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."

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

Then said David to God, "I have sinned exceedingly in doing this thing. Nevertheless, yet do away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done above measure foolishly."

"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.'"

'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 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 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."

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.

At that time, when David saw that the LORD had heard him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he used to offer there.

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

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 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.

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.

"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.

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

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

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

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 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.

These are the children of Levi in the households of their fathers the ancient heads, viewed and numbered by name and poll by poll from twenty year and above, to work in the service of the house of the LORD.

For David said, "The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, and they shall dwell in Jerusalem forever.

"To wait at the hands of the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, and to have the oversight of the courts and of the store houses, and of the purifying of all holy things, and of the work of the things that served for the house of God,

as the shewbread, the fine flour, the meat offerings, the flawnes of sweet bread, and of the things baken in the frying pan, or broiled on the gridiron, and on all manner measures and size

And to wait on every offering of burnt sacrifices unto the LORD, the Sabbaths and first days of the months, and other feastful days by number and custom, was their office ever before the LORD.

And that they should wait on the tabernacle of witness and on the holy place, and on the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

And David ordered them on this manner: Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar to be in office by course.

And they put them in order by lot, one with another that there should be rulers in the sanctuary and lords before God as well of the sons of Ithamar as of the sons of Eleazar.

And Shimeah the son of Nethanel the Scribe of the Levites wrote them before the king and the lords, and before Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the ancient heads of the priests and of the Levites: one principal household for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.

This is the order of them in their offices, to come into the house of the LORD according to their manner under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These are of the children of Levi in the households of their fathers.

And these cast lots next to their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king and Zadok and Ahimelech and the ancient heads and priests of the Levites: as well the youngest brother as an ancient head.

The sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, Asharelah, to wait on Asaph which prophesied by the king.

All these were at the hand of their father to sing in the house of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries and harps in the service of the house of God. And at the hand of the king was Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman:

But the multitude of them were with their brethren that were cunning in the song of the LORD. And the number of all that taught, were two hundred and fourscore and eight.

And unto Shemaiah his son were sons born that ruled in the house of their father, for they were men of might.

Unto these was divided the office of the portership as unto heads over the men that waited with their brethren and ministered in the house of the LORD.

And they cast lots: the small as well as the great in the households of their fathers, from gate to gate.

And to Shuppim and Hosah fell the west with the gate Shallecheth, where the way ascendeth upward, the one way being fast by the other.

In the East kept six Levites: in the North four a day, and in the South four a day, and in every counsel house, two,

and in the watchhouses, on the way westward, four: two in a house.

and the captains of the host had dedicated of the spoil won in battle, to maintain the house of the LORD:

And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of activity a thousand and seven hundred, were officers in Israel on this side Jordan westward, in all businesses of the LORD and service of the king.

And Jerijah was the chiefest among the kindreds and fathers of the Hebronites. And in the fortieth year of the kingdom of David they were sought for. And there were found of them men of activity at Jazer in Gilead.

And his brethren were in men of activity, two thousand and seven hundred ancient heads, which king David made rulers over the Reubenites, Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh in all matters pertaining to God and businesses of the king.

So speak of the children of Israel: in the number of them were ancient heads and captains of thousands and hundreds, and officers that served the king in all things according to the companies that came in or went out, month by month throughout all the months of the year. And every company had twenty four thousand.

Over the first company in the first month, was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel. And in his number twenty four thousand.

And the chiefest of all the captains in the host of the first month was of the children of Perez.

Over the company of the second month Dodai an Ahohite, and in his host was Mikloth a ruler. And in his company were twenty four thousand.

The chief captain of the third host in the third month, was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada the priest. And in his host twenty four thousand.

This is the Benaiah mighty among thirty and above thirty. And in his part was Ammizabad his son.

The fourth captain in the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him. And in his host were twenty four thousand.

The fifth captain in the fifth month was: Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his host were twenty four thousand.

The sixth captain in the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh a Tekoite: and in his host were twenty four thousand.

The seventh captain in the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his host twenty four thousand.

The eighth Captain in the eighth month was Sibbecai an Hushathite of the kin of Sarah. And in his host twenty four thousand.

The ninth Captain in the ninth month was Abiezer an Antothite of the sons of Benjamin: and in his host twenty four thousand.

The tenth captain in the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites. And in his host twenty four thousand.

The eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite of the children of Ephraim: and in his host twenty four thousand.

The twelfth Captain in the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel, and in his host twenty four thousand.

In Judah, Elihu of the brethren of David. In Issachar, Omri the son of Michael.

In Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah. In Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel.

Among the children of Ephraim, Hosea the son of Azaziah. In the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah.

Of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zachariah. In Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner.

In Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These are the lords in the tribes of Israel.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number. And though he finished it not, yet there fell wrath for that upon Israel. And therefore the number was not put in the chronicles of king David.

Over the king's treasure was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasure of the fields, in the cities, villages and castles, was Jonathan, the son of Uzziah.

And over the workmen in the fields that tilled the ground, was Ezri the son of Chelub.

And the oversight of the vineyards had Shemaiah the Ramathite. Over the wine cellars and treasure of wine was Zabdi the Shipmite.

And over the olive trees and mulberry trees that were in the valleys was Baalhanan the Gederite. And over the treasure of oil was Joash.

And over the oxen that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. And over the oxen in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai.

And Jonathan, David's brother's son, a man of counsel, a man that taught wisdom, and a writer: he and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni waited on the king's sons.

And king David stood upon his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had in mine heart to build a house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, and a footstool for our God, and had made ready to build.

Moreover, the LORD God of Israel chose me of all the house of my father, to be king over Israel forever, for he chose Judah to be a captain: and in the house of Judah the house of my father, and of the sons of my father he had a lust to me, to make me king over all Israel.

And of all my sons - for the LORD hath given me many sons - he hath chosen Solomon my son, to sit on the seat of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

And now I say unto you before all Israel, the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God: keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God, that ye may enjoy a good land and inherit your children after you forever.

and the example of all that was in his mind, both of the courts of the house of the LORD and of the treasure houses round about, for the treasures of the house of God and for the treasure of the dedicated gifts,