1

1 These are the earliest generations of mankind: Adam, Seth, Enosh,

2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,

3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah.

7 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Canaan, and Put.

9 The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan.

10 Another of the sons of Cush was Nimrod, who became a great hero.

11 The clans named after the sons of Mizraim were: the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim,

12 the Pathrusim, the Caphtorim, and the Casluhim (the ancestors of the Philistines).

13 Among Canaan's sons were: Sidon (his firstborn) and Heth. Canaan was also the ancestor of the

14 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,

15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

16 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

18 Arpachshad's son was Shelah, and Shelah's son was Eber.

19 Eber had two sons: Peleg (which means "Divided," for it was during his lifetime that the people of the earth were divided into different language groups) and Joktan.

20 The sons of Joktan: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.

21

22

23

24 So the son of Shem was Arpachshad, the son of Arpachshad was Shelah,

25 The son of Shelah was Eber, The son of Eber was Peleg, The son of Peleg was Reu,

26 The son of Reu was Serug, The son of Serug was Nahor, The son of Nahor was Terah,

27 The son of Terah was Abram (later known as Abraham).

28 Abraham's sons were Isaac and Ishmael.

29 The sons of Ishmael: Nebaioth (the oldest), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,

31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

32 Abraham also had sons by his concubine Keturah: Zimram, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan's sons were Sheba and Dedan.

33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were the descendants of Abraham by his concubine Keturah.

34 Abraham's son Isaac had two sons, Esau and Israel.

35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38 The sons of Esau also included Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; and Esau's daughter was named Timna.

39 Lotan's sons: Hori and Homam.

40 The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. Zibeon's sons were Aiah and Anah.

41 Anah's son was Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. Dishan's sons were Uz and Aran.

43 Here is a list of the names of the kings of Edom who reigned before the kingdom of Israel began: Bela (the son of Beor), who lived in the city of Dinhabah.

44 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah became the new king.

45 When Jobab died, Husham from the country of the Temanites became the king.

46 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad--the one who destroyed the army of Midian in the fields of Moab--became king and ruled from the city of Avith.

47 When Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah came to the throne.

48 When Samlah died, Shaul from the river town of Rehoboth became the new king.

49 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king.

50 When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king and ruled from the city of Pai (his wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezahab).

51 At the time of Hadad's death, the kings of Edom were: Chief Timna, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth,

52 Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,

53 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,

54 Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram.

2

1 The sons of Israel were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, Asher.

3 Judah had three sons by Bathshua, a girl from Canaan: Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the oldest son, Er, was so wicked that the Lord killed him.

4 Then Er's widow, Tamar, and her father-in-law, Judah, became the parents of twin sons, Perez and Zerah. So Judah had five sons.

5 The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

6 The sons of Zerah were: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara.

7 (Achan, the son of Carmi, was the man who robbed God and was such a troublemaker for his nation.)

8 Ethan's son was Azariah.

9 The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

10 Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of Israel.

11 Nahshon was the father of Salma, and Salma was the father of Boaz.

12 Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.

13 Jesse's first son was Eliab, his second was Abinadab, his third was Shimea,

14 his fourth was Nethanel, his fifth was Raddai,

15 his sixth was Ozem, and his seventh was David.

16 He also had two girls (by the same wife) named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

17 Abigail, whose husband was Jether from the land of Ishmael, had a son named Amasa.

18 Caleb (the son of Hezron) had two wives, Azubah and Jerioth. These are the children of Azubah: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

19 After Azubah's death, Caleb married Ephrath, who presented him with a son, Hur.

20 Hur's son was Uri, and Uri's son was Bezalel.

21 Hezron married Machir's daughter at the age of sixty, and she presented him with a son, Segub. (Machir was also the father of Gilead.)

22 Segub was the father of Jair, who ruled twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

23 But Geshur and Aram wrested these cities from him and also took Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages.

24 Soon after his father Hezron's death, Caleb married Ephrathah, his father's widow, and she gave birth to Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.

25 These are the sons of Jerahmeel (the oldest son of Hezron): Ram (the oldest), Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

26 Jerahmeel's second wife Atarah was the mother of Onam.

27 The sons of Ram: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

28 Onam's sons were Shammai and Jada. Shammai's sons were Nadab and Abishur.

29 The sons of Abishur and his wife Abihail were Ahban and Molid.

30 Nadab's sons were Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children,

31 but Appaim had a son named Ishi; Ishi's son was Sheshan; and Sheshan's son was Ahlai.

32 Shammai's brother Jada had two sons, Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children,

33 but Jonathan had two sons named Peleth and Zaza.

34 Sheshan had no sons, although he had several daughters.

35 He gave one of his daughters to be the wife of Jarha, his Egyptian servant. And they had a son whom they named Attai.

36 Attai's son was Nathan; Nathan's son was Zabad;

37 Zabad's son was Ephlal; Ephlal's son was Obed;

38 Obed's son was Jehu; Jehu's son was Azariah;

39 Azariah's son was Helez; Helez's son was Eleasah;

40 Eleasah's son was Sismai; Sismai's son was Shallum;

41 Shallum's son was Jekamiah; Jekamiah's son was Elishama.

42 The oldest son of Caleb (Jerahmeel's brother) was Mesha; he was the father of Ziph, who was father of Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.

43 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

44 Shema was the father of Raham, who was the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai.

45 Shammai's son was Maon, the father of Bethzur.

46 Caleb's concubine Ephah bore him Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran had a son named Gazez.

47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

48 Another of Caleb's concubines, Maacah, bore him Sheber, Tirhanah,

49 Shaaph (the father of Madmannah), and Sheva (the father of Machbenah and of Gibea). Caleb also had a daughter, whose name was Achsah.

50 The sons of Hur (who was the oldest son of Caleb and Ephrathah) were Shobal (the father of Kiriath-jearim),

51 Salma (the father of Bethlehem), and Hareph (the father of Beth-gader).

52 Shobal's sons included Kiriath-jearim and Haroeh, the ancestor of half of the Menuhoth tribe.

53 The families of Kiriath-jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites (from whom descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites).

54 The descendants of Salma were his son Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atrothbeth-joab, half the Manahathites, and the Zorites;

55 they also included the families of the writers living at Jabez--the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. All these are Kenites who descended from Hammath, the founder of the family of Rechab.

3

1 King David's oldest son was Amnon, who was born to his wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel. The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel.

2 The third was Absalom, the son of his wife Maacah, who was the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. The fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith.

3 The fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital. The sixth was Ithream, the son of his wife Eglah.

4 These six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned seven and a half years. Then he moved the capital to Jerusalem, where he reigned another thirty-three years.

5 While he was in Jerusalem, his wife Bathsheba (the daughter of Ammiel) became the mother of his sons Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.

6 David also had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

7

8

9 (This list does not include the sons of his concubines.) David also had a daughter Tamar.

10 These are the descendants of King Solomon: Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat,

11 Joram, Ahaziah, Joash,

12 Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham,

13 Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,

14 Amon, Josiah.

15 The sons of Josiah were: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, Shallum.

16 The sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah, Zedekiah.

17 These are the sons who were born to King Jeconiah during the years that he was under house arrest: Shealtiel,

18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, Nedabiah.

19 Pedaiah was the father of Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel's children were: Meshullam, Hananiah,

20 Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, Shelomith (a daughter).

21 Hananiah's sons were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah; Jeshaiah's son was Rephaiah; Rephaiah's son was Arnan; Arnan's son was Obadiah;

22 Obadiah's son was Shecaniah. Shecaniah's son was Shemaiah; Shemaiah had six sons, including Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.

23 Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, Azrikam.

24 Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, Anani.

4

1 These are the sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, Shobal.

2 Shobal's son Reaiah was the father of Jahath, the ancestor of Ahumai and Lahad. These were known as the Zorathite clans.

3 The descendants of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, Idbash, Hazzelelponi (his daughter),

4 Penuel (the ancestor of Gedor), Ezer (the ancestor of Hushah), The son of Hur, the oldest son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem.

5 Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives--Helah, and Naarah.

6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari;

7 and Helah bore him Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.

8 Koz was the father of Anub and Zobebah; he was also the ancestor of the clan named after Aharhel, the son of Harum.

9 Jabez was more distinguished than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she had such a hard time at his birth (Jabez means "Distress").

10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would wonderfully bless me and help me in my work; please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all evil and disaster!" And God granted him his request.

11 The descendants of Recah were: Chelub (the brother of Shuhah), whose son was Mahir, the father of Eshton;

12 Eshton was the father of Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah; Tehinnah was the father of Irnahash.

13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel's sons were Hathath and Meonothai;

14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah; Seraiah was the father of Joab, the ancestor of the inhabitants of Craftsman Valley (called that because many craftsmen lived there).

15 The sons of Caleb (the son of Jephunneh): Iru, Elah, Naam. The sons of Elah included Kenaz.

16 Jehallelel's sons were: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, Asarel.

17 Ezrah's sons were: Jether, Mered, Epher, Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, an Egyptian princess. She was the mother of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah--an ancestor of Eshtemoa.

18 Eshtemoa's wife was a Jewess; she was the mother of Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel, who were, respectively, the ancestors of the Gedorites, Socoites, and Zanoahites.

19 Hodiah's wife was the sister of Naham. One of her sons was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another was the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, Ben-zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah (the son of Judah): Er (the father of Lecah), Laadah (the father of Mareshah), The families of the linen workers who worked at Beth-ashbea,

22 Jokim, The clans of Cozeba, Joash, Saraph (who was a ruler in Moab before he returned to Lehem). These names all come from very ancient records.

23 These clans were noted for their pottery, gardening, and planting; they all worked for the king:

24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul.

25 Shaul's son was Shallum, his grandson was Mibsam, and his great-grandson was Mishma.

26 Mishma's sons included Hammuel (the father of Zaccur and grandfather of Shimei).

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had large families--they all had fewer children than was normal in Judah.

28 They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,

29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These cities were under their control until the time of David.

32 Their descendants also lived in or near Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan; some were as far away as Baal. (These facts are recorded in their genealogies.)

33

34 These are the names of some of the princes of wealthy clans who traveled to the east side of Gedor Valley in search of pasture for their flocks: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah,

35

36

37 Joel, Jehu,

38 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

39 Ziza (the son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah).

40 They found good pastures, and everything was quiet and peaceful; but the land belonged to the descendants of Ham.

41 So during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah these princes invaded the land and struck down the tents and houses of the descendants of Ham; they killed the inhabitants of the land and took possession of it for themselves.

42 Later, five hundred of these invaders from the tribe of Simeon went to Mount Seir. (Their leaders were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel--all sons of Ishi.)

43 There they destroyed the few surviving members of the tribe of Amalek. And they have lived there ever since.

5

1 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben, but since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father's wives, his birthright was given to his half brother, Joseph. So the official genealogy doesn't name Reuben as the oldest son.

2 Although Joseph received the birthright, yet Judah was a powerful and influential tribe in Israel, and from Judah came a Prince.

3 The sons of Reuben, Israel's son, were: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, Carmi.

4 Joel's descendants were his son Shemaiah, his grandson Gog, and his great-grandson Shimei.

5 Shimei's son was Micah; his grandson was Reaiah; and his great-grandson was Baal.

6 Baal's son was Beerah. He was a prince of the tribe of Reuben and was taken into captivity by King Tilgath-pilneser of Assyria.

7 His relatives became heads of clans and were included in the official genealogy: Jeiel, Zechariah,

8 Bela (the son of Azaz, grandson of Shema, and great-grandson of Joel). These Reubenites lived in Aroer and as far distant as Mount Nebo and Baal-meon.

9 Joel was a cattleman, and he pastured his animals eastward to the edge of the desert and to the Euphrates River, for there were many cattle in the land of Gilead.

10 During the reign of King Saul, the men of Reuben defeated the Hagrites in war and moved into their tents on the eastern edge of Gilead.

11 Across from them, in the land of Bashan, lived the descendants of Gad, who were spread as far as Salecah.

12 Joel was the greatest and was followed by Shapham, also Janai and Shaphat.

13 Their relatives, the heads of the seven clans, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.

14 The descendants of Buz, in the order of their generations, were: Jahdo, Jeshishai, Michael, Gilead, Jaroah, Huri, Abihail.

15 Ahi, the son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was the leader of the clan.

16 The clan lived in and around Gilead (in the land of Bashan) and throughout the entire pasture country of Sharon.

17 All were included in the official genealogy at the time of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.

18 There were 44,760 armed, trained, and brave troops in the army of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

19 They declared war on the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites.

20 They cried out to God to help them, and he did, for they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.

21 The booty included 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives.

22 A great number of the enemy also died in the battle, for God was fighting against them. So the Reubenites lived in the territory of the Hagrites until the time of the exile.

23 The half-tribe of Manasseh spread through the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They too were very numerous.

24 The chiefs of their clans were the following: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, Jahdiel. Each of these men had a great reputation as a warrior and leader.

25 But they were not true to the God of their fathers; instead they worshiped the idols of the people whom God had destroyed.

26 So God caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tilgath-pilneser III) to invade the land and deport the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.

6

1 These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, Merari.

2 Kohath's sons were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel.

3 Amram's descendants included: Aaron, Moses, Miriam. Aaron's sons were: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar.

4 The oldest sons of the successive generations of Aaron were as follows: Eleazar, the father of Phinehas, the father of

5 Abishua, the father of Bukki, the father of

6 Uzzi, the father of Zerahiah, the father of

7 Meraioth, the father of Amariah, the father of

8 Ahitub, the father of Zadok, the father of

9 Ahimaaz, the father of Azariah, the father of

10 Johanan, the father of

11 Azariah (the High Priest in Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem), the father of Amariah, the father of

12 Ahitub, the father of Zadok, the father of

13 Shallum, the father of Hilkiah, the father of

14 Azariah, the father of Seraiah, the father of

15 Jehozadak (who went into exile when the Lord sent the people of Judah and Jerusalem into captivity under Nebuchadnezzar).

16 As previously stated, the sons of Levi were: Gershom, Kohath, Merari.

17 The sons of Gershom were: Libni, Shimei.

18 The sons of Kohath were: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel.

19 The sons of Merari were: Mahli, Mushi. The subclans of the Levites were:

20 In the Gershom clan: Libni, Jahath, Zimmah,

21 Joah, Iddo, Zerah, Jeatherai.

22 In the Kohath clan: Amminadab, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, Shaul.

23

24

25 The subclan of Elkanah was further divided into the families of his sons: Amasai, Ahimoth, Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah.

26

27

28 The families of the subclan of Samuel were headed by Samuel's sons: Joel, the oldest; Abijah, the second.

29 The subclans of the clan of Merari were headed by his sons: Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, Shimea, Haggiah, Asaiah.

30

31 King David appointed songleaders and choirs to praise God in the Tabernacle after he had placed the Ark in it.

32 Then, when Solomon built the Temple at Jerusalem, the choirs carried on their work there.

33 These are the names and ancestries of choir leaders: Heman the Cantor was from the clan of Kohath; his genealogy was traced back through: Joel, Samuel,

34 Elkanah III, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah,

35 Zuph, Elkanah II, Mahath, Amasai,

36 Elkanah I, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah,

37 Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah,

38 Izhar, Kohath, Levi, Israel.

39 Heman's assistant was his colleague Asaph, whose genealogy was traced back through: Berechiah, Shimea,

40 Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah,

41 Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah,

42 Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei,

43 Jahath, Gershom, Levi.

44 Heman's second assistant was Ethan, a representative from the clan of Merari, who stood on his left. Merari's ancestry was traced back through: Kishi, Abdi, Malluch,

45 Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah,

46 Amzi, Bani, Shemer,

47 Mahli, Mushi, Merari, Levi.

48 Their relatives--all the other Levites--were appointed to various other tasks in the Tabernacle.

49 But only Aaron and his descendants were the priests. Their duties included sacrificing burnt offerings and incense, handling all the tasks relating to the inner sanctuary--the Holy of Holies--and the tasks relating to the annual Day of Atonement for Israel. They saw to it that all the details commanded by Moses the servant of God were strictly followed.

50 The descendants of Aaron were: Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz.

51

52

53

54 This is a record of the cities and land assigned by lot to the descendants of Aaron, all of whom were members of the Kohath clan:

55 Hebron and its surrounding pasturelands in Judah (although the fields and suburbs were given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh),

56

57

58 and the following Cities of Refuge with their surrounding pasturelands: Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, Beth-shemesh.

59

60 Thirteen other cities with surrounding pastures--including Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth--were given to the priests by the tribe of Benjamin.

61 Lots were then drawn to assign land to the remaining descendants of Kohath, and they received ten cities in the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh.

62 The subclans of the Gershom clan received by lot thirteen cities in the Bashan area from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh.

63 The subclans of Merari received by lot twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

64 Cities and pasturelands were also assigned by lot to the Levites (and then renamed) from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

65

66 The tribe of Ephraim gave these Cities of Refuge

67 with the surrounding pasturelands to the subclans of Kohath: Shechem in Mount Ephraim, Gezer,

68 Jokme-am, Beth-horon,

69 Aijalon, Gath-rimmon.

70 The following Cities of Refuge and their pasturelands were given to the subclans of the Kohathites by the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner, Bileam.

71 Cities of Refuge and pastureland given to the clan of Gershom by the half-tribe of Manasseh were: Golan, in Bashan; Ashtaroth.

72 The tribe of Issachar gave them Kedesh, Daberath,

73 Ramoth, and Anem, and the surrounding pastureland of each.

74 The tribe of Asher gave them Abdon, Mashal,

75 Hukok, and Rehob, with their pasturelands.

76 The tribe of Naphtali gave them Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim with pasturelands.

77 The tribe of Zebulun gave Rimmono and Tabor to the Merari clan as Cities of Refuge.

78 And across the Jordan River, opposite Jericho, the tribe of Reuben gave them Bezer (a desert town), Jahzah, Kedemoth and Mephaath, along with their pasturelands.

79

80 The tribe of Gad gave them Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,

81 Heshbon, and Jazer, each with their surrounding pasturelands.

7

1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron.

2 The sons of Tola, each of whom was the head of a subclan: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, Shemuel. At the time of King David, the total number of men of war from these families totaled 22,600.

3 Uzzi's son was Izrahiah among whose five sons were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all chiefs of subclans.

4 Their descendants, at the time of King David, numbered 36,000 troops; for all five of them had several wives and many sons.

5 The total number of men available for military service from all the clans of the tribe of Issachar numbered 87,000 stouthearted warriors, all included in the official genealogy.

6 The sons of Benjamin were: Bela, Becher, Jediael.

7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, Iri. These five mighty warriors were chiefs of subclans and were the leaders of 22,034 troops (all of whom were recorded in the official genealogies).

8 The sons of Becher were: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, Alemeth.

9 At the time of David there were 20,200 mighty warriors among their descendants; and they were led by their clan chiefs.

