Day 204 of 365

¹Now these are those who came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

²They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow: they were of Saul's brothers of Benjamin.

³The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite,

⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite,

⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites,

⁷and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸Of the Gadites there separated themselves to David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes on the mountains;

⁹Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

¹⁴These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army: he who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

¹⁵These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

¹⁶There came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold to David.

¹⁷David went out to meet them, and answered them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it."

¹⁸Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, "We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse: peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you." Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

¹⁹Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle; but they did not help them; for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, "He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads."

²⁰As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh.

²¹They helped David against the band of rovers: for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army.

²²For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

²³These are the numbers of the heads of those who were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

²⁴The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war.

²⁵Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

²⁶Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

²⁷Jehoiada was the leader of the household of Aaron; and with him were three thousand and seven hundred,

²⁸and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house twenty-two captains.

²⁹Of the children of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

³⁰Of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses.

³¹Of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king.

³²Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their commandment.

³³Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array, with all kinds of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and who could command and were not of double heart.

³⁴Of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand.

³⁵Of the Danites who could set the battle in array, twenty-eight thousand six hundred.

³⁶Of Asher, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array, forty thousand.

³⁷On the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all kinds of instruments of war for the battle, one hundred twenty thousand.

³⁸All these being men of war, who could order the battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

³⁹They were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brothers had made preparation for them.

⁴⁰Moreover those who were near to them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, food of meal, cakes of figs, and clusters of raisins, and wine, and oil, and cattle, and sheep in abundance: for there was joy in Israel.

¹David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader.

²David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send abroad everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves to us;

³and let us bring again the ark of our God to us. For we did not seek it in the days of Saul."

⁴All the assembly said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor the brook of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.

⁶David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord that sits above the cherubim, that is called by the Name.

⁷They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

⁸David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

⁹When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

¹⁰The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he struck him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God.

¹¹David was displeased, because the Lord had broken forth on Uzza; and he called that place Perez Uzza, to this day.

¹²David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?"

¹³So David did not move the ark to him into the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

¹⁴The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months: and the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he had.

¹Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house.

²David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel; for his kingdom was exalted on high, for his people Israel's sake.

³David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David became the father of more sons and daughters.

⁴These are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,

⁵and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet,

⁶and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

⁷and Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out against them.

⁹Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁰David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?" The Lord said to him, "Go up; for I will deliver them into your hand."

¹¹So they came up to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

¹²They left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire.

¹³The Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley.

¹⁴David inquired again of God; and God said to him, "You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them over against the mulberry trees.

¹⁵It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

¹⁶David did as God commanded him: and they struck the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

¹⁷The fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him on all nations.

¹Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might.

²Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth.

³For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven't set God before them. Selah.

⁴Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.

⁵He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth.

⁶With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, Lord, for it is good.

⁷For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

¹An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

²A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.

³When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.

⁵To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶A fool's lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.

⁷A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

⁸The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person's innermost parts.

⁹One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.

¹¹The rich man's wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.

¹²Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.

¹³He who gives answer before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴A man's spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

¹⁷He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.

¹⁸The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.

¹⁹A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes are like the bars of a castle.

²⁰A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the Lord.

²³The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.