Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadeb, and Mount Kishua, Saul's sons. The battle became fierce against Saul, the archers hid him, and he was wounded by the archers. And Saul said to his armor bearer, draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me.
But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it, and when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
So it happened the next day when Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa, and they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people. Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. And when all Jebesh Gilead heard all the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and they brought them to Jebesh, and buried their bones under the tamarish tree at Jebesh, and fasted seven days. The Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord, therefore he killed him and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.
Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, indeed we are your bone and your flesh. Also in time passed even when Saul was king, you were the one who let Israel out and brought them in, and the Lord your God said to you, you shall shepherd my people Israel, and be ruler over my people Israel. Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they had known to David king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, you shall not come in here.
Nevertheless David took a stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David. Now David said, whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain, and Joab, the son of Zerawai went up first and became chief. Then David dwelt in the stronghold, therefore they called it the city of David, and he built the city around it from the millow to the surrounding area. Joab prepared the rest of the city, so David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.
Now these were the heads of the mighty man whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him and his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had. Joshua being the son of a Hakma Knight, chief of the captains, he had lifted up his spear against 300, killed by him at one time. After him was Eliezer, the son of Dodo, the Ahoy, who was one of the three mighty men.
He was what David had passed to mean. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley, so the people fled from the Philistines. But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines, so the Lord brought about a great victory. Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adulum, and the army of the Philistines and the captain of the Valley of Raffang.
David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem, and David said with longing, oh that someone would give me a drink of water from the Wellup Bethlehem, which is by the gate. So three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the Wellup Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord, and he said, far be it from me, oh my God, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who put their lives in jeopardy, for at the risk of their lives they brought it.
Therefore, he would not drink it. These things were done by three mighty men. Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against 300 men, killed him, and won a name among these three.
Of the three, he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain, however he did not attain to the first three. Benetto was the son of Jehoida, the son of a valiant man from Cabs' eel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes at Moab.
He had also gone down and killed and lying in the midst of a pit on a snowy day, and he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian sand there was a spear like a weaver's beam, and he went down to him with a staff, wrestled a spear out of the Egyptian sand, and killed him with his own spear. These things Benetto did and won a name among three mighty men. Indeed, he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three, and David appointed him over his guard.
Also the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanen the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shemoth the Herowite, Heles the Pelenite, Ira the son of Ikesh the Techoite, Abiyayzer the Anatothite, Sibikai the Hushothite, Elaiai the Ahohite, Maharai the Ntofothite, Heles the Son of Bena the Ntofothite, Ithai the son of Rebei I of Gibia of the sons of Benjamin, Benetia the Pyrethinite, Heraiai of the Brooks of Gash, Abiyo the Arbithite, Azmavith the Baharomite, Elayaba the Shalbanite, the sons of Hashem the Gizanite, Jonathan the son of Shiga the Haurarite, Ahiim the son of Seikar the Haurarite, A Liful the son of Yur, Heffer the Macarithite, Ahijah the Pelenite, Hesrow the Carmelite, Nayrei the son of Esbei, Joel the brother of Nathan, Midhar the son of Hagri, Zellek the Ammonite, the Heraii the Barathite, the Armor Barathite, the Armor Barrow Joab the son of Zerawil, Airer the Ithrite, Gereb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zebad the son of Alei, Adina the son of Shiza the Rubenite, a chief of the Rubenites, and thirty with him, Hanon the son of Makah, Joshafath the Mithnite, Usaya the Ashterothite, Seimah and Jael the son of Hothim, the Airer the Jettio, the son of Shimri, and Joah his brother the Tizite, Elayo the Mihayvite, Gerebei and Joshavaya the son of El Naim, Ifma the Moabite, Elayo, Obed and Jazil the Mizzobei. Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish, and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war armed with bows using both the right hand and the left and hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were a Benjamin, Saul's brother, the chief was Ayezer, the Joash, the sons of Shimea, the Mihayvite, Jazil and Pela the sons of Azmavith, Berica and Jehu, the Anatathite, Ishma'ia the Gibianite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, Jeremiah, Jehazil, Jehonin, and Josephad the Gaterithite, Elayai, Jerimoth, Bilaya, Shimriya, and Shephataya, the Herafite, Elcana, Jashaya, Azarell, Joazir, and Jehishibim, the Koris, and Jola and Zebediah the son of Jiroah of Gedor. Some Gaddites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, Mighty of Valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as bizel on the mountains.
These are the first, Obadiah II, Elay of the third, Mishman of the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Adai the sixth, Elay of the seventh, Johanin the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, and Magbeneiah the eleventh. These were from the sons of Gadd, captains of the army. The least was over a hundred and the greatest was over a thousand. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it had overflowed all the Spanx, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
And some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. And David went out to meet them and answered and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you. But if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment. Then the spirit came upon Emma Seiach, chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours, O David, we are on your side, O son of Jesse, peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.
So David received them and made them captains of the troop, and some from Anasah defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul, but they did not help them. For the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, he made effect to his master Saul and endanger our heads. When he went to Ziklag, those of Anasah who defected to him were Adna, Josabed, Jeddio, Michael, Josabed, Alaihu, and Cilithaei, captains of the thousands who were from Anasah, and they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army, for at that time they came to David David day by day to help him, until it was a great army like the army of God. Now these were the numbers of divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord, of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, 6,800 armed for war, of the sons of Simeon, might even have valor fit for war, 7,100.
Of the sons of Levi, 4,600, Jihoita, the leader of the Aronites, and with him 3,700, Zadok, a young man of Valium Warrior, and from his father's house, 22 captains, of the sons of Benjamin, relative to Saul, 3,000, until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul. Of the sons of Ephraim, 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father's house, of the half-trav of Manasseh, 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king, of the sons of Isacar who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were 200, and all their brethren were at their command. Of Zebulun, they were 50,000 who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stout-hearted men who could keep ranks. But naphtily, 1,000 captains and with them 37,000 with shield and spear.
Of the Danites who could keep battle formation, 28,600, of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, 40,000, of the Rubenites and the Gaddites and the half-trav of Manasseh from the other side of the Jordan, 120,000 armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war. All these men of war who could keep ranks came to Hebron with the loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel, and all the rest of Israel would have won mine to make David king, and they were with David three days eating and drinking for their brethren had prepared for them. Moreover, those who were near to them, from as far away as Isacar and Zebulun and Naphtily were bringing food on donkeys and camels on mules and oxen, provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel. Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and with every leader, and David 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 out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common lands, that they may gather together to us, and let us bring the Ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.
And all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all of Israel together, from Shire and Egypt, to as far as the interest of Paymath, to bring the Ark of God from Kajath-Jerem, and David and all Israel went up to Beyla, to Kajath-Jerem, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the Ark of God the Lord, who dwells between the cherubim, where his name is proclaimed. So they carried the Ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uza and Aayodra of the cart, then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets, and when they came to Kaidon's threshing floor, Uza put out his hand to hold the Ark for the oxen's number, then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uza, and he struck him because he put his hand to the Ark, and he died there before God, and David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak against Uza, therefore that place is called Parez Uza to this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying, how can I bring the Ark of God to me?
So David would not move the Ark with him in the city of David, but took it aside into the house of Obe'ed-Edom, the Gittai. The Ark of God remained with the family of Obe'ed-Edom in his house three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obe'ed-Edom and all that he had.