Two sons were born to Eber: the first was named Peleg, for during his lifetime the earth was divided; his brother's name was Joktan.

These six were born to David in Hebron, where he ruled for seven years and six months. He ruled thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

These were the sons born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon -- the mother of these four was Bathsheba the daughter of Ammiel.

Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, "I experienced pain when I gave birth to him."

(His Judahite wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered married.

They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there and worked for the king.

They also lived in all the settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements; they kept genealogical records.

They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep.

The men whose names are listed came during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and attacked the Hamites' settlements, as well as the Meunites they discovered there, and they wiped them out to this very day. They dispossessed them, for they found pasture for their sheep there.

and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. They lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal Meon.

In the east they settled as far as the entrance to the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, for their cattle had increased in numbers in the land of Gilead.

The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men in their combined armies, warriors who carried shields and swords, were equipped with bows, and were trained for war.

Because God fought for them, they killed many of the enemy. They dispossessed the Hagrites and lived in their land until the exile.

The half-tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan as far as Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They grew in number.

But Aaron and his descendants offered sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar for incense as they had been assigned to do in the most holy sanctuary. They made atonement for Israel, just as God's servant Moses had ordered.

These were the areas where Aaron's descendants lived: The following belonged to the Kohathite clan, for they received the first allotment:

The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron -- four in all.

According to the genealogical records of their families, they had 36,000 warriors available for battle, for they had numerous wives and sons.

Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days and his brothers came to console him.

Their property and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding towns, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its surrounding towns to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding towns as far as Ayyah and its surrounding towns.

The gatekeepers were posted on all four sides -- east, west, north, and south.

Their relatives, who lived in their settlements, came from time to time and served with them for seven-day periods.

The four head gatekeepers, who were Levites, were assigned to guard the storerooms and treasuries in God's sanctuary.

They would spend the night in their posts all around God's sanctuary, for they were assigned to guard it and would open it with the key every morning.

Mattithiah, a Levite, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was in charge of baking the bread for offerings.

The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks.

all the warriors went and recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their remains under the oak tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.

David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David.

David's power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies was with him.

He was with David in Pas Dammim when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines,

Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the desert. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills.

Some men from Manasseh joined David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying: "It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.")

They helped David fight against raiding bands, for all of them were warriors and leaders in the army.

From Zebulun there were 50,000 warriors who were prepared for battle, equipped with all kinds of weapons, and ready to give their undivided loyalty.

From Dan there were 28,600 men prepared for battle.

From Asher there were 40,000 warriors prepared for battle.

They spent three days feasting there with David, for their relatives had given them provisions.

Also their neighbors, from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There were large supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, beef, and lamb, for Israel was celebrating.

Let's move the ark of our God back here, for we did not seek his will throughout Saul's reign."

The whole assembly agreed to do this, for the proposal seemed right to all the people.

The ark of God remained in Obed-Edom's house for three months; the Lord blessed Obed-Edom's family and everything that belonged to him.

King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him.

David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, then attack. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."

So David became famous in all the lands; the Lord caused all the nations to fear him.

David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually.

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

He told them: "You are the leaders of the Levites' families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it.

Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter;

They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

He let no one oppress them, he disciplined kings for their sake,

For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise, he is more awesome than all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the Lord made the heavens.

Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures.

regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.

Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)

Nathan said to David, "You should do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you."

For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.

Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, 'Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?'"'

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. "'"I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house for you!

When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.

O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.

And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation in the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds when you drove out nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.

You made Israel your very own nation for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.

for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.

Now you are willing to bless your servant's dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future."

David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, when he went to extend his authority to the Euphrates River.

he sent his son Hadoram to King David to extend his best wishes and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Tou had been at war with Hadadezer. He also sent various items made of gold, silver, and bronze.

David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.

David said, "I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal to me." So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father's death. When David's servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king's sympathy,

Messengers came and told David what had happened to the men, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow again; then you may come back."

The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

Be strong! Let's fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!"

When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, led by Shophach the commanding general of Hadadezer's army.

When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and marched against them. David deployed his army against the Arameans for battle and they fought against him.

In a battle in Gath there was a large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot -- twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha.

Now Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king's edict disgusted him.

David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

David said to Gad, "I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!"

David said to God, "Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep -- what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!"

So the Lord's messenger told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the messenger, and he and his four sons hid themselves.

David said to Ornan, "Sell me the threshing floor so I can build on it an altar for the Lord -- I'll pay top price -- so that the plague may be removed from the people."

Ornan told David, "You can have it! My master, the king, may do what he wants. Look, I am giving you the oxen for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for an offering. I give it all to you."

King David replied to Ornan, "No, I insist on buying it for top price. I will not offer to the Lord what belongs to you or offer a burnt sacrifice that cost me nothing.

So David bought the place from Ornan for 600 pieces of gold.

David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. He called out to the Lord, and the Lord responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar.

Now the Lord's tabernacle (which Moses had made in the wilderness) and the altar for burnt sacrifices were at that time at the worship center in Gibeon.

But David could not go before it to seek God's will, for he was afraid of the sword of the Lord's messenger.

David then said, "This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel."

David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God's temple.

David supplied a large amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, more bronze than could be weighed,

David said, "My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man, and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for its construction." So David made extensive preparations before he died.

He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel.

But the Lord said to me: 'You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me.

"Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.