he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him and to bless him, because he had fought with Hadadezer and beaten him - for Thou had war with Hadadezer - and sent all manner of Jewels of gold, silver and brass with him.

And king David dedicated them also unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he brought from all nations, from the Edomites, from the Moabites, from the children of Ammon, from the Philistines, from the Amalekites.

And Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the salt valley eighteen thousand,

and put Soldiers in Edom, and all Edom became David's servants: for the LORD kept David in all that he took in hand.

And David reigned over all Israel and did right and equity unto all his people.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud recorder,

and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Shavsha was scribe,

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites and the eldest sons of David waited at the king's hand.

After this it chanced that Nahash king of the children of Ammon died, and his son made king in his stead.

Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father dealt kindly with me." And thereupon David sent messengers to comfort him over the death of his father. And when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him,

the lords of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father in thy sight, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Nay, but it is to search and overthrow and to spy out the land, that his servants be come unto thee."

Whereupon Hanun took David's servants and shaved them, and cut off their coats hard by their buttocks and sent them away.

And there went that told David how the men were served. And the king sent to meet them - for the men were exceedingly ashamed - and said, "Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return."

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank in the nose of David, Hanun, and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire the chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia and out of Arammaacah and out of Zobah.

And they hired thirty two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, which came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and went out to battle.

And as soon as David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the host of strong men.

And the children of Ammon came out and put them in array to battle before the gate of the city. And the kings that were come kept them by themselves in the field.

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was before him and after, he chose out of all the youth of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he delivered unto Abishai his brother, that they should put themselves in array against the children of Ammon,

and said, "If the Syrians be too strong for me, succor me, and if the children of Ammon be too good for thee, I will help thee.

Pluck up thine heart and let us play the men for our people's sake, and for the cities of our God, and the LORD to do what seemeth him best."

And Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh to the Syrians, to fight, and they fled before him.

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they ran away likewise, from Abishai his brother and gat them into the city. And Joab came to Jerusalem.

And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they sent messengers and fetched out the Syrians that are beyond the river with Shophach the Captain of the host of Hadadezer before them.

Which, when it was told David, he gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan and went and set upon them. And David put himself in array against the Syrians, and they fought with him.

But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and slew forty thousand footmen and killed Shophach the Captain of the host.

And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon anymore.

And the year following about the time that kings go out a warfare, Joab carried out the army of the host and destroyed the country of the children of Ammon, and went and besieged Rabbah and destroyed it: But David bode at Jerusalem while Joab smote Rabbah and destroyed it.

And David took the crown of their king off his head, and found therein the weight of a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it, and it was set on David's head. And he brought out also the spoil of the city, which was exceeding much.

And he brought out the people that were in it and tamed them with saws and harrows of iron and with brakes, and so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And then David and all the people came again to Jerusalem.

After that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines. At which time Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai that was of the children of Rephaim, and they were subdued.

And there was battle again with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear was like the beam of a weaver.

And there chanced yet again war at Gath, where was a man of a size with twenty four fingers and toes, six on every hand and six on every foot, and was the son of Haraphah and defied Israel.

And Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, slew him.

These were born of Haraphah at Gath and were overthrown by the hand of David and of his servants.

And Satan stood up against Israel, and persuaded David to number Israel.

And David said to Joab and the rulers of the people, "Go ye and number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring it to me that I may know the number of them."

And Joab answered, "The LORD make thy people a hundred times so many more as they be. But my lord king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why should my lord be a cause of trespass to Israel?"

Neverthelater, the king's words prevailed against Joab. And Joab took his way and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem

and gave the number of the count of the people unto David. And all Israel were in number a thousand, thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew sword.

But the Levites and Benjamin he counted not among them. For the king's deed seemed abominable to Joab.

And God was displeased with this thing, and smote Israel.

And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer of visions, saying,

"Go and tell David saying, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: I give thee the choice of three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do unto thee.'"

And Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus sayeth the LORD:

'Choose thee either three years' famishment, or three months to be consumed of thine adversaries, the sword of thine enemies overtaking thee: or else the sword of the LORD three days and pestilence in the land, the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel.' And now advise thyself what word I shall bring again unto him that sent me."

And David said to Gad, "I am in an exceeding strait. But let me fall in to the hands of the LORD, for passing great is his mercy, and let me not fall unto the hands of men."

And the LORD sent pestilence upon all Israel, so that there were overthrown of Israel seventy thousand men.

And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. And as he was about to destroy, the LORD beheld and had compassion on the wretchedness, and said to the angel that destroyed, "It is enough, now cease thine hand." And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and heaven with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out toward Jerusalem. Then fell David and the elders of Israel, clothed in sack, upon their faces.

