Then said David - I will show lovingkindness unto Hanun, son of Nahash, - for his father shewed unto me lovingkindness. So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father, - and the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, to console him.

Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, Doth David honour thy father in thine eyes, that he hath sent to thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring and overthrowing, and spying out the land, that his servants have come to thee?

And people went and told David, concerning the men, so he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, - and the king said - Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, and then return.

And, when the sons of Ammon saw, that they had made themselves odious with David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves - out of Mesopotamia, and out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah, - chariots, and horsemen.

So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah, and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba, - and the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and entered into the war.

So, when Joab saw that the battle confronted him, before and behind, - he chose out of all the choice in Israel, and set in array to meet the Syrians;

and, the rest of the people, delivered he into the hand of Abishai his brother, - and they set in array, to meet the sons of Ammon.

And he said - If, too strong for me, be the Syrians, then shalt thou come to my help, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I help thee.

Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, - and let, Yahweh, do, what is good in his own eyes.

And, when, the sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled, they also, from before Abishai his brother, and entered the city, - and Joab came to Jerusalem.

And the Syrians fled from before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, - and, Shophach captain of the army, he put to death.

And it came to pass, at the time of the turn of the year, at the time of the going forth of kings, that Joab led forth the force of the army, and laid waste the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah, but, David, was tarrying in Jerusalem, - and Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it.

and, the people that were therein, brought he forth, and cut with the saw and with threshing sledges of iron and with axes, thus also, used David to do unto all the cities of the son of Ammon, - and David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And it came to pass, after this, that there was yet again a battle in Gezer, with the Philistines, - then, Sibbecai the Hushathite smote Sippai of the children of the giants, and they were subdued.

And there again came to be a battle with the Philistines, - and Elhanan son of Jair smote Lahmi, brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear, was like a weaver's beam.

And there again came to be war with Gath, - where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes, six on each hand and foot, were four and twenty, and, he also, had been born unto the giant.

Then the accuser stood up, against Israel, - and moved David, to number Israel.

Then said Joab, May Yahweh add unto his people, as many as they are, a hundred times, but are they not, my lord O king, all of them my lord's, as servants? wherefore should my lord seek this? wherefore should it become guilt to Israel?

But, the word of the king, prevailed against Joab, - and Joab departed, and went to and fro throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

And Joab delivered the sum of the number of the people, unto David, - and all Israel was found to be a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men, who drew sword, and Judah, four hundred and seventy thousand men, who drew sword.

Go - and thou shalt speak unto David, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee, - choose thee one from among them, that I may do it unto thee.

So Gad came unto David, - and said to him, Thus, saith Yahweh,

And God sent a messenger to Jerusalem, to lay it waste, but, as he was laying it waste, Yahweh looked, and relented concerning the calamity, and said unto the messenger who was laying waste, Enough! now, stay thy hand. And, the messenger of Yahweh, was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David said unto God, Was it not, I, who gave word to number the people? Yea, I, it was who sinned and did the great wrong, what then had, these sheep, done? O Yahweh, my God, let thy hand, I beseech thee, be against me, and against the house of my father, but not against, thy people, that they should be plagued!

And, the messenger of Yahweh, commanded Gad, to say unto David, - that David should go up, to rear an altar unto Yahweh, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

So David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spake in the name of Yahweh.

Then came David unto Ornan, - and Ornan looked, and saw David, and went forth out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself unto David, with his face to the ground.

And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do what is good in his own eyes, - see! I have given the oxen for ascending-sacrifices, and, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for a meal-offering, - the whole, have I given.

Then said King David to Ornan, Nay! but I will, surely buy, it for silver in full, - for I will not take that which is thine for Yahweh, nor offer an ascending-sacrifice that hath cost me nothing.

So David gave to Ornan, for the place, - shekels of gold, by weight, six hundred.

And David built there an altar unto Yahweh, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices, and peace-offerings, - and called unto Yahweh, and he responded to him, by fire, out of the heavens, upon the altar of ascending-sacrifice.

And Yahweh gave word to tile messenger, and he put back his sword into its sheath.

and David could not go before it, to seek God, - for he had been terrified, because of the sword of the messenger of Yahweh.

And David gave word, to gather together the sojourners, who were in the land of Israel, - and he set hewers to hew squared stones, for building the house of God;

And David said, Solomon my son, is young and tender, and, the house to be built, must be great and lofty and famous and beautiful, for all lands, - oh let me then prepare for it. So David prepared abundantly, before his death.

Then he called for Solomon his son, - and charged him, to build a house, for Yahweh, God of Israel.

And David said to Solomon his son, - As for me, it was, near my heart, to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God;

Lo! a son, born to thee, He, shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies, round about, - for, Solomon, shall be his Name, and, peace and quietness, will I bestow upon Israel, in his days;

Then, shalt thou prosper, if thou take heed to do the statutes and the regulations, which Yahweh commanded Moses, concerning Israel, - be strong and bold, thou mayst not be in fear, nor be dismayed.

for gold and for silver and for bronze and for iron, without number. Arise and do, and Yahweh be with thee!

And David charged all the rulers of Israel, to help Solomon his son: -

Now, apply your heart and your soul, to seek unto Yahweh your God, - and then arise ye and build the sanctuary of Yahweh Elohim, that ye may bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and the holy vessels of God, into the house which hath been built for the Name of Yahweh.

Of these - to preside over the work of the house of Yahweh, were twenty-four thousand, - and officers and judges, six thousand;

And David divided them into courses, - pertaining to the sons of Levi, to Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

The sons of Amram, Aaron and Moses, - and Aaron was separated, to hallow the holy of holies, he and his sons, unto times age-abiding, to make a perfume before Yahweh, to be in attendance upon him, and to bless in his name, unto times age-abiding;

moreover also, as for the Levites, they have no need to bear the habitation, nor any of its vessels in the laborious work thereof.

For, their duty, was - to be in attendance upon the sons of Aaron, in the laborious work of the house of Yahweh, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purifying of everything holy, - and doing the laborious work, of the house of God;

and to stand, morning by morning, to give thanks and offer praise unto Yahweh, - and, likewise, at even;

and for all the offering of ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, - by number, according to the manner prescribed for them continually, before Yahweh; -

and David apportioned to them courses, both to Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and to Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, - by their appointed place in their service.

But the sons of Eleazar were found to be more numerous, by the chiefs of their able men, than were the sons of Ithamar, so they divided them, - the sons of Eleazar, had chiefs, of the ancestral house, sixteen, whereas, the sons of Ithamar, had of their ancestral house, eight.

And Shemaiah son of Nethanel the scribe from among the Levites, wrote them down, before the king and the rulers and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the ancestral chiefs, pertaining to the priests and to the Levites, - one ancestral house, was taken for Eleazar, and, was equally taken, for Ithamar.

These, were their appointed places for their service, for entering the house of Yahweh, according to the regulation of them, by the hand of Aaron their father, - just as Yahweh God of Israel, commanded him.

and, the sons of Mushi, Mahli and Eder and Jerimoth. These, were the sons of the Levites, belonging to their ancestral house.

Moreover, they also, cast lots along with their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king and Zadok and Ahimelech, and the ancestral chiefs, pertaining to the priests and to the Levites, the ancestral chief along with his younger brethren.

All these, were sons of Heman, the seer of the king in the things of God, at the lifting of the horn. And God gave to Heman, fourteen sons and three daughters,

And, the number of them - with their brethren, who were instructed in singing unto Yahweh, - even all the skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight.

And the first lot came forth for Asaph, to Joseph, - Gedaliah, the second, he and his brethren and his sons, twelve.

The fourth, to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

The twelfth, to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the fifteenth, to Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the sixteenth, to Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the eighteenth, to Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the nineteenth, to Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the twentieth, to Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the twenty-second, to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the twenty-third, to Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

As the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

To the courses of the door-keepers, pertained, - of the Korahites, Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph;

And, to Shemaiah his son, were born sons, who bare rule to their ancestral house, - for, heroes of valour, were they.

All these, were of the sons of Obed-edom, they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service, - sixty-two, pertaining to Obed-edom.

To these, belonged the courses of door-keepers, to the chiefs of the strong men, belonged charges, equally with their brethren, - to be in attendance in the house of Yahweh.

And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. And, for Zechariah his son, a discreet counselor, they cast lots, and his lot came out, northward.

To Obed-edom, southward, - and, to his sons, the storehouse.

To Shuppim and to Hosah, westward, near the refuse-gate, in the causeway that goeth up, - one ward as well as another.

Eastward - daily, were six, - northward - daily, four, southward - daily, four, and, for the stores, two and two.

For the precinct - westward, four, at the causeway, two - by the precinct.

And, the Levites, their brethren, were over the treasuries of the house of God, even to the treasuries of hallowed things.

The sons of Ladan - the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan - the ancestral chiefs belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli;

And, his brethren pertaining to Eliezer, were Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomoth his son.

out of the battles and out of the spoil, had they hallowed them , - to strengthen the provision for the house of Yahweh.

and, his brethren that were heroes of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred, ancestral chiefs, - so David the king gave them oversight, over the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manassites, in all the affairs of God, and the affairs of the king.

Now, the sons of Israel - as to the number of them, the ancestral chiefs - and rulers of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who waited upon the king as to any matter of the courses, who came in and went out month by month, for all the months of the year, in each course, were twenty-four thousand.

Joab son of Zeruiah, began to number, but finished not, when there arose, on this account, indignation against Israel, - neither did the number come up into the account of the chronicles of King David.

And, over the flocks, was Jaziz, the Hagrite. All these, were rulers over the possessions that belonged to King David.

And, Ahitophel, was counsellor to the king. And, Hushai the Archite, was the companion of the king.

And David called together all the rulers of Israel, the rulers of tribes and the rulers of the courses who waited upon the king, - and the rulers of thousands and the rulers of hundreds, and the rulers over all the possessions and substance that belonged to the king and to his sons, with the courtiers and the heroes, even every hero of valour, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king rose up on his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people, - As for me, it was near my heart, to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God, and I made ready to build.

But, God, said to me, Thou shalt not build a house for my Name, - for, a man of war, thou art, and, blood, hast thou shed.

Howbeit Yahweh, God of Israel, made choice of me, out of all of the house of my father, to become king over Israel unto times age-abiding, for, of Judah, had he made choice to be chief ruler, and, in the house of Judah, the house of my father, - and, among the sons of my father, with me, was he well-pleased, to make me king over all Israel;

and, from among all my sons, - for, many sons, hath Yahweh given me, - he hath made choice of Solomon my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh, over Israel.

So will I establish his kingdom, unto times age-abiding, - if he be strong, to do my commandments and my regulations, as at this day.

Now, therefore, in the eyes of all Israel - the convocation of Yahweh, and in the ears of our God, Observe and seek all the commandments of Yahweh your God, - to the end that ye may possess the good land, - and suffer your sons after you to inherit it, unto times age-abiding.

See! now, that, Yahweh, hath made choice of thee, to build a house for a sanctuary - be strong and do!

and the plan of all which had come by the spirit to be with him, for the courts of the house of Yahweh, and for all the rooms round about, - for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of hallowed things;

and a weight, for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by the weight of each several lampstand, and the lamps thereof, - and for the lampstands of silver by weight, for each lampstand and the lamps thereof, according to the service of each several lampstand.

the whole in writing, From the hand of Yahweh upon me, to give understanding, - all the works of the pattern.

Of gold for the gold, and of silver for the silver, and for all manner of work in the hand of artificers, - Who then is ready to offer willingly, by filling his hand to-day, unto Yahweh?