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◄ Open English Translation 1 CHR ►
This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.
1CH - Open English Translation—Readers’ Version (OET-RV) v0.1.11
ESFM v0.6 CH1
WORDTABLE OET-LV_OT_word_table.tsv
The first
Sequential Account
(1 Chronicles)
1Ch
ESFM v0.6 CH1
WORDTABLE OET-LV_OT_word_table.tsv
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1 Chronicles
Introduction
The First and the Second Account of Chronicles are a retelling of lots of what’s included in The accounts about Shemuel (Samuel) and of The accounts about the kings, but told in different words. There seem to be two primary purposes for this account:
1. So that the reader can learn more about the destruction of Yehudah (Judah) and Yisrael (Israel), as God fulfilled his promise and plans for his people. This writer illustrates the achievements of David, Shelomoh (Solomon), of Yehoshafat (Jehoshaphat), Hizkiyah (Hezekiah), of Yoshiyah (Josiah), along with other people who obeyed Yahweh’s instructions.
2. To document the division of the priests and Levites in preparation for their service in the soon-to-be-built temple for Yahweh, and the extensive preparations by King David that were eventually handed over to King Shelomoh. Yahweh had carefully instructed David about how he wanted the temple worship to operate, and then this was all written down and handed over to Shelomoh, who would be the one who would go on to construct the buildings and all the furnishings and equipment and utensils that were required for its functioning.
Main components of this document
Lists of the ancestors 1:1-9:44
King Shaul’s death 10:1-14
David’s kingdom 11:1-29:30
a. Wars and victories 11:1-22:1
b. Preparation for the temple construction 22:2-29:30
This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.
1 Adam, Shet (Seth), Enosh, 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Yared (Jared), 3 Hanok (Enoch), