And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like the children of Judah.

Now the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel, (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birth-right.

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

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

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 had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;

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

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.

And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, 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 it 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 mightiest.

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

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

And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, If ye have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you: but if ye have 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.

And there fell 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 upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.

Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, who could keep rank: they were not of double heart.

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

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

Therefore David inquired again of God: and God said to him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in:

For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

Wherever I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedars?

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 thee:

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters to thee? are not his servants come to thee to search, and to overthrow, and to explore the land?

And Joab answered, the LORD make his people a hundred times more numerous than they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

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

And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

And David said to God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be afflicted.

And king David said to Ornan, No; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt-offerings without cost.

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.

But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house to my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

Then shalt thou prosper, if thou shalt take heed to fulfill the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

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

And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.

Also Hosah of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the first-born, 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 to 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.

But God said to me, Thou shalt not build a house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Furthermore David the king said to all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.