The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; [these] three were born to him from Bathshua the Canaanite. Now Er, Judah's firstborn, [was] evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he put him to death.

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

He also lived to the east up to the entrance of the desert {this side of} the River Euphrates, for their livestock had multiplied in the land of Gilead.

And beyond the Jordan [at] Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands,

until then they [were] gatekeepers at the gate of the king on the east [side] toward the camps of the Levites.

And Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and deal harshly with me." But he was very afraid. Then Saul took the sword and fell upon it.

{For some time now}, even when Saul was king, you were {the one who led the army of Israel in battle}. And Yahweh your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel and will be leader over my people Israel.'"

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not enter here." But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that [is,] the city of David.

Then David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief.

And David had a craving, and he said, "Who could give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that [is] by the gate!"

And he said, "Far be it from me [that] I would do this before my God. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For {at the risk of their lives} they brought it." And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

And David went out {to meet them} and answered and said to them, "If you come in peace to me, to help me, {my heart will be joined with you}, but if [you come] to betray me to my adversaries, although [there is] no wrong on my hands, may the God of our fathers see and pass judgment."

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty [who said]: "[We are] yours, O David! And [we are] with you, O son of Jesse! Peace! Peace to you, and peace to those who help you, for your God helps you." So David appointed them as heads of the troops.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "{If it seems good to you} and before Yahweh our God, {let us send word abroad} to our brothers who remain in all the land of Israel and [to] the priests and Levites with them in the cities with their pasturelands that they might be gathered to us.

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

And he went up to Baal-Perazim, and David struck them there. And David said, "God has burst out against my enemies by my hand like waters burst out." Therefore they will call the name of this place Baal-Perazim.

Then David inquired again of God. And God said to him, "You shall not go up after them. Go around from before them and come against them the opposite [way] of the balsam trees.

And he said to them, "You [are] the heads of the {families} for the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brothers and bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to [the place] I have established for it.

And they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God.

Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised Yahweh.

And as David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh [is] under tent curtains."

And Nathan said to David, "Whatever [is] in your heart, do, for God [is] with you."

And it shall be that when your days are fulfilled to go [and sleep] with your ancestors, then I will raise up your seed after you, who will be one of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, "Who [am] I, O Yahweh God, and what [is] my house that you have brought me thus far?

And David struck Hadadezer, king of Zobah-Hamath, as he set up his monument at the Euphrates River.

Then David set up [garrisons] in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bearing tribute. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went.

And David said, "I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the {Ammonites}, to Hanun, to comfort him.

But the princes of the {Ammonites} said to Hanun, "{Do you think} because David sent comforters to you [that] David honors your father? Is it not for the purpose of exploring [so as] to overthrow and spy out the land that his servants have come to you?"

And they went and told David concerning the men, and he inquired of them, for the men were very disgraced. And the king said, "Dwell in Jericho until your beards grow out; then return."

And he said, "If Aram is too strong for me, then you must be a help to me, but if the {Ammonites} are too strong for you, then I will help you.

And the people who [were] in it he brought out, and {he set them to work with saws and iron implements and axes}. Thus David did to all the cities of the {Ammonites}. Then David returned, and all the nation [went] with him.

So David said to Joab and to the commanders of the nation, "Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring a report to me that I might know their number."

But Joab said, "May Yahweh add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king's servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?"

Then David said to God, "I have sinned severely [in] that I have done this thing. But now, please forgive the sin of your servant, for I have been very foolish."

So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: 'Choose for yourself:

Then David said to Gad, "{I am very troubled}. Let me into the hand of Yahweh, for his compassion is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of a man."

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as [he was about] to destroy [it], Yahweh saw and was grieved on account of the calamity. Then he said to the angel, the destroyer, "[It is] enough; slacken your hand." And the angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then David said to God, "Was it not I [who] gave a command to count the people? Now I [am] he who has sinned, and I have certainly done wickedness, but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh, my God, please let your hand be against me and against the house of my father, but against your people, [let there be] no plague."

Then David said to Ornan, "Please give me the place, the threshing floor, that I might build an altar on it to Yahweh; at full price please give it to me, that the plague against the people might be stopped."

And Ornan said to David, "Take [it] to yourself; let my lord the king do what [is] good in his eyes. See, I give the cattle for the burnt offerings and threshing sledges for the wood and wheat for the grain offering--I give [it] all."

But King David said to Ornan, "No, for I will certainly buy [it] at full value; indeed, I will not take what is yours for Yahweh and offer burnt offerings for nothing."

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

Then David said, "Solomon my son [is] a boy and inexperienced, and the house built for Yahweh [must be] exceedingly great in fame and splendor throughout every land. I will make preparations for him." So David provided abundant [materials] before he died.

And David said to Solomon his son, "I myself had in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God,

Now set your heart and mind to seek Yahweh your Go, and arise and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, that the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the holy vessels of God might be brought into the house built for the name of Yahweh.

Of these, [David said,] "Twenty-four thousand [are] to direct the work of the house of Yahweh, along with six thousand judges and officials

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things. He and his sons [were] to burn offerings forever before Yahweh to serve him and to bless in his name forever.

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

And David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, [of] Heman, and [of] Jeduthun, who prophesied with stringed instruments, with harps, and with cymbals. And their inventory of the men of the work [and] for their duty was:

And King David rose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. {I myself wanted} to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the footstool of our God, and I prepared to build.

But God said to me, 'You may not build a house for my name because you [are] a man of war, and you have shed blood.'

And from all my sons--for Yahweh has given many sons to me--he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel.

And he said to me, 'Solomon your son, he himself shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him as a son to myself, and I myself will be as a father to him,

So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek all the commandments of Yahweh your God so that you may take possession of this good land and bestow [it] as an inheritance to your children after you forever."

Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do [this]! Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for Yahweh God, my God, [is] with you. He will not fail you and will not forsake you until all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh is finished.

Then David the king said to all the assembly, "God has chosen Solomon my son alone, a young man and inexperienced, and the work [is] great, for the citadel [is] not for humankind, but for Yahweh God.

Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, "Blessed [are] you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!

And David said to all the assembly, "Bless Yahweh your God!" And all the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. And they bowed down and prostrated themselves before Yahweh and the king.

Then Solomon sat upon the throne of Yahweh as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.

And Yahweh made Solomon exceedingly great in the sight of all Israel, and he bestowed upon him royal splendor that was not [bestowed] upon any king before him in Israel.