entire community of Israel, "If it seems good to you and something from the Lord our God, let's spread word to all of our relatives who remain throughout the entire land of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi in the cities and pasture lands, so they can gather together with us.

Then let's bring the Ark of God back to us, because we didn't consult it during Saul's reign."

So David assembled all of Israel from the Shihor River of Egypt to Lebo-hamath in order to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

David, accompanied by all of Israel, went up to Baalah (the former name of Kiriath-jearim), which belonged to Judah, to bring from there the Ark of God, the LORD, who sits enthroned on the cherubim, and who is called the Name.

They mounted the Ark of God on a new cart, bringing it from Abinadab's home, with Uzzah and Ahio driving the cart.

David and all of Israel were dancing in the presence of God with all of their might with songs, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

Just then, the anger of the LORD blazed against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark, and he died right there in the presence of God.

But David feared God that day, and asked "How am I to bring the Ark of God to me?"

So the Ark of God remained in the care of Obed-edom's household for three months, and God blessed Obed-edom's household, along with everyone associated with it.

So David asked God, "Am I to go out against the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?" "Go out," the LORD replied to him, "and I'll put them right into your hand."

So David went out to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. David observed, "Like an overwhelming flood, God has overwhelmed my enemies, using me to do it." That's why that place is called Baal-perazim.

When David asked God about it, God told him, "Don't directly attack them. Instead, go around them and come up against them opposite those balsam trees.

When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, because God will have gone out ahead of you to destroy the Philistine army."

So David did just as God had ordered, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

David built palaces for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God and erected a tent for it.

Then David ordered that the Ark of God was to be carried by no one except the descendants of Levi, because the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve him forever.

and addressed them: "As leaders of your Levitical families, set yourselves apart, both you and your relatives, so you can be qualified to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I've prepared for it.

Because you didn't carry it from the very first, the LORD our God attacked us, since we didn't care for it appropriately."

So the priests and descendants of Levi set themselves apart to carry the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

The descendants of Levi carried the Ark of God the way Moses had commanded and in accordance with the command from the LORD that is, with poles on their shoulders.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were appointed to sound the trumpets before the Ark of God, and Obed-edom and Jehiah were trustees for the ark.

As God helped the descendants of Levi who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

They brought the Ark of God, placed it within the tent that David had erected, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the presence of God.

In the presence of the ark of the LORD, he appointed some of the descendants of Levi to minister continually by remembering, giving thanks, and praising the LORD God of Israel.

The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played the trumpets continually in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of God.

He is the LORD our God. His justice is in all of the land.

because the LORD is great, and he is praised greatly! He is feared above every god.

Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good and because his gracious love is eternal!

Call out, "Save us, God, you who delivers us! Gather us and rescue us from the nations! We will thank your holy name and rejoice as we praise you!

Praise the LORD God of Israel, who lives from eternity to eternity! Then all of the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

They accompanied their songs of praise to God with trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments while Jeduthun's children served as trustees.

"Do everything you have in mind," Nathan replied to David, "because God is with you."

But later that same night, this message came to Nathan from God:

"Who am I, LORD God, and what is my household, since you have brought me to this? Furthermore, this is a small thing to you, God, and yet you have spoken concerning your servant's household for a great while to come, and you have seen in me the fulfillment of man's purpose, LORD God.

"LORD, there is no one like you, and we have heard from no god other than you.

What other one nation on the earth is like your people Israel, God, which you have redeemed from slavery to become your own people, making a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You did awesome miraculous deeds, driving out nations that stood in their way.

You took your people Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.

May your name be made great and honored forever: The LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, is God for Israel, and may the family of David your servant stand before you forever.

"Because of you, my God, I have been bold to pray to you, as you have told your servant that you will build him a dynasty.

And now, LORD, you are God, and you have promised all of these good things to your servant.

So Hanun arrested David's delegation, shaved off their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace.

Be strong, be courageous on behalf of our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what he thinks is best."

David said, "This is where the LORD God's Temple will be, along with the altar of burnt offerings for Israel."

God considered this behavior to be evil, so he attacked Israel.

David responded to God, "I sinned greatly by behaving this way. But now I am asking you, please remove the guilt of your servant, since I have acted very foolishly."

So the LORD responded through Gad, David's seer.

Gad went to David and told him, "This is what the LORD says: "Make a choice for yourself:

So David replied to Gad, "This is a very bad choice for me to make! Let me now please fall into the hand of the LORD, because his mercy is very great, but may I never fall into human hands!"

God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as he was about to do so, the LORD looked and withdrew the calamity by saying to the destroying angel, "Enough! Stop what you're doing!"

David told God, "Wasn't I the one who ordered the census of the population? Wasn't it I who sinned and acted wickedly? Now as for these sheep, what have they done? LORD God, please let your hand be against me and my ancestral household, but don't let your people be ravaged by plague!"

The angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that David was to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor that belonged to Ornan the Jebusite.

So David went up, obeying Gad's directive that he had spoken in the name of the LORD.

But Ornan replied to David, "Take it! Let your majesty the king do whatever seems like a good idea to him. Look here! I'm giving the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing machinery for the wood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I'm giving all of it."

but David was not going before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword carried by the angel of the LORD.

David subsequently issued orders to conscript the resident aliens who lived in the land of Israel and appointed stonecutters to prepare stones for building a temple for God.

Later, David called for his son Solomon and directed him to build a temple to the LORD God of Israel.

David addressed Solomon: "I have attempted to build a temple to the name of the LORD my God.

"You have shed a lot of blood and fought great battles. You won't be building a house for my name, since you have shed so much blood on the earth in my sight. But look! A son born to you will live comfortably, because I will give him rest from all his enemies that surround him on every side, since his name will be "Solomon" - I will give peace and quiet for Israel during his lifetime.

So now, my son, may the LORD be with you, so that you are successful in constructing the Temple of the LORD your God, just as he has spoken about you.

"Only may the LORD give you discretion and understanding as he places you in charge over Israel, so you can keep the Law of the LORD your God.

"Isn't the LORD your God with you? Hasn't he surrounded you with comfort? He has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my control, and the land lies subdued both in the LORD's presence and before his people.

So set your minds and hearts to seek the LORD your God, to get up, and to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be stored in a temple built for the name of the LORD."

Meanwhile, as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered among the tribe of Levi.

For David had said "The LORD God of Israel has granted rest to his people, and he has taken Israel as his eternal residence.

"Instead, they are to assist by lending a hand to the descendants of Aaron regarding service to the Temple of the LORD relating to the courts, the chambers, purification of everything pertaining to holiness, and to anything else pertaining to service on behalf of the Temple of God, including assisting with the rows of showbread, selecting flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread, baked offerings, and oil-based offerings, no matter what the quantity or sizes.

They were chosen by impartial lottery, since there were trustees of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar's descendants and among Ithamar's descendants.

These were appointed to enter the Temple of the LORD according to their protocols established by their ancestor Aaron, as commanded by the LORD God of Israel.

All of these were descendants of Heman the king's seer, according to God's promise to exalt him, since God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

They were all under their father's supervision regarding music in the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the Temple of God.

Ammiel his sixth, Issachar his seventh, and Peullethai his eighth, since God had blessed him.

assigned by lottery according to their ancestral households, whether large or small alike, for their gate assignments.

The lot for the eastern gate fell to Shelemiah. They also cast lots for his son Zechariah, who was a wise counselor, and his lot indicated the northern gate.

Obed-edom's lot indicated the south gate, and his sons were also allotted responsibility for the storehouse.