Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.

These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four, by Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel;

Meonothai became the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen.

The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

These were the potters and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.

and all their villages that were around the same cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy.

They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly were Hamites.

These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright.

To the east he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle had increased in the land of Gilead.

Now the sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah.

They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon, as far as their borders.

They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him.

For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they settled in their place until the exile.

As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son and Nahath his son,

Their kinsmen 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.

Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot),

and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

Now the sons of Issachar were four: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

With them by their generations according to their fathers’ households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons.

Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters.

Their possessions and settlements were Bethel with its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with its towns, and Shechem with its towns as far as Ayyah with its towns,

All these were the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes. And the number of them enrolled by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men.

So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away into exile to Babylon for their unfaithfulness.

and their relatives, heads of their fathers’ households, 1,760 very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

being stationed until now at the king’s gate to the east). These were the gatekeepers for the camp of the sons of Levi.

The gatekeepers were on the four sides, to the east, west, north and south.

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

Now some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out.

Now these are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the chambers of the temple free from other service; for they were engaged in their work day and night.

Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.

So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it,

David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

As for Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the thirty, and he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them; and he had a name as well as the thirty.

From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”

They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army.

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

Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.

Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100.

Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them.

Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.

and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons and carpenters, to build a house for him.

And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel.

David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” Then the Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.”

They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire.

It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”

David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer.

Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him on all the nations.

Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.”

And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place which he had prepared for it.

Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab,

and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.

And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.

Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

“Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;

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

In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?’”’

I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again; and the wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly,

even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you.

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

Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?

This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O Lord God.

What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant.

O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?

For Your people Israel You made Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, became their God.

For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You.

And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his rule to the Euphrates River.

David took from him 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.

he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze.

So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.

Then certain persons went and told David about the men. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”

When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and from Zobah.

So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle.

He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants.

But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.