10 The son of Jediael was Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan were: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, Ahishahar.

11 They were the chiefs of the subclans of Jediael, and their descendants included 17,200 warriors at the time of King David.

12 The sons of Ir were Shuppim and Huppim. Hushim was one of the sons of Aher.

13 The sons of Naphtali (descendants of Jacob's wife Bilhah) were: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, Shallum.

14 The sons of Manasseh, born to his Aramaean concubine, were Asriel and Machir (who became the father of Gilead).

15 It was Machir who found wives for Huppim and Shuppim. Machir's sister was Maacah. Another descendant was Zelophehad, who had only daughters.

16 Machir's wife, also named Maacah, bore him a son whom she named Peresh; his brother's name was Sheresh, and he had sons named Ulam and Rakem.

17 Ulam's son was Bedan. So these were the sons of Gilead, the grandsons of Machir, and the great-grandsons of Manasseh.

18 Hammolecheth, Machir's sister, bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20 The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath,

21 Zabad, Shuthelah, Ezer, Elead. Elead and Ezer attempted to rustle cattle at Gath, but they were killed by the local farmers.

22 Their father Ephraim mourned for them a long time, and his brothers tried to comfort him.

23 Afterwards his wife conceived and bore a son whom he called Beriah (meaning "a tragedy") because of what had happened.

24 Ephraim's daughter's name was Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah.

25 This is Ephraim's line of descent: Rephah, the father of Resheph, the father of Telah, the father of Tahan, the father of

26 Ladan, the father of Ammihud, the father of Elishama, the father of

27 Nun, the father of Joshua.

28 They lived in an area bounded on one side by Bethel and its surrounding towns, on the east by Naaran, on the west by Gezer and its villages, and finally by Shechem and its surrounding villages as far as Ayyah and its towns.

29 The tribe of Manasseh, descendants of Joseph the son of Israel, controlled the following cities and their surrounding areas: Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor.

30 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, Serah (their sister).

31 The sons of Beriah were: Heber, Malchiel (the father of Birzaith).

32 Heber's children were: Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, Shua (their sister).

33 Japhlet's sons were: Pasach, Bimhal, Ashvath.

34 His brother Shomer's sons were: Rohgah, Jehubbah, Aram.

35 The sons of his brother Hotham were: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, Amal.

36 The sons of Zophah were: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, Beera.

37

38 The sons of Ithran were: Jephunneh, Pispa, Ara.

39 The sons of Ulla were: Arah, Hanniel, Rizia.

40 These descendants of Asher were heads of subclans and were all skilled warriors and chiefs. Their descendants in the official genealogy numbered 36,000 men of war.

8

1 The sons of Benjamin, according to age, were: Bela, the first, Ashbel, the second, Aharah, the third, Nohah, the fourth, Rapha, the fifth.

2

3 The sons of Bela were: Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, Huram.

4

5

6 The sons of Ehud, chiefs of the subclans living at Geba, were captured in war and exiled to Manahath. They were: Naaman, Ahijah, Gera (also called Heglam), the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

7

8 Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, but he had children in the land of Moab

9 by Hodesh, his new wife: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

10 Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah. These sons all became chiefs of subclans.

11 His wife Hushim had borne him Abitub and Elpaal.

12 The sons of Elpaal were: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod and their surrounding villages).

13 His other sons were Beriah and Shema, chiefs of subclans living in Aijalon; they chased out the inhabitants of Gath.

14 Elpaal's sons also included: Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth.

15 The sons of Beriah were: Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, Joha.

16

17 The sons of Elpaal also included: Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, Jobab.

18

19 The sons of Shimei were: Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, Shimrath.

20

21

22 The sons of Shashak were: Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, Penuel.

23

24

25

26 The sons of Jeroham were: Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, Zichri.

27

28 These were the chiefs of the subclans living at Jerusalem.

29 Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, lived at Gibeon; and his wife's name was Maacah.

30 His oldest son was named Abdon, followed by: Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher,

32 Mikloth who was the father of Shimeah. All of these families lived together near Jerusalem.

33 Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of Saul; Saul's sons included: Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, Eshbaal.

34 The son of Jonathan was Mephibosheth; The son of Mephibosheth was Micah.

35 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, Ahaz.

36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of: Alemeth, Azmaveth, Zimri. Zimri's son was Moza.

37 Moza was the father of Binea, whose sons were: Raphah, Eleasah, Azel.

38 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan.

39 Azel's brother Eshek had three sons: Ulam, the first, Jeush, the second, Eliphelet, the third.

40 Ulam's sons were prominent warriors who were expert marksmen with their bows. These men had 150 sons and grandsons, and they were all from the tribe of Benjamin.

9

1 The family tree of every person in Israel was carefully recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel. Judah was exiled to Babylon because the people worshiped idols.

2 The first to return and live again in their former cities were families from the tribes of Israel and also the priests, the Levites, and the Temple assistants.

3 Then some families from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh arrived in Jerusalem:

4 One family was that of Uthai (the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani) of the clan of Perez (son of Judah).

5 The Shilonites were another family to return, including Asaiah (Shilon's oldest son) and his sons;

6 there were also the sons of Zerah, including Jeuel and his relatives: 690 in all.

7 Among the members of the tribe of Benjamin who returned were these: Sallu (the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah);

8 Ibneiah (the son of Jeroham); Elah (the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri); Meshullam (the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah).

9 These men were all chiefs of subclans. A total of 956 Benjaminites returned.

10 The priests who returned were: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

11 Azariah (the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub). He was the chief custodian of the Temple.

12 Another of the returning priests was Adaiah (son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah). Another priest was Maasai (son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer).

13 In all, 1,760 priests returned.

14 Among the Levites who returned was Shemaiah (son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, who was a descendant of Merari).

15 Other Levites who returned included: Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah (the son of Mica, who was the son of Zichri, who was the son of Asaph),

16 Obadiah (the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun), Berechiah (the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the area of the Netophathites).

17 The gatekeepers were Shallum (the chief gatekeeper), Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman--all Levites. They are still responsible for the eastern royal gate.

18

19 Shallum's ancestry went back through Kore and Ebiasaph to Korah. He and his close relatives the Korahites were in charge of the sacrifices and the protection of the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had supervised and guarded the Tabernacle.

20 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the first director of this division in ancient times. And the Lord was with him.

21 At that time Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, had been responsible for the protection of the entrance to the Tabernacle.

22 There were 212 doorkeepers in those days. They were chosen from their villages on the basis of their genealogies, and they were appointed by David and Samuel because of their reliability.

23 They and their descendants were in charge of the Lord's Tabernacle.

24 They were assigned to each of the four sides: east, west, north, and south.

25 And their relatives in the villages were assigned to help them from time to time, for seven days at a time.

26 The four head gatekeepers, all Levites, were in an office of great trust, for they were responsible for the rooms and treasuries in the Tabernacle of God.

27 Because of their important positions, they lived near the Tabernacle, and they opened the gates each morning.

28 Some of them were assigned to care for the various vessels used in the sacrifices and worship; they checked them in and out to avoid loss.

29 Others were responsible for the furniture, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies such as fine flour, wine, incense, and spices.

30 Other priests prepared the spices and incense.

31 And Mattithiah (a Levite and the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite) was entrusted with making the flat cakes for grain offerings.

32 Some members of the Kohath clan were in charge of the preparation of the special bread each Sabbath.

33 The cantors were all prominent Levites. They lived in Jerusalem at the Temple and were on duty at all hours.

34 They were free from other responsibilities and were selected by their genealogies.

35 Jeiel (whose wife was Maacah) lived in Gibeon. He had many sons, including: Gibeon, Abdon (the oldest), Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, Mikloth.

36

37

38 Mikloth lived with his son Shimeam in Jerusalem near his relatives.

39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

40 Jonathan was the father of Mephibosheth; Mephibosheth was the father of Micah;

41 Micah was the father of Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz;

42 Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri was the father of Moza.

43 Moza was the father of Binea, Rephaiah, Eleasah, and Azel.

44 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan.

10

1 The Philistines attacked and defeated the Israeli troops, who turned and fled and were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.

2 They caught up with Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, and killed them all.

3 Saul had been hard pressed with heavy fighting all around him, when the Philistine archers shot and wounded him.

4 He cried out to his bodyguard, "Quick, kill me with your sword before these uncircumcised heathen capture and torture me." But the man was afraid to do it, so Saul took his own sword and fell against its point; and it pierced his body.

5 Then his bodyguard, seeing that Saul was dead, killed himself in the same way.

6 So Saul and his three sons died together; the entire family was wiped out in one day.

7 When the Israelis in the valley below the mountain heard that their troops had been routed and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 When the Philistines went back the next day to strip the bodies of the men killed in action and to gather the booty from the battlefield, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons.

9 So they stripped off Saul's armor and cut off his head; then they displayed them throughout the nation and celebrated the wonderful news before their idols.

10 They fastened his armor to the walls of the Temple of the Gods and nailed his head to the wall of Dagon's temple.

11 But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 their heroic warriors went out to the battlefield and brought back his body and the bodies of his three sons. Then they buried them beneath the oak tree at Jabesh and mourned and fasted for seven days.

13 Saul died for his disobedience to the Lord and because he had consulted a medium,

14 and did not ask the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and gave the kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.

11

1 Then the leaders of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are your relatives,

2 and even when Saul was king, you were the one who led our armies to battle and brought them safely back again. And the Lord your God has told you, 'You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel. You shall be their king.' "

3 So David made a contract with them before the Lord, and they anointed him as king of Israel, just as the Lord had told Samuel.

