Then all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh. And they anointed David as king over Israel according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Samuel.

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that [is] Jebus). And the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, [were] there.

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not enter here." But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that [is,] the city of David.

Then David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief.

And David lived in the fortress. Therefore they called it the city of David.

And he built the city all around from the Millo and up to the circuit. And Joab restored the remainder of the city.

And David {became greater and greater}. And Yahweh of hosts [was] with him.

And this [is] the numbering of the mighty warriors who [were] for David: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni [was] chief of the three. He himself raised his spear against three hundred [whom he] killed on one occasion.

And after him [was] Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He [was] among the three mighty warriors.

He himself [was] with David at Pas-Dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for the battle. And there was a plot of the field filled with barley, and the people fled before the Philistines.

But they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it. And they killed the Philistines. And Yahweh saved [them] [with] a great victory.

And three of the thirty chiefs went down toward the rock to David at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

And David [was] then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethlehem.

And David had a craving, and he said, "Who could give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that [is] by the gate!"

Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that [was] by the gate and brought [it] and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh.

And he said, "Far be it from me [that] I would do this before my God. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For {at the risk of their lives} they brought it." And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Now Abishai the brother of Joab was himself the head of the three. And he roused himself with his spear against three hundred [whom he] killed and [made] a name for himself among the three.

{He was twice as renowned} among the three and was their commander. But he did not attain to the three.

[And] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] {a strong man} from Kabzeel, [one who did] great deeds. He himself struck down two [sons of] Ariel of Moab. And he himself went down and struck down a lion within a pit on a snowy day.

And he himself struck down an Egyptian man, a large man five cubits [tall]. And in the hand of the Egyptian [was] a spear like a weaver's beam. But he went down to him with a club and seized the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his own spear.

These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did and had a name among the three mighty warriors.

He himself was certainly distinguished among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his bodyguard.

Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tizite,

Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag while he was still shut up because {of Saul}, the son of Kish. And they [were] the mighty warriors helping [with] the war.

The leader [was] Ahiezer, then Jehoash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeonite; Jeiel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites;

Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from the Gedor.

And from the Gadites, valiant mighty warriors, {soldiers fit for war}, expert with shield and spear, defected to David at the fortress toward the wilderness. And {they had faces like lions} [and were] swift as gazelles upon the mountains.

These [were] the sons of Gad, leaders of the army. The smallest one [was] as a hundred, and the greatest as a thousand.

These [were] they who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was filled over its banks. And they put to flight all [who were in] the valley to the east and to the west.

And some of the sons of Benjamin and [from] Judah came to the fortress, to David.

And David went out {to meet them} and answered and said to them, "If you come in peace to me, to help me, {my heart will be joined with you}, but if [you come] to betray me to my adversaries, although [there is] no wrong on my hands, may the God of our fathers see and pass judgment."

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty [who said]: "[We are] yours, O David! And [we are] with you, O son of Jesse! Peace! Peace to you, and peace to those who help you, for your God helps you." So David appointed them as heads of the troops.

And some Manassites deserted to David when he came with the Philistines to the battle against Saul, but he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines sent him away upon counsel, saying, "He will desert to his master Saul at [the cost of] our heads."

When he went to Ziklag some Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jehozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, heads of the thousands that [were] for Manasseh.

And they themselves helped David against the troops, for all of them [were] mighty men of strength and were commanders in the army.

{Day in and day out} they came to David to help him until [there was] a great army, like the army of God.

And these are the numbers of the chiefs of those prepared for the army who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him according to the word of Yahweh.

The sons of Judah bearing shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred armed troops.

Jehoiada the chief officer of [the house of] Aaron, and with him, three thousand seven hundred.

And Zadok, a young man, a mighty warrior of strength, and the house of his father: twenty-two commanders.

From the men of Benjamin, kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, and {even still} the majority of them {remained loyal} to the house of Saul.

And from the men of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred mighty warriors of strength, famous men in the house of their fathers.

And from the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand who were designated by name to come to make David king.

And from the men of Issachar: {men who were skilled in understanding the times} to know what Israel should do. Their chiefs [were] two hundred, and all their kinsmen [were] under their command.

From Zebulun, those who went out armed, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war: fifty thousand to help David {with singleness of purpose}.

From Naphtali: one thousand commanders; and [those] with them with shield and spear: thirty-seven thousand.

And from Asher, those who went out armed [and] prepared for battle: forty thousand.

And from beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all [their] weapons of war for battle: one hundred and twenty thousand.

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

And also their relatives, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen--provisions of flour, cakes of figs, raisin cakes, wine and oil, cattle and sheep in abundance, for [there was] great joy in Israel.

And David consulted with the commanders of thousands and hundreds, with every leader.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "{If it seems good to you} and before Yahweh our God, {let us send word abroad} to our brothers who remain in all the land of Israel and [to] the priests and Levites with them in the cities with their pasturelands that they might be gathered to us.

And all the assembly agreed to do so, for the word was pleasing in the eyes of all the people.

And David summoned all Israel from Shihor of Egypt up to Lebo-Hamath to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-Jearim.

And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, Kiriath-Jearim of Judah, to bring up from there the ark of Yahweh God [who] is enthroned [between] the cherubim, which is called the name.

And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio were driving the cart.

Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all [their] strength, and with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

And when they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza reached out his hand to hold the ark because the cattle had stumbled.

And Yahweh {was angry} with Uzza, and he struck him down because he reached his hand upon the ark. And he died there before God.

And David {was angry} because Yahweh had broken out in wrath against Uzza. And that place is called Perez Uzza unto this day.

And David feared God on that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God [home] to me?"

So David did not move the ark to himself into the city of David but diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And Yahweh blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees, {masons}, and {carpenters} to build a house for him.

And David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel [and] that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.

Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard and went out from before them.

Now the Philistines came and carried out a raid in the Valley of Rephaim.

Then David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you put them into my hand?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up. I will put them into your hand."

And he went up to Baal-Perazim, and David struck them there. And David said, "God has burst out against my enemies by my hand like waters burst out." Therefore they will call the name of this place Baal-Perazim.

And they abandoned their gods there. And David commanded, and they were burnt with fire.

Then David inquired again of God. And God said to him, "You shall not go up after them. Go around from before them and come against them the opposite [way] of the balsam trees.

And it shall be [that] when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out into battle, for God goes out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."

And David did as God commanded him, and they struck the camp of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.

And the fame of David went out through all the lands. And Yahweh put the fear of him upon all the nations.

And David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he established a place for the ark of God. And he pitched a tent for it.

Then David ordered [that] none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever.

And David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh to its place that he had established for it.

And David gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites.

Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief and one hundred and twenty of his brothers.

Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief and two hundred and twenty of his brothers.

Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief and one hundred and thirty of his brothers.

Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief and two hundred of his brothers.

Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and eighty of his brothers.

Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief and one hundred and twelve of his brothers.

Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

And he said to them, "You [are] the heads of the {families} for the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brothers and bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to [the place] I have established for it.

Because the first time you did not, [and] Yahweh our God burst out against us, for we did not care for it according to the law."

Then the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God according to what Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, on their shoulders with the carrying poles upon them.

Then David ordered the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers [as] singers with instruments of song, musical instruments, stringed instruments, and cymbals, {raising their voices for joy}.

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from his brothers, Asaph the son of Berekiah, and from the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

and with them their brothers [of] the second [rank], Zechariah the son, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-Edom and Jeiel.

Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [were] to sound bronze cymbals;