And David said unto God, "Is it not I that commanded to number the people? And I am he that have sinned and done evil in deed. But what have these sheep done? Let thine hand therefore O LORD God be on me and on my father's house, and not on thy people to destroy them."

And the Angel commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go and rear up an altar unto the LORD, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David went at the saying of Gad which spake in the name of the LORD.

And Ornan turned about and saw the Angel, and his four sons with him, and hid themselves: for Oman was threshing wheat.

And David came to Ornan. And when Ornan looked and saw David, he went out of the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

And David said to Ornan, "Give me the place of the threshing floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD. Let me have it for as much money as it is worth, that the plague may cease from the people."

And Ornan said to David, "Take it to thee, and let my lord king do that seemeth good in his eyes. See, I give thee oxen for a burnt sacrifice, and the threshing sleds for wood, and wheat for meat offering: I give it all."

But king David said to Ornan, "Not so, but I will buy it for as much money as it is worth. I will not take that which is thine, for the LORD, and offer burnt offering without cost."

And so David gave to Ornan for the place sicles of gold, six hundred by weight.

And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called unto the LORD and he heard him from heaven in fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

And the LORD commanded the Angel to put up his sword again to the sheath of it.

For the tabernacle of the LORD which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were that season in the hill at Gibeon.

And David could not go before it to seek God, because he was afraid of the sword of the Angel of the LORD.

And David said, "This is the house of the LORD God, and this the burnt offering altar for Israel."

And David commanded to gather the strangers that were in the land of Israel, and set hewers to hew stone, to build the house of God.

And David prepared plenty of iron for nails to the doors of the gates and to join with all, and abundance of brass without weight,

and of Cedar trees without number. For the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought much Cedar wood to David.

For David thus thought, "Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD, must exceed in greatness, that it may be spoken of and praised in all lands. I will therefore make ordinance for it." And so David prepared abundance before his death.

And he called Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.

And David said to Salomon, "My son, I had in mine heart to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God.

But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Thou hast shed much blood, and hast made many battles. Thou shalt not build a house for my name, for thou hast shed much blood to the earth in my sight.

Behold, a son shall be born thee which shall be a man of rest, for I will give him rest from all his enemies round about. And his name shall be Solomon: for I will send rest and peace upon Israel in his days.

He shall build a house for my name, and he shall be my son, and I will be his father, and will establish the seat of his kingdom upon Israel forever.'

Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; that thou mayest prosper and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

And the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and make thee governor of Israel, and to keep the law of the LORD thy God.

For then thou shalt prosper: If thou shalt be diligent to do the ordinances and laws which the LORD charged Moses with, to deliver to Israel. Pluck up thine heart and be strong, dread not, nor be discouraged.

Behold: in mine adversity I have prepared for the house of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand, thousand talents of silver, and as for brass and iron it cannot be numbered, it is so much. And I have prepared timber and stone, and shalt provide more thereto.

Moreover, thou hast workmen enough and masons and carpenters to work in stone and timber, and all manner of wise men for whatsoever work it be.

And of gold, silver, brass and iron there is no number. Up, therefore, and set upon it, and the LORD shall be with thee."

And David commanded all the lords of Israel, to help Solomon his son, saying,

"Is not the LORD your God with you? And hath he not given you rest on every side? For he hath given the inhabiters of the land into mine hand and the land is subdued before the LORD and before his people.

Now therefore set your hearts and your souls to seek the LORD your God. And up, and build ye the temple of the LORD God, to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God into the house so built for the name of the LORD."

And when David was old and stricken in years, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

And then he gathered together all the lords of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

And the Levites were numbered from thirty years and above, and the tale of them in men, poll by poll, was thirty eight thousand.

Of which twenty four thousand were set to further the work of the house of the LORD. And six thousand were officers and judges.

Four thousand were porters and four thousand praised the LORD with such instruments as David had made to praise withal.

And David put an order among the children of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Of the Gershonites was Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan: the chief was Jehiel and then Zetham and Joel, three.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the ancient heads of Ladan.

And the sons of Shimei were also Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah: these four were the sons of Shimei.

And Jahath was the chief, Zina the second. But Jeush and Beriah had not many sons, and therefore they were reckoned for one ancient household.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was appointed to consecrate in the place most holy, with his sons forever: and to burn the offerings before the LORD, and to minister, and to bless in his name forever.

And as for Moses the man of God, his children were named with the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

And of the sons of Gershom: Shebuel was the chief.

The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons: But the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

And of the sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the chief.