4 Then David and the leaders went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called) where the Jebusites--the original inhabitants of the land--lived.

5 But the people of Jebus refused to let them enter the city.

6 So David captured the fortress of Zion, later called the City of David, and said to his men, "The first man to kill a Jebusite shall be made commander-in-chief!" Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the first, so he became the general of David's army.

7 David lived in the fortress and that is why that area of Jerusalem is called the City of David.

8 He extended the city out around the fortress while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem.

9 And David became more and more famous and powerful, for the Lord of the heavens was with him.

10 These are the names of some of the bravest of David's warriors (who also encouraged the leaders of Israel to make David their king, as the Lord had said would happen):

11 Jashobeam (the son of a man from Hachmon) was the leader of The Top Three--the three greatest heroes among David's men. He once killed 300 men with his spear.

12 The second of The Top Three was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, a member of the subclan of Ahoh.

13 He was with David in the battle against the Philistines at Pasdammim. The Israeli army was in a barley field and had begun to run away,

14 but he held his ground in the middle of the field, and recovered it and slaughtered the Philistines; and the Lord saved them with a great victory.

15 Another time, three of The Thirty went to David while he was hiding in the cave of Adullam. The Philistines were camped in the Valley of Rephaim,

16 and David was in the stronghold at the time; an outpost of the Philistines had occupied Bethlehem.

17 David wanted a drink from the Bethlehem well beside the gate, and when he mentioned this to his men,

18 these three broke through to the Philistine camp, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David.

19 But he refused to drink it! Instead he poured it out as an offering to the Lord and said, "God forbid that I should drink it! It is the very blood of these men who risked their lives to get it."

20 Abishai, Joab's brother, was commander of The Thirty. He had gained his place among The Thirty by killing 300 men at one time with his spear.

21 He was the chief and the most famous of The Thirty, but he was not as great as The Three.

22 Benaiah, whose father was a mighty warrior from Kabzeel, killed the two famous giants from Moab. He also killed a lion in a slippery pit when there was snow on the ground.

23 Once he killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall, whose spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. But Benaiah went up to him with only a club in his hand, and pulled the spear away from him and used it to kill him.

24 He was nearly as great as The Three, and he was very famous among The Thirty. David made him captain of his bodyguard.

25

26 Other famous warriors among David's men were: Asahel (Joab's brother); Elhanan, the son of Dodo from Bethlehem;

27 Shammoth from Harod; Helez from Pelon;

28 Ira (son of Ikkesh) from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth;

29 Sibbecai from Hushath; Ilai from Ahoh;

30 Maharai from Netophah; Heled (son of Baanah) from Netophah;

31 Ithai (son of Ribai) a Benjaminite from Gibeah; Benaiah from Pirathon;

32 Hurai from near the brooks of Gaash; Abiel from Arbath;

33 Azmaveth from Baharum; Eliahba from Shaalbon;

34 The sons of Hashem from Gizon; Jonathan (son of Shagee) from Harar;

35 Ahiam (son of Sacher) from Harar; Eliphal (son of Ur);

36 Hepher from Mecherath; Ahijah from Pelon;

37 Hezro from Carmel; Naarai (son of Ezbai);

38 Joel (brother of Nathan); Mibhar (son of Hagri);

39 Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth--he was General Joab's armor-bearer;

40 Ira from Ithra; Gareb from Ithra;

41 Uriah the Hittite; Zabad (son of Ahlai);

42 Adina (son of Shiza) from the tribe of Reuben--he was among the thirty-one leaders of the tribe of Reuben; Hanan (son of Maacah);

43 Joshaphat from Mithna; Uzzia from Ashterath;

44 Shama and Jeiel (sons of Hotham) from Aroer; Jediael (son of Shimri);

45 Joha (his brother) from Tiza; Eliel from Mahavi;

46 Jeribai and Joshaviah (sons of Elnaam); Ithmah from Moab;

47 Eliel; Obed; Jaasiel from Mezoba.

12

1 These are the names of the famous warriors who joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from King Saul.

2 All of them were expert archers and slingers, and they could use their left hands as readily as their right! Like King Saul, they were all of the tribe of Benjamin.

3 Their chief was Ahiezer, son of Shemaah from Gibeah. The others were: His brother Joash; Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth;

4 Ishmaiah from Gibeon (a brave warrior rated as high or higher than The Thirty); Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad from Gederah;

5 Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah from Haruph;

6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam--all Korahites;

7 Joelah and Zebadiah (sons of Jeroham from Gedor).

8 Great and brave warriors from the tribe of Gad also went to David in the wilderness. They were experts with both shield and spear and were "lion-faced men, swift as deer upon the mountains."

9 Ezer was the chief; Obadiah was second in command; Eliab was third in command;

10 Mishmannah was fourth in command; Jeremiah was fifth in command;

11 Attai was sixth in command; Eliel was seventh in command;

12 Johanan was eighth in command; Elzabad was ninth in command;

13 Jeremiah was tenth in command; Machbannai was eleventh in command.

14 These men were army officers; the weakest was worth a hundred normal troops, and the greatest was worth a thousand!

15 They crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding and conquered the lowlands on both the east and west banks.

16 Others came to David from Benjamin and Judah.

17 David went out to meet them and said, "If you have come to help me, we are friends; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our fathers see and judge you."

18 Then the Holy Spirit came upon them, and Amasai, a leader of The Thirty, replied, "We are yours, David; We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace, peace be unto you, And peace to all who aid you; For your God is with you." So David let them join him, and he made them captains of his army.

19 Some men from Manasseh deserted the Israeli army and joined David just as he was going into battle with the Philistines against King Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine generals refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion they sent them back, for they were afraid that David and his men would imperil them by deserting to King Saul.

20 Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who deserted to David as he was en route to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai. Each was a high-ranking officer of Manasseh's troops.

21 They were brave and able warriors, and they assisted David when he fought against the Amalek raiders at Ziklag.

22 More men joined David almost every day until he had a tremendous army--the army of God.

23 Here is the registry of recruits who joined David at Hebron. They were all anxious to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had said would happen.

24 From Judah, 6,800 troops armed with shields and spears.

25 From the tribe of Simeon, 7,100 outstanding warriors.

26 From the Levites, 4,600.

27 From the priests--descendants of Aaron--there were 3,700 troops under the command of Zadok, a young man of unusual courage,

28 and Jehoiada. (He and twenty-two members of his family were officers of the fighting priests.)

29 From the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe Saul was from, there were 3,000. (Most of that tribe retained its allegiance to Saul.)

30 From the tribe of Ephraim, 20,800 mighty warriors, each famous in his respective clan.

31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 were sent for the express purpose of helping David become king.

32 From the tribe of Issachar there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives--all men who understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

33 From the tribe of Zebulun there were 50,000 trained warriors; they were fully armed and totally loyal to David.

34 From Naphtali there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 troops equipped with shields and spears.

35 From the tribe of Dan there were 28,600 troops, all of them prepared for war.

36 From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained and ready troops.

37 From the other side of the Jordan River--where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived--there were 120,000 troops equipped with every kind of weapon.

38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king of Israel. In fact, all of Israel was ready for this change.

39 They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made for their arrival.

40 People from nearby and from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep were brought to the celebration, for joy had spread throughout the land.

13

1 After David had consulted with all of his army officers,

2 he addressed the assembled men of Israel as follows: "Since you think that I should be your king, and since the Lord our God has given his approval, let us send messages to our brothers throughout the land of Israel, including the priests and Levites, inviting them to come and join us.

3 And let us bring back the Ark of our God, for we have been neglecting it ever since Saul became king."

4 There was unanimous consent, for everyone agreed with him.

5 So David summoned the people of Israel from all across the nation so that they could be present when the Ark of God was brought from Kiriath-jearim.

6 Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (i.e., Kiriath-jearim) in Judah to bring back the Ark of the Lord God enthroned above the angels.

7 It was taken from the house of Abinadab on a new cart. Uzza and Ahio drove the oxen.

8 Then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9 But as they arrived at the threshing-floor of Chidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzza reached out his hand to steady the Ark.

10 Then the anger of the Lord blazed out against Uzza, and killed him because he had touched the Ark. And so he died there before God.

11 David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza and he named the place "The Outbreak Against Uzza." And it is still called that today.

12 Now David was afraid of God and asked, "How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?"

13 Finally he decided to take it to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite instead of bringing it to the City of David.

14 The Ark remained there with the family of Obed-edom for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his family.

14

1 King Hiram of Tyre sent masons and carpenters to help build David's palace and he supplied him with much cedar lumber.

2 David now realized why the Lord had made him king and why he had made his kingdom so great; it was for a special reason--to give joy to God's people!

3 After David moved to Jerusalem, he married additional wives and became the father of many sons and daughters.

4 These are the names of the sons born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, Eliphelet.

5

6

7

8 When the Philistines heard that David was Israel's new king, they mobilized their forces to capture him. But David learned that they were on the way, so he called together his army.

9 The Philistines were raiding the Valley of Rephaim,

10 and David asked the Lord, "If I go out and fight them, will you give me the victory?" And the Lord replied, "Yes, I will."

11 So he attacked them at Baal-perazim and wiped them out. He exulted, "God has used me to sweep away my enemies like water bursting through a dam!" That is why the place has been known as Baal-perazim ever since (meaning, "The Place of Breaking Through").

12 After the battle the Israelis picked up many idols left by the Philistines, but David ordered them burned.

13 Later the Philistines raided the valley again,

14 and again David asked God what to do. The Lord replied, "Go around by the mulberry trees and attack from there.

15 When you hear a sound like marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that is your signal to attack, for God will go before you and destroy the enemy."

16 So David did as the Lord commanded him; and he cut down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

17 David's fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear him.

15

1 David now built several palaces for himself in Jerusalem, and he also built a new Tabernacle to house the Ark of God,

2 and issued these instructions: " When we transfer the Ark to its new home, no one except the Levites may carry it, for God has chosen them for this purpose; they are to minister to him forever."

3 Then David summoned all Israel to Jerusalem to celebrate the bringing of the Ark into the new Tabernacle.

4 These were the priests and Levites present:

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar, the High Priests, and for the Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 "You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites," he told them. "Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

13 The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly--you were not carrying it."

14 So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

15 Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

16 King David also ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and they played loudly and joyously upon psalteries, harps, and cymbals.

17 Heman (son of Joel), Asaph (son of Berechiah), and Ethan (son of Kushaiah) from the clan of Merari were the heads of the musicians.

18 The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

19 Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals;

20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah comprised an octet accompanied by harps.

21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were the harpists.

22 The song leader was Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, who was selected for his skill.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the Ark.

24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer--all of whom were priests--formed a bugle corps to march at the head of the procession. And Obed-edom and Jehiah guarded the Ark.

25 Then David and the elders of Israel and the high officers of the army went with great joy to the home of Obed-edom to take the Ark to Jerusalem.

26 And because God didn't destroy the Levites who were carrying the Ark, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven lambs.

27 David, the Levites carrying the Ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the song leader were all dressed in linen robes. David also wore a linen ephod.

28 So the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers.

29 (But as the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, David's wife Michal, the daughter of King Saul, felt a deep disgust for David as she watched from the window and saw him dancing like a madman.)

16

1 So they brought the Ark of God into the special tent that David had prepared for it, and the leaders of Israel sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

2 At the conclusion of these offerings David blessed the people in the name of the Lord;

3 then he gave every person present (men and women alike) a loaf of bread, some wine, and a cake of raisins.

4 He appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the Ark by giving constant praise and thanks to the Lord God of Israel and by asking for his blessings upon his people. These are the names of those given this assignment:

5 Asaph, the leader of this detail, sounded the cymbals. His associates were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel; they played the harps and zithers.

6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played their trumpets regularly before the Ark.

7 At that time David began the custom of using choirs in the Tabernacle to sing thanksgiving to the Lord. Asaph was the director of this choral group of priests.

8 "Oh, give thanks to the Lord and pray to him," they sang. "Tell the peoples of the world About his mighty doings.

9 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises And tell of his marvelous works.

10 Glory in his holy name; Let all rejoice who seek the Lord.

11 Seek the Lord; yes, seek his strength And seek his face untiringly.

12 O descendants of his servant Abraham, O chosen sons of Jacob,

13 Remember his mighty miracles And his marvelous miracles And his authority:

14 He is the Lord our God! His authority is seen throughout the earth.

15 Remember his covenant forever-- The words he commanded To a thousand generations:

16 His agreement with Abraham, And his oath to Isaac,

17 And his confirmation to Jacob. He promised Israel With an everlasting promise:

18 'I will give you the land of Canaan As your inheritance.'

19 When Israel was few in number--oh, so few-- And merely strangers in the Promised Land;

20 When they wandered from country to country, From one kingdom to another--

21 God didn't let anyone harm them. Even kings were killed who sought to hurt them.

22 'Don't harm my chosen people,' he declared. 'These are my prophets--touch them not.'

23 Sing to the Lord, O earth, Declare each day that he is the one who saves!

24 Show his glory to the nations! Tell everyone about his miracles.

25 For the Lord is great and should be highly praised; He is to be held in awe above all gods.

26 The other so-called gods are demons, But the Lord made the heavens.

27 Majesty and honor march before him, Strength and gladness walk beside him.

28 O people of all nations of the earth, Ascribe great strength and glory to his name!

29 Yes, ascribe to the Lord The glory due his name! Bring an offering and come before him; Worship the Lord when clothed with holiness!

30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world stands unmoved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; Let all the nations say, 'It is the Lord who reigns.'

32 Let the vast seas roar, Let the countryside and everything in it rejoice!

33 Let the trees in the woods sing for joy before the Lord, For he comes to judge the earth.

34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love and his kindness go on forever.

35 Cry out to him, 'Oh, save us, God of our salvation; Bring us safely back from among the nations. Then we will thank your holy name, And triumph in your praise.'

36 Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel, Forever and forevermore." And all the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the Lord.

37 David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to minister regularly at the Tabernacle, doing each day whatever needed to be done.

38 This group included Obed-edom (the son of Jeduthun), Hosah and sixty-eight of their colleagues as guards.

39 Meanwhile the old Tabernacle of the Lord on the hill of Gibeon continued to be active. David left Zadok the priest and his fellow-priests to minister to the Lord there.

40 They sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord each morning and evening upon the altar set aside for that purpose, just as the Lord had commanded Israel.

41 David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and several others who were chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord for his constant love and mercy.

42 They used their trumpets and cymbals to accompany the singers with loud praises to God. And Jeduthun's sons were appointed as guards.

43 At last the celebration ended and the people returned to their homes, and David returned to bless his own household.

17

1 After David had been living in his new palace for some time he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look! I'm living here in a cedar-paneled home while the Ark of the Covenant of God is out there in a tent!"

2 And Nathan replied, "Carry out your plan in every detail, for it is the will of the Lord."

3 But that same night God said to Nathan,

4 "Go and give my servant David this message: 'You are not to build my temple!

5 I've gone from tent to tent as my home from the time I brought Israel out of Egypt.

6 In all that time I never suggested to any of the leaders of Israel--the shepherds I appointed to care for my people--that they should build me a cedar-lined temple.'

7 "Tell my servant David, 'The Lord of heaven says to you, I took you from being a shepherd and made you the king of my people.

8 And I have been with you everywhere you've gone; I have destroyed your enemies, and I will make your name as great as the greatest of the earth.

9 And I will give a permanent home to my people Israel and will plant them in their land. They will not be disturbed again; the wicked nations won't conquer them as they did before

10 when the judges ruled them. I will subdue all of your enemies. And I now declare that I will cause your descendants to be kings of Israel just as you are.

11 'When your time here on earth is over and you die, I will place one of your sons upon your throne; and I will make his kingdom strong.

12 He is the one who shall build me a temple, and I will establish his royal line of descent forever.

13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son; I will never remove my mercy and love from him as I did from Saul.

14 I will place him over my people and over the kingdom of Israel forever--and his descendants will always be kings.' "

15 So Nathan told King David everything the Lord had said.

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family that you have given me all this?

17 For all the great things you have already done for me are nothing in comparison to what you have promised to do in the future! For now, O Lord God, you are speaking of future generations of my children being kings too! You speak as though I were someone very great.

18 What else can I say? You know that I am but a dog, yet you have decided to honor me!

19 O Lord, you have given me these wonderful promises just because you want to be kind to me, because of your own great heart.

20 O Lord, there is no one like you--there is no other God. In fact, we have never even heard of another god like you!

21 "And what other nation in all the earth is like Israel? You have made a unique nation and have redeemed it from Egypt so that the people could be your people. And you made a great name for yourself when you did glorious miracles in driving out the nations from before your people.

22 You have declared that your people Israel belong to you forever, and you have become their God.

23 "And now I accept your promise, Lord, that I and my children will always rule this nation.

24 And may this bring eternal honor to your name as everyone realizes that you always do what you say. They will exclaim, 'The Lord of heaven is indeed the God of Israel!' And Israel shall always be ruled by my children and their posterity!

25 Now I have the courage to pray to you, for you have revealed this to me.

26 God himself has promised this good thing to me!

27 May this blessing rest upon my children forever, for when you grant a blessing, Lord, it is an eternal blessing!"

18

1 David finally subdued the Philistines and conquered Gath and its surrounding towns.

2 He also conquered Moab and required its people to send him a large sum of money every year.

3 He conquered the dominion of King Hadadezer of Zobah (as far as Hamath) at the time Hadadezer went to tighten his grip along the Euphrates River.

4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand troops. He crippled all the chariot teams except a hundred that he kept for his own use.

5 When the Syrians arrived from Damascus to help King Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them;

6 then he placed a garrison of his troops in Damascus, the Syrian capital. So the Syrians, too, were forced to send him large amounts of money every year. And the Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

7 He brought the gold shields of King Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem,

8 as well as a great amount of bronze from Hadadezer's cities of Tibhath and Cun. (King Solomon later melted the bronze and used it for the Temple. He molded it into the bronze tank, the pillars, and the instruments used in offering sacrifices on the altar.)

9 When King Tou of Hamath learned that King David had destroyed Hadadezer's army,

10 he sent his son Hadoram to greet and congratulate King David on his success and to present him with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze, seeking an alliance. For Hadadezer and Tou had been enemies and there had been many wars between them.

11 King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord, as he did the silver and gold he took from the nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Amalek, and the Philistines.

12 Abishai (son of Zeruiah) then destroyed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

13 He put garrisons in Edom and forced the Edomites to pay large sums of money annually to David. This is just another example of how the Lord gave David victory after victory.

14 David reigned over all of Israel and was a just ruler.

15 Joab (son of Zeruiah) was commander-in-chief of the army; Jehoshaphat (son of Ahilud) was the historian;

16 Zadok (son of Ahitub) and Ahimelech (son of Abiathar) were the head priests; Shavsha was the king's special assistant;

17 Benaiah (son of Jehoiada) was in charge of the king's bodyguard--the Cherethites and Pelethites--and David's sons were his chief aides.

19

1 When King Nahash of Ammon died, his son Hanun became the new king.

2 Then David declared, "I am going to show friendship to Hanun because of all the kind things his father did for me." So David sent a message of sympathy to Hanun for the death of his father. But when David's ambassadors arrived,

3 King Hanun's counselors warned him, "Don't fool yourself that David has sent these men to honor your father! They are here to spy out the land so that they can come in and conquer it!"

4 So King Hanun insulted King David's ambassadors by shaving their beards and cutting their robes off at the middle to expose their buttocks; then he sent them back to David in shame.

5 When David heard what had happened, he sent a message to his embarrassed emissaries, telling them to stay at Jericho until their beards had grown out again.

6 When King Hanun realized his mistake he sent $2,000,000 to enlist mercenary troops, chariots, and cavalry from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

7 He hired thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the support of the king of Maacah and his entire army. These forces camped at Medeba where they were joined by the troops King Hanun had recruited from his cities.

8 When David learned of this, he sent Joab and the mightiest warriors of Israel.

9 The army of Ammon went out to meet them and began the battle at the gates of the city of Medeba. Meanwhile, the mercenary forces were out in the field.

10 When Joab realized that the enemy forces were both in front and behind him, he divided his army and sent one group to engage the Syrians.

11 The other group, under the command of his brother Abishai, moved against the Ammonites.

12 "If the Syrians are too strong for me, come and help me," Joab told his brother; "and if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.

13 Be courageous and let us act like men to save our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is best."

14 So Joab and his troops attacked the Syrians, and the Syrians turned and fled.

15 When the Ammonites, under attack by Abishai's troops, saw that the Syrians were retreating, they fled into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 After their defeat, the Syrians summoned additional troops from east of the Euphrates River, led personally by Shophach, King Hadadezer's commander-in-chief.

17 When this news reached David, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and engaged the enemy troops in battle.

18 But the Syrians again fled from David, and he killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand of their troops. He also killed Shophach, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian army.

19 Then King Hadadezer's troops surrendered to King David and became his subjects. And never again did the Syrians aid the Ammonites in their battles.

20

1 The following spring (spring was the season when wars usually began) Joab led the Israeli army in successful attacks against the cities and villages of the people of Ammon. After destroying them, he laid siege to Rabbah and conquered it. Meanwhile, David had stayed in Jerusalem.

2 When David arrived on the scene, he removed the crown from the head of King Milcom of Rabbah and placed it upon his own head. It was made of gold inlaid with gems and weighed seventy-five pounds! David also took great amounts of plunder from the city.

3 He drove the people from the city and set them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, as was his custom with all the conquered Ammonite peoples. Then David and all his army returned to Jerusalem.

4 The next war was against the Philistines again, at Gezer. But Sibbecai, a man from Hushath, killed one of the sons of the giant, Sippai, and so the Philistines surrendered.

5 During another war with the Philistines, Elhanan (the son of Jair) killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the giant; the handle of his spear was like a weaver's beam!

6 During another battle, at Gath, a giant with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot (his father was also a giant) defied

7 and taunted Israel; but he was killed by David's nephew Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea.

8 These giants were descendants of the giants of Gath, and they were killed by David and his soldiers.

21

1 Then Satan brought disaster upon Israel, for he made David decide to take a census.

2 "Take a complete census throughout the land and bring me the totals," he told Joab and the other leaders.

3 But Joab objected. "If the Lord were to multiply his people a hundred times, would they not all be yours? So why are you asking us to do this? Why must you cause Israel to sin?"

4 But the king won the argument, and Joab did as he was told; he traveled all through Israel and returned to Jerusalem.

5 The total population figure which he gave came to 1,100,000 men of military age in Israel and 470,000 in Judah.

6 But he didn't include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in his figures because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

7 And God, too, was displeased with the census and punished Israel for it.

8 But David said to God, "I am the one who has sinned. Please forgive me, for I realize now how wrong I was to do this."

9 Then the Lord said to Gad, David's personal prophet,

10 "Go and tell David, 'The Lord has offered you three choices. Which will you choose?

11

12 You may have three years of famine, or three months of destruction by the enemies of Israel, or three days of deadly plague as the angel of the Lord brings destruction to the land. Think it over and let me know what answer to return to the one who sent me.' "

13 "This is a terrible decision to make," David replied, "but let me fall into the hands of the Lord rather than into the power of men, for God's mercies are very great."

14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel and 70,000 men died as a result.

15 During the plague God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem; but then he felt such compassion that he changed his mind and commanded the destroying angel, "Stop! It is enough!" (The angel of the Lord was standing at the time by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

16 When David saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, pointing toward Jerusalem, he and the elders of Israel clothed themselves in sackcloth and fell to the ground before the Lord.

17 And David said to God, "I am the one who sinned by ordering the census. But what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, destroy me and my family, but do not destroy your people."

18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to build an altar to the Lord at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 So David went to see Ornan, who was threshing wheat at the time. Ornan saw the angel as he turned, and his four sons ran and hid.

20

21 Then Ornan saw the king approaching. So he left the threshing-floor and bowed to the ground before King David.

22 David said to Ornan, "Let me buy this threshing-floor from you at its full price; then I will build an altar to the Lord and the plague will stop."

23 "Take it, my lord, and use it as you wish," Ornan said to David. "Take the oxen, too, for burnt offerings; use the threshing instruments for wood for the fire and use the wheat for the grain offering. I give it all to you."

24 "No," the king replied, "I will buy it for the full price; I cannot take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing!"

25 So David paid Ornan $4,300 in gold

26 and built an altar to the Lord there, and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings upon it; and he called out to the Lord, who answered by sending down fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.

27 Then the Lord commanded the angel to put back his sword into its sheath;

28 and when David saw that the Lord had answered his plea, he sacrificed to him again.

29 The Tabernacle and altar made by Moses in the wilderness were on the hill of Gibeon,

30 but David didn't have time to go there to plead before the Lord, for he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of Jehovah.

22

1 Then David said, "Right here at Ornan's threshing-floor is the place where I'll build the Temple of the Lord and construct the altar for Israel's burnt offering!"

2 David now drafted all the resident aliens in Israel to prepare blocks of squared stone for the Temple.

3 They also manufactured iron into the great quantity of nails needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps; and they smelted so much bronze that it was too much to weigh.

4 The men of Tyre and Sidon brought great rafts of cedar logs to David.

5 "Solomon my son is young and tender," David said, "and the Temple of the Lord must be a marvelous structure, famous and glorious throughout the world; so I will begin the preparations for it now." So David collected the construction materials before his death.

6 He now commanded his son Solomon to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel.

7 "I wanted to build it myself," David told him,

8 "but the Lord said not to do it. 'You have killed too many men in great wars,' he told me. 'You have reddened the ground before me with blood: so you are not to build my Temple.

9 But I will give you a son,' he told me, 'who will be a man of peace, for I will give him peace with his enemies in the surrounding lands. His name shall be Solomon (meaning "Peaceful"), and I will give peace and quietness to Israel during his reign.

10 He shall build my Temple, and he shall be as my own son and I will be his father; and I will cause his sons and his descendants to reign over every generation of Israel.'

11 "So now, my son, may the Lord be with you and prosper you as you do what he told you to do and build the Temple of the Lord.

12 And may the Lord give you the good judgment to follow all his laws when he makes you king of Israel.

13 For if you carefully obey the rules and regulations that he gave to Israel through Moses, you will prosper. Be strong and courageous, fearless and enthusiastic!

14 "By hard work I have collected several billion dollars worth of gold bullion, millions in silver, and so much iron and bronze that I haven't even weighed it; I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls. This is at least a beginning, something with which to start.

15 And you have many skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind.

16 They are expert gold and silver smiths and bronze and iron workers. So get to work, and may the Lord be with you!"

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist his son in this project.

18 "The Lord your God is with you," he declared. "He has given you peace with the surrounding nations, for I have conquered them in the name of the Lord and for his people.

19 Now try with every fiber of your being to obey the Lord your God, and you will soon be bringing the Ark and the other holy articles of worship into the Temple of the Lord!"

23

1 By this time David was an old, old man, so he stepped down from the throne and appointed his son Solomon as the new king of Israel.

2 He summoned all the political and religious leaders of Israel for the coronation ceremony.

3 At this time a census was taken of the men of the tribe of Levi who were thirty years or older. The total came to 38,000.

4 "Twenty-four thousand of them will supervise the work at the Temple," David instructed, "6,000 are to be bailiffs and judges,

5 4,000 will be temple guards, and 4,000 will praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have made."

6 Then David divided them into three main divisions named after the sons of Levi--the Gershom division, the Kohath division, and the Merari division.

7 Subdivisions of the Gershom corps were named after his sons Ladan and Shimei.

8 These subdivisions were still further divided into six groups named after the sons of Ladan: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, Joel;

9 and the sons of Shimei --Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran.

10 The subclans of Shimei were named after his four sons:

11 Jahath was greatest, Zizah was next, and Jeush and Beriah were combined into a single subclan because neither had many sons.

12 The division of Kohath was subdivided into four groups named after his sons Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

13 Amram was the ancestor of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his sons were set apart for the holy service of sacrificing the people's offerings to the Lord. He served the Lord constantly and pronounced blessings in his name at all times.

14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons, Gershom and Eliezer, were included with the tribe of Levi.

15

16 Gershom's sons were led by Shebuel,

17 and Eliezer's only son, Rehabiah, was the leader of his clan, for he had many children.

18 The sons of Izhar were led by Shelomith.

19 The sons of Hebron were led by Jeriah. Amariah was second in command, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel were led by Micah, and Isshiah was the second in command.

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.

22 Eleazar died without any sons, and his daughters were married to their cousins, the sons of Kish.

23 Mushi's sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

24 In the census, all the men of Levi who were twenty years old or older were classified under the names of these clans and subclans; and they were all assigned to the ministry at the Temple.

25 For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem.

26 Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its instruments from place to place."

27 (This census of the tribe of Levi was one of the last things David did before his death.)

28 The work of the Levites was to assist the priests--the descendants of Aaron--in the sacrifices at the Temple; they also did the custodial work and helped perform the ceremonies of purification.

29 They provided the Bread of the Presence, the flour for the grain offerings, and the wafers made without yeast (either fried or mixed with olive oil); they also checked all the weights and measures.

30 Each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing thanks and praise to him.

31 They assisted in the special sacrifices of burnt offerings, the Sabbath sacrifices, the new moon celebrations, and at all the festivals. There were always as many Levites present as were required for the occasion.

32 And they took care of the Tabernacle and the Temple and assisted the priests in whatever way they were needed.

24

1 The priests (the descendants of Aaron) were placed into two divisions named after Aaron's sons, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2 Nadab and Abihu were also sons of Aaron, but they died before their father did and had no children; so only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on.

3 David consulted with Zadok, who represented the Eleazar clan, and with Ahimelech, who represented the Ithamar clan; then he divided Aaron's descendants into many groups to serve at various times.

4 Eleazar's descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar's into eight (for there was more leadership ability among the descendants of Eleazar).

5 All tasks were assigned to the various groups by coin-toss so that there would be no preference, for there were many famous men and high officials of the Temple in each division.

6 Shemaiah, a Levite and the son of Nethanel, acted as recording secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king and of these leaders: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the priests and Levites. Two groups from the division of Eleazar and one from the division of Ithamar were assigned to each task.

7 The work was assigned (by coin-toss) in this order: First, the group led by Jehoiarib; Second, the group led by Jedaiah;

8 Third, the group led by Harim; Fourth, the group led by Seorim;

9 Fifth, the group led by Malchijah; Sixth, the group led by Mijamin;

10 Seventh, the group led by Hakkoz; Eighth, the group led by Ahijah;

11 Ninth, the group led by Jeshua; Tenth, the group led by Shecaniah;

12 Eleventh, the group led by Eliashib; Twelfth, the group led by Jakim;

13 Thirteenth, the group led by Huppah; Fourteenth, the group led by Jeshebeab;

14 Fifteenth, the group led by Bilgah; Sixteenth, the group led by Immer;

15 Seventeenth, the group led by Hezir; Eighteenth, the group led by Happizzez;

16 Nineteenth, the group led by Pethahiah; Twentieth, the group led by Jehezkel;

17 Twenty-first, the group led by Jachin; Twenty-second, the group led by Gamul;

18 Twenty-third, the group led by Delaiah; Twenty-fourth, the group led by Maaziah.

19 Each group carried out the Temple duties as originally assigned by God through their ancestor Aaron.

20 These were the other descendants of Levi: Amram; his descendant Shubael; and Shubael's descendant Jehdeiah;

21 the Rehabiah group, led by his oldest son Isshiah;

22 the Izhar group, consisting of Shelamoth and his descendant Jahath.

23 The Hebron group: Jeriah, Hebron's oldest son; Amariah, his second son; Jahaziel, his third son; Jekameam, his fourth son.

24 The Uzziel group was led by his son Micah and his grandsons Shamir and Isshiah, and by Isshiah's son Zechariah.

25

26 The Merari group was led by his sons: Mahli and Mushi. (Jaaziah's group, led by his son Beno, included his brothers Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.)

27

28 Mahli's descendants were Eleazar, who had no sons,

29 and Kish, among whose sons was Jerahmeel.

30 The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the descendants of Levi in their various clans.

31 Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by coin-toss without distinction as to age or rank. It was done in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priests and the Levites.

25

1 David and the officials of the Tabernacle then appointed men to prophesy to the accompaniment of zithers, harps, and cymbals. These men were from the groups of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Here is a list of their names and their work:

2 Under the leadership of Asaph, the king's private prophet, were his sons Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah.

3 Under Jeduthun, who led in giving thanks and praising the Lord (while accompanied by the zither), were his six sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah.

4 Under the direction of Heman, the king's private chaplain, were his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Geddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

5 (For God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.)

6 Their music ministry included the playing of cymbals, harps, and zithers; all were under the direction of their father as they performed this ministry in the Tabernacle. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king.

7 They and their families were all trained in singing praises to the Lord; each one--288 of them in all--was a master musician.

8 The singers were appointed to their particular term of service by coin-toss, without regard to age or reputation.

9 The first toss indicated Joseph of the Asaph clan; The second, Gedaliah, along with twelve of his sons and brothers;

10 The third, Zaccur and twelve of his sons and brothers;

11 The fourth, Izri and twelve of his sons and brothers;

12 Fifth, Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

13 Sixth, Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

14 Seventh, Jesharelah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

15 Eighth, Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

16 Ninth, Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

17 Tenth, Shimei and twelve of his sons and brothers;

18 Eleventh, Azarel and twelve of his sons and brothers;

19 Twelfth, Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

20 Thirteenth, Shubael and twelve of his sons and brothers;

21 Fourteenth, Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

22 Fifteenth, Jeremoth and twelve of his sons and brothers;

23 Sixteenth, Hananiah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

24 Seventeenth, Joshbekasha and twelve of his sons and brothers;

25 Eighteenth, Hanani and twelve of his sons and brothers;

26 Nineteenth, Mallothi and twelve of his sons and brothers;

27 Twentieth, Eliathah and twelve of his sons and brothers;

28 Twenty-first, Hothir and twelve of his sons and brothers;

29 Twenty-second, Giddalti and twelve of his sons and brothers;

30 Twenty-third, Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and brothers;

31 Twenty-fourth, Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and brothers.

26

1 The temple guards were from the Asaph division of the Korah clan. The captain of the guard was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore.

2 His sergeants were his sons: Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth),

3 Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), Eliehoenai (the seventh).

4 The sons of Obed-edom were also appointed as Temple guards: Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth),

5 Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), Peullethai (the eighth). What a blessing God gave him with all those sons!

6 Shemaiah's sons were all outstanding men and had positions of great authority in their clan.

7 Their names were: Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad. Their brave brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were also very able men.

8 All of these sons and grandsons of Obed-edom--all sixty-two of them--were outstanding men who were particularly well qualified for their work.

9 Meshelemiah's eighteen sons and brothers, too, were real leaders.

10 Hosah, one of the Merari group, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest.

11 The names of some of his other sons were: Hilkiah, the second; Tebaliah, the third; Zechariah, the fourth. Hosah's sons and brothers numbered thirteen in all.

12 The divisions of the Temple guards were named after the leaders. Like the other Levites, they were responsible to minister at the Temple.

13 They were assigned guard duty at the various gates without regard to the reputation of their families, for it was all done by coin-toss.

14 The responsibility of the east gate went to Shelemiah and his group; of the north gate to his son Zechariah, a man of unusual wisdom;

15 of the south gate to Obed-edom and his group (his sons were given charge of the storehouses);

16 of the west gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the upper road, to Shuppim and Hosah.

17 Six guards were assigned daily to the east gate, four to the north gate, four to the south gate, and two to each of the storehouses.

18 Six guards were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the upper road, and two to the nearby areas.

19 The Temple guards were chosen from the clans of Korah and Merari.

20 Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were given the care of the gifts brought to the Lord and placed in the Temple treasury.

21 These men of the Ladan subclan from the clan of Gershom included

22 Zetham and Joel, the sons of Jehieli.

23 Shebuel, son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, was the chief officer of the treasury. He was in charge of the divisions named after Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

24

25 The line of descendants from Eliezer went through Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zichri, and Shelomoth.

26 Shelomoth and his brothers were appointed to care for the gifts given to the Lord by King David and the other leaders of the nation such as the officers and generals of the army.

27 For these men dedicated their war loot to support the operating expenses of the Temple.

28 Shelomoth and his brothers were also responsible for the care of the items dedicated to the Lord by Samuel the prophet, Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, Joab the son of Zeruiah, and anyone else of distinction who brought gifts to the Lord.

29 Chenaniah and his sons (from the subclan of Izhar) were appointed public administrators and judges.

30 Hashabiah and 1,700 of his clansmen from Hebron, all outstanding men, were placed in charge of the territory of Israel west of the Jordan River; they were responsible for the religious affairs and public administration of that area.

31 Twenty-seven hundred outstanding men of the clan of the Hebronites, under the supervision of Jerijah, were appointed to control the religious and public affairs of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

32 These men, all of whom had excellent qualifications, were appointed on the basis of their ancestry and ability at Jazer in Gilead in the fortieth year of King David's reign.

27

1 The Israeli army was divided into twelve regiments, each with 24,000 troops, including officers and administrative staff. These units were called up for active duty one month each year. Here is the list of the units and their regimental commanders:

2 The commander of the First Division was Jashobeam. He had charge of 24,000 troops who were on duty the first month of each year.

3

4 The commander of the Second Division was Dodai (a descendant of Ahohi). He had charge of 24,000 troops who were on duty the second month of each year. Mikloth was his executive officer.

5 The commander of the Third Division was Benaiah. His 24,000 men were on duty the third month of each year.

6 (He was the son of Jehoiada the High Priest and was the chief of the thirty highest-ranking officers in David's army.) His son Ammizabad succeeded him as division commander.

7 The commander of the Fourth Division was Asahel (the brother of Joab), who was later replaced by his son Zebadiah. He had 24,000 men on duty the fourth month of each year.

8 The commander of the Fifth Division was Shamuth from Izrah, with 24,000 men on duty the fifth month of each year.

9 The commander of the Sixth Division was Ira, the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; he had 24,000 men on duty the sixth month of each year.

10 The commander of the Seventh Division was Helez from Pelona in Ephraim, with 24,000 men on duty the seventh month of each year.

11 The commander of the Eighth Division was Sibbecai of the Hushite subclan from Zerah, who had 24,000 men on duty the eighth month of each year.

12 The commander of the Ninth Division was Abiezer (from Anathoth in the tribe of Benjamin), who commanded 24,000 troops during the ninth month of each year.

13 The commander of the Tenth Division was Maharai from Netophah in Zerah, with 24,000 men on duty the tenth month of each year.

14 The commander of the Eleventh Division was Benaiah from Pirathon in Ephraim, with 24,000 men on duty during the eleventh month of each year.

15 The commander of the Twelfth Division was Heldai from Netophah in the area of Othniel, who commanded 24,000 men on duty during the twelfth month of each year.

16 The top political officers of the tribes of Israel were as follows: Over Reuben, Eliezer (son of Zichri); Over Simeon, Shephatiah (son of Maacah);

17 Over Levi, Hashabiah (son of Kemuel); Over the descendants of Aaron, Zadok;

18 Over Judah, Elihu (a brother of King David); Over Issachar, Omri (son of Michael);

19 Over Zebulun, Ishmaiah (son of Obadiah); Over Naphtali, Jeremoth (son of Azriel);

20 Over Ephraim, Hoshea (son of Azaziah); Over the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel (son of Pedaiah);

21 Over the other half of Manasseh, in Gilead, Iddo (son of Zechariah); Over Benjamin, Jaasiel (son of Abner);

22 Over Dan, Azarel (son of Jeroham).

23 When David took his census, he didn't include the twenty-year-olds or those younger, for the Lord had promised a population explosion for his people.

24 Joab began the census, but he never finished it, for the anger of God broke out upon Israel; the final total was never put into the annals of King David.

25 Azmaveth (son of Adiel) was the chief financial officer in charge of the palace treasuries, and Jonathan (son of Uzziah) was chief of the regional treasuries throughout the cities, villages, and fortresses of Israel.

26 Ezri (son of Chelub) was manager of the laborers on the king's estates.

27 And Shimei from Ramath had the oversight of the king's vineyards; and Zabdi from Shiphma was responsible for his wine production and storage.

28 Baal-hanan from Gedera was responsible for the king's olive yards and sycamore trees in the lowlands bordering Philistine territory, while Joash had charge of the supplies of olive oil.

29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Plains of Sharon, and Shaphat (son of Adlai) had charge of those in the valleys.

30 Obil, from the territory of Ishmael, had charge of the camels, and Jehdeiah from Meronoth had charge of the donkeys.

31 The sheep were under the care of Jaziz the Hagrite. These men were King David's overseers.

32 The attendant to the king's sons was Jonathan, David's uncle, a wise counselor and an educated man. Jehiel (the son of Hachmoni) was their tutor.

33 Ahithophel was the king's official counselor, and Hushai the Archite was his personal advisor.

34 Ahithophel was assisted by Jehoiada (the son of Benaiah) and by Abiathar. Joab was commander-in-chief of the Israeli army.

28

1 David now summoned all of his officials to Jerusalem--the political leaders, the commanders of the twelve army divisions, the other army officers, those in charge of his property and livestock, and all the other men of authority in his kingdom.

2 He rose and stood before them and addressed them as follows: "My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a temple in which the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord could rest--a place for our God to live in. I have now collected everything that is necessary for the building,

3 but God has told me, 'You are not to build my temple, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.'

4 "Nevertheless, the Lord God of Israel has chosen me from among all my father's family to begin a dynasty that will rule Israel forever; he has chosen the tribe of Judah, and from among the families of Judah, my father's family; and from among his sons, the Lord took pleasure in me and has made me king over all Israel.

5 And from among my sons--the Lord has given me many children--he has chosen Solomon to succeed me on the throne of his Kingdom of Israel.

6 He has told me, 'Your son Solomon shall build my Temple; for I have chosen him as my son and I will be his father.

7 And if he continues to obey my commandments and instructions as he has until now, I will make his kingdom last forever.' "

8 Then David turned to Solomon and said: "Here before the leaders of Israel, the people of God, and in the sight of our God, I am instructing you to search out every commandment of the Lord so that you may continue to rule this good land and leave it to your children to rule forever.

9 Solomon, my son, get to know the God of your fathers. Worship and serve him with a clean heart and a willing mind, for the Lord sees every heart and understands and knows every thought. If you seek him, you will find him; but if you forsake him, he will permanently throw you aside.

10 So be very careful, for the Lord has chosen you to build his holy Temple. Be strong and do as he commands."

11 Then David gave Solomon the blueprint of the Temple and its surroundings--the treasuries, the upstairs rooms, the inside rooms, and the sanctuary for the place of mercy.

12 He also gave Solomon his plans for the outer court, the outside rooms, the Temple storage areas, and the treasuries for the gifts dedicated by famous persons. For the Holy Spirit had given David all these plans.

13 The king also passed on to Solomon the instructions concerning the work of the various groups of priests and Levites; and he gave specifications for each item in the Temple which was to be used for worship and sacrifice.

14 David weighed out enough gold and silver to make these various items,

15 as well as the specific amount of gold needed for the lampstands and lamps. He also weighed out enough silver for the silver candlesticks and lamps, each according to its use.

16 He weighed out the gold for the table on which the Bread of the Presence would be placed and for the other gold tables, and he weighed the silver for the silver tables.

17 Then he weighed out the gold for the solid gold hooks used in handling the sacrificial meat and for the basins, cups, and bowls of gold and silver.

18 Finally, he weighed out the refined gold for the altar of incense and for the gold angels whose wings were stretched over the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.

19 "Every part of this blueprint," David told Solomon, "was given to me in writing from the hand of the Lord."

20 Then he continued, "Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don't be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you; he will not forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly.

21 And these various groups of priests and Levites will serve in the Temple. Others with skills of every kind will volunteer, and the army and the entire nation are at your command."

29

1 Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said: "My son Solomon, whom God has chosen to be the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced, and the work ahead of him is enormous; for the temple he will build is not just another building--it is for the Lord God himself!

2 Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building it--enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and marble.

3 And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of God, I am giving all of my own private treasures to aid in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected.

4 These personal contributions consist of millions of dollars of gold from Ophir and huge amounts of silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings.

5 It will also be used for the articles made of gold and silver and for the artistic decorations. Now then, who will follow my example? Who will give himself and all that he has to the Lord?"

6 Then the clan leaders, the heads of the tribes, the army officers, and the administrative officers of the king pledged

7 huge sums of gold, silver and foreign currency, also 675 tons of bronze and 3,750 tons of iron.

8 They also contributed great amounts of jewelry, which were deposited at the Temple treasury with Jehiel (a descendant of Gershom).

9 Everyone was excited and happy for this opportunity of service, and King David was moved with deep joy.

10 While still in the presence of the whole assembly, David expressed his praises to the Lord: "O Lord God of our father Israel, praise your name for ever and ever!

11 Yours is the mighty power and glory and victory and majesty. Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything.

12 Riches and honor come from you alone, and you are the Ruler of all mankind; your hand controls power and might, and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength.

13 O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name,

14 but who am I and who are my people that we should be permitted to give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we only give you what is yours already!

15 For we are here for but a moment, strangers in the land as our fathers were before us; our days on earth are like a shadow, gone so soon, without a trace.

16 O Lord our God, all of this material that we have gathered to build a temple for your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you!

17 I know, my God, that you test men to see if they are good; for you enjoy good men. I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

18 "O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel! Make your people always want to obey you, and see to it that their love for you never changes.

19 Give my son Solomon a good heart toward God, so that he will want to obey you in the smallest detail and will look forward eagerly to finishing the building of your temple, for which I have made all of these preparations."

20 Then David said to all the people, "Give praise to the Lord your God!" And they did, bowing low before the Lord and the king.

21 The next day they brought a thousand young bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs as burnt offerings to the Lord; they also offered drink offerings and many other sacrifices on behalf of all Israel.

22 Then they feasted and drank before the Lord with great joy. And again they crowned King David's son Solomon as their king. They anointed him before the Lord as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as their priest.

23 So God appointed Solomon to take the throne of his father David; and he prospered greatly, and all Israel obeyed him.

24 The national leaders, the army officers, and his brothers all pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.

25 And the Lord gave him great popularity with all the people of Israel, and he amassed even greater wealth and honor than his father.

26 David was king of the land of Israel for forty years; seven of them during his reign in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

27

28 He died at an old age, wealthy and honored; and his son Solomon reigned in his place.

29 Detailed biographies of King David have been written in the history of Samuel the prophet, the history written by Nathan the prophet, and in the history written by the prophet Gad.

30 These accounts tell of his reign and of his might and all that happened to him and to Israel and to the kings of the nearby nations.