And Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would surely bless me and enlarge my border. And may your hand be with me, that you would keep me from evil so that it might not harm me!" And God granted what he asked.

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.

Some of them were in charge of the utensils used in worship. They would count them when they brought them in and when they took them out.

Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate!

Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that [was] by the gate and brought [it] and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh.

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 them, and said to them, If you have come in peace to give me help, my heart will be united with yours; but if you have come to give me up to those who would take my life, though my hands are clean from wrongdoing, then may the God of our fathers see it and give you punishment.

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.")

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

As a result, David would not take the ark into the City of David for it to be in his care. Instead, he took it to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite.

And when they were come as far as Baalperazim, David beat them there. And David said, "God hath divided mine enemies with mine hand as a man would divide water." And therefore they called the name of the said place Baalperazim.

He would not let anyone do them wrong; he even kept back kings because of them,

and since the time I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and will bring under all thine enemies - for I told thee that the LORD would build thee a house.

When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel's best men and deployed them against the Arameans.

And the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were routed before Israel, and they made peace with David, and became his servants. And the Syrians would no more help the children of Ammon.

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?"

"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.

They cast lots, both young and old, according to their families, to determine which gate they would be responsible for.

David didn’t count the men aged 20 or under, for the Lord had said He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.

And now our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. For what am I? And what is my people, that would obtain strength to be so willing?