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

The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

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.

These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.

And 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 may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

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.

Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.

And eastward he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

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 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.

And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)

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.

And Naaman, and Ahijah, and Gera, he carried them captive and begat Uzzah, and Ahihud.

And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives.

And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcam,

And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.

And the battle went fierce against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

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 when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died.

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.

And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, you were he that led out and brought in Israel: and the LORD your God said unto you, You shall feed my people Israel, and you shall be ruler over my people Israel.

And he built the city around it, even from Millo and around: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

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.

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.

And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

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.

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.

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.

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

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.

Now these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,

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.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, in music: he instructed about the music, because he was skillful.

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

And he gave to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to invoke, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

Remember his marvelous works that he has done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

Be you mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

He allowed no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he comes to judge the earth.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.

So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required:

And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,

To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;

He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before you:

And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O God; for you have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

And he defeated Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought tribute.

And David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his rule by the river Euphrates.

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought tribute. Thus the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah;

He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and defeated him; (for Hadadezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and bronze.

Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Think you that David does honor your father, that he has sent comforters unto you? are not his servants come unto you to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

Then there went certain, and told David how the men were treated. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Remain at Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return.

And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men.

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also a great amount of spoil out of the city.

And he brought out the people that were in it, and put them to work with saws, and with picks of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.

But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.

And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times so many more as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then does my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?

But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's command was abominable to Joab.

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

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, restrain now your hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

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

And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into its sheath.

At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.

But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

And David commanded to gather together the sojourners that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God.

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

He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.

Now, my son, the LORD be with you; and prosper you, and build the house of the LORD your God, as he has said of you.

Is not the LORD your God with you? and has he not given you rest on every side? for he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people.

So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to give the blessing in his name forever.

The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, twelve:

Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Shimri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;)

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

However the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever: for he has chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel: