Category: 1 Chronicles

[9:17] The following Temple guards lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Shallum was their leader.

[9:18] Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King's Gate. Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.

[9:19] Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the Lord's camp.

[9:20] Phinehas son of Eleazar—may the Lord be with him!—had supervised them at one time.

[9:21] Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence.

[9:22] In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions.

[9:23] They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple.

[9:24] There was a gate facing in each direction, north, south, east, and west, and each had a chief guard.

[9:25] These guards were assisted by their relatives, who lived in the villages and who had to take turns at guard duty for seven days at a time.

[9:26] The four chief guards were Levites and had the final responsibility. They were also responsible for the rooms in the Temple and for the supplies kept there.

[9:27] They lived near the Temple, because it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning.

[9:28] Other Levites were responsible for the utensils used in worship. They checked them out and checked them back in every time they were used.

[9:29] Others were in charge of the other sacred equipment, and of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices.

[9:30] But the responsibility for mixing the spices belonged to the priests.

[9:31] A Levite named Mattithiah, oldest son of Shallum, of the clan of Korah, was responsible for preparing the baked offerings.

[9:32] Members of the clan of Kohath were responsible for preparing the sacred bread for the Temple every Sabbath.

[9:33] Some Levite families were responsible for the Temple music. The heads of these families lived in some of the Temple buildings and were free from other duties, because they were on call day and night.

[9:34] The men named above were heads of Levite families, according to their ancestral lines. They were the leaders who lived in Jerusalem.

[9:35] Jeiel founded the city of Gibeon and settled there. His wife was named Maacah.

[9:36] His oldest son was Abdon, and his other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

[9:37] Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth,

[9:38] the father of Shimeah. Their descendants lived in Jerusalem near other families of their clan.

[9:39] Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of Saul. Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

[9:40] Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal, who was the father of Micah.

[9:41] Micah had four sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

[9:42] Ahaz was the father of Jarah, who was the father of three sons: Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza,

[9:43] Moza the father of Binea, Binea of Rephaiah, Rephaiah of Eleasah, and Eleasah of Azel.

[9:44] Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.

[10:1] The Philistines fought a battle against the Israelites on Mount Gilboa. Many Israelites were killed there, and the rest of them, including King Saul and his sons, fled.

[10:2] But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

[10:3] The fighting was heavy around Saul, and he was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded.

[10:4] He said to the young man carrying his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, to keep these godless Philistines from gloating over me.” But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.

[10:5] The young man saw that Saul was dead, so he too threw himself on his sword and died.

[10:6] So Saul and his three sons all died together, and none of his descendants ever ruled.

[10:7] When the Israelites who lived in Jezreel Valley heard that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and ran off. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.

[10:8] The day after the battle the Philistines went to plunder the corpses, and they found the bodies of Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.

[10:9] They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers with them throughout Philistia to tell the good news to their idols and to their people.

[10:10] They put his weapons in one of their temples and hung his head in the temple of their god Dagon.

[10:11] When the people of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

[10:12] the bravest men went and got the bodies of Saul and his sons and took them to Jabesh. They buried them there under an oak and fasted for seven days.

[10:13] Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He disobeyed the Lord's commands; he tried to find guidance by consulting the spirits of the dead

[10:14] instead of consulting the Lord. So the Lord killed him and gave control of the kingdom to David son of Jesse.

[11:1] All the people of Israel went to David at Hebron and said to him, “We are your own flesh and blood.

[11:2] In the past, even when Saul was still our king, you led the people of Israel in battle, and the Lord your God promised you that you would lead his people and be their ruler.”

[11:3] So all the leaders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made a sacred alliance with them, they anointed him, and he became king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

[11:4] King David and all the Israelites went and attacked the city of Jerusalem. It was then known as Jebus, and the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were still living there.

[11:5] The Jebusites told David he would never get inside the city, but David captured their fortress of Zion, and it became known as “David's City.”

[11:6] David said, “The first man to kill a Jebusite will be commander of the army!” Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, led the attack and became commander.

[11:7] Because David went to live in the fortress, it came to be called “David's City.”

[11:8] He rebuilt the city, starting at the place where land was filled in on the east side of the hill, and Joab restored the rest of the city.

[11:9] David grew stronger and stronger, because the Lord Almighty was with him.

[11:10] This is the list of David's famous soldiers. Together with the rest of the people of Israel, they helped him become king, as the Lord had promised, and they kept his kingdom strong.

[11:11] First was Jashobeam of the clan of Hachmon, the leader of “The Three.” He fought with his spear against three hundred men and killed them all in one battle.

[11:12] Next among the famous “Three” was Eleazar son of Dodo, of the clan of Ahoh.

[11:13] He fought on David's side against the Philistines at the battle of Pas Dammim. He was in a barley field when the Israelites started to run away,

[11:14] so he and his men took a stand in the middle of the field and fought the Philistines. The Lord gave him a great victory.

[11:15] One day three of the thirty leading soldiers went to a rock where David was staying near Adullam Cave, while a band of Philistines was camping in Rephaim Valley.

[11:16] At that time David was on a fortified hill, and a group of Philistines had occupied Bethlehem.

[11:17] David got homesick and said, “How I wish someone would bring me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem!”

[11:18] The three famous soldiers forced their way through the Philistine camp, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But he would not drink it; instead he poured it out as an offering to the Lord

[11:19] and said, “I could never drink this! It would be like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives!” So he refused to drink it. These were the brave deeds of the three famous soldiers.

[11:20] Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of “The Famous Thirty.” He fought with his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and became famous among “The Thirty.”

[11:21] He was the most famous of “The Thirty” and became their leader, but he was not as famous as “The Three.”

[11:22] Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a famous soldier; he did many brave deeds, including killing two great Moabite warriors. He once went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

[11:23] He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man seven and a half feet tall, who was armed with a gigantic spear. Benaiah attacked him with a club, snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with it.

[11:24] Those were the brave deeds of Benaiah, who was one of “The Thirty.”

[11:25] He was outstanding among “The Thirty,” but not as famous as “The Three.” David put him in charge of his bodyguard. – Asahel, Joab's brother – Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem – Shammoth from Harod – Helez from Pelet – Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa – Abiezer from Anathoth – Sibbecai from Hushah – Ilai from Ahoh – Maharai from Netophah – Heled son of Baanah from Netophah – Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin – Benaiah from Pirathon – Hurai from the valleys near Gaash – Abiel from Arbah – Azmaveth from Bahurum – Eliahba from Shaalbon – Hashem from Gizon – Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar – Ahiam son of Sachar from Harar – Eliphal son of Ur – Hepher from Mecherah – Ahijah from Pelon – Hezro from Carmel – Naarai son of Ezbai – Joel brother of Nathan – Mibhar son of Hagri – Zelek from Ammon – Naharai, Joab's armorbearer, from Beeroth – Ira and Gareb from Jattir – Uriah the Hittite – Zabad son of Ahlai – Adina son of Shiza (a leading member of the tribe of Reuben, with his own group of thirty soldiers) – Hanan son of Maacah – Joshaphat from Mithan – Uzzia from Ashterah – Shamma and Jeiel, sons of Hotham, from Aroer – Jediael and Joha, sons of Shimri, from Tiz – Eliel from Mahavah – Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam – Ithmah from Moab – Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel from Zobah

[12:1] David was living in Ziklag, where he had gone to escape from King Saul. There he was joined by many experienced, reliable soldiers,

[12:2] members of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul belonged. They could shoot arrows and sling stones either right-handed or left-handed. These were the soldiers: – Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth – Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth – Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous soldier and one of the leaders of “The Thirty” – Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johannan, and Jozabad, from Gederah – Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah, from Hariph – Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, of the clan of Korah – Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham, from Gedor

[12:8] These are the names of the famous, experienced soldiers from the tribe of Gad who joined David's troops when he was at the desert fort. They were experts with shields and spears, as fierce looking as lions and as quick as mountain deer.

[12:14] Some of these men from the tribe of Gad were senior officers in command of a thousand men, and others were junior officers in command of a hundred.

[12:15] In the first month of one year, the time when the Jordan River overflowed its banks, they crossed the river, scattering the people who lived in the valleys both east and west of the river.

[12:16] Once a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went out to the fort where David was.

[12:17] David went to meet them and said, “If you are coming as friends to help me, you are welcome here. Join us! But if you intend to betray me to my enemies, even though I have not tried to hurt you, the God of our ancestors will know it and punish you.”

[12:18] God's spirit took control of one of them, Amasai, who later became the commander of “The Thirty,” and he called out, “David son of Jesse, we are yours! Success to you and those who help you! God is on your side.” David welcomed them and made them officers in his army.