Jabez called out to the God of Israel, "If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!" God answered his prayer.

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.

Therefore said Saul unto his armour-bearer, Draw out thy sword and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he feared greatly, - so then Saul took the sword, and fell upon 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!

And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was within the gate, and bare it, and brought it in unto David, - yet would not David drink it, but poured it out unto Yahweh;

and said - Far be it from me, of my God, that I should do this! The blood of these men, shall I drink, with their lives? For, with their lives, have they brought it! So he would not drink it. These things, did the three heroes.

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.")

And all the congregation 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.

And Joab said, May the Lord make his people a hundred times more in number than they are; but, my lord king, are they not all my lord's servants? why would my lord have this done? why will he become a cause of sin 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.

But David took not the number of them, from twenty years old, and under, - because Yahweh had said, he would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.

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?