And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and subjected the land to a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt and died there.

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his taxation, to give it to Pharaoh-nechoh.

Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;

And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and artificers and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house he burnt with fire.

And the fire-pans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

And Gedaliah swore to them, and to their men, and said to them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

And his allowance was a continual allowance given him by the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant for a wife; and she bore him Attai.

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

And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were artificers.

And his wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh whom Mered took.

These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

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

And they found rich pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and dwelt in their room: because there was pasture there for their flocks.

And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

Now the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel, (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birth-right.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birth-right was Joseph's:)

The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and sixty, that went out to the war.

And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated by them; because they put their trust in him.

For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

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

But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt-offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

Now these are their dwelling-places throughout their castles in their limits, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot.

And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.

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

And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.

And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valor, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

And Machir took for a wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.

All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father's house, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were fit for war and for battle was twenty and six thousand men.

So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.

And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and sixty; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

In four quarters were the porters, towards the east, west, north and south.

For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.

Then said Saul to his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;

So David became greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.

And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

Of the three, he was more honorable than the two; for he was their captain: but he attained not to the first three.

And of the Gadites there separated themselves to David in the hold in the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;

Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be to thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.

And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host.

For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

The children of Judah that bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed for war.

Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand and one hundred.

Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.

And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.

And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.

Moreover, they that were nigh them, even to Issachar, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and provision, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.

And let us bring again to us the ark of our God: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.

And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

And when they came to the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted on high, because of his people Israel.

And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the LORD said to him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thy hand.

And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.

And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt go out to battle: for God hath gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.

And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.

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

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

And said to them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark.

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.

So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt-sacrifices and peace-offerings before God.

And which he confirmed to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

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 people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

O give thanks to the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;

And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

Then Nathan said to David, Do all that is in thy heart; for God is with thee.

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

Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning.

He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.