1 Chronicles 6:37-12:20

New International Version

⁴⁸ Their fellow Levites^(F) were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. ⁴⁹ But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar^(G) of burnt offering and on the altar of incense^(H) in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁵⁴ These were the locations of their settlements^(J) allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):

⁶¹ The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.

⁶² The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.

⁶³ The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

⁶⁴ So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns^(Q) and their pasturelands. ⁶⁵ From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.

⁶⁶ Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.

Issachar

7 The sons of Issachar:^(AK)

Benjamin

Naphtali

Manasseh

Ephraim

²⁸ Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer^(AW) and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages. ²⁹ Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan,^(AX) Taanach, Megiddo and Dor,^(AY) together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

Asher

⁴⁰ All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000.

The Genealogy of Saul the Benjamite^(BA)

8 Benjamin^(BB) was the father of Bela his firstborn,

²⁸ All these were heads of families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem.

9 All Israel^(BQ) was listed in the genealogies recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. They were taken captive to Babylon^(BR) because of their unfaithfulness.^(BS)

The People in Jerusalem^(BT)

² Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns^(BU) were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants.^(BV)

³ Those from Judah, from Benjamin, and from Ephraim and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem were:

²² Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers^(CF) at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer.^{(CG) 23} They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. ²⁵ Their fellow Levites in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day^(CH) periods. ²⁶ But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries^(CI) in the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night stationed around the house of God,^(CJ) because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key^(CK) for opening it each morning.

²⁸ Some of them were in charge of the articles used in the temple service; they counted them when they were brought in and when they were taken out. ²⁹ Others were assigned to take care of the furnishings and all the other articles of the sanctuary,^(CL) as well as the special flour and wine, and the olive oil, incense and spices. ³⁰ But some^(CM) of the priests took care of mixing the spices. ³¹ A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the responsibility for baking the offering bread. ³² Some of the Kohathites, their fellow Levites, were in charge of preparing for every Sabbath the bread set out on the table.^(CN)

³³ Those who were musicians,^(CO) heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.^(CP)

³⁴ All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem.

The Genealogy of Saul^(CQ)

Saul Takes His Life^(CX)

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. ³ The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.

⁷ When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.^(CY)

¹¹ When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead^(CZ) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

¹³ Saul died^(DA) because he was unfaithful^(DB) to the Lord; he did not keep^(DC) the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium^(DD) for guidance, ¹⁴ and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned^(DE) the kingdom^(DF) over to David son of Jesse.

David Becomes King Over Israel^(DG)

11 All Israel^(DH) came together to David at Hebron^(DI) and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.^(DJ) And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd^(DK) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.^(DL)’”

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed^(DM) David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem^(DN)

⁴ David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites^(DO) who lived there ⁵ said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

⁶ David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab^(DP) son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

⁷ David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. ⁸ He built up the city around it, from the terraces^[y](DQ) to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. ⁹ And David became more and more powerful,^(DR) because the Lord Almighty was with him.

David’s Mighty Warriors^(DS)

¹⁰ These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel,^(DT) gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised^(DU)— ¹¹ this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:^(DV)

Jashobeam,^[z] a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers^[aa]; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

¹² Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.^(DW)

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley^(DX) of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time David was in the stronghold,^(DY) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured^(DZ) it out to the Lord. ¹⁹ “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

²⁰ Abishai^(EA) the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ²¹ He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,^(EB) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.^{(EC) 23} And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits^[ab] tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod^(ED) in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²⁵ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Warriors Join David

12 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag,^(EN) while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; ² they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed;^(EO) they were relatives of Saul^(EP) from the tribe of Benjamin):

⁸ Some Gadites^(ES) defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions,^(ET) and they were as swift as gazelles^(EU) in the mountains.

¹⁴ These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred,^(EV) and the greatest for a thousand.^{(EW) 15} It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks,^(EX) and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Other Benjamites^(EY) and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit^(EZ) came on Amasai,^(FA) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

¹⁹ Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)^{(FC) 20} When David went to Ziklag,^(FD) these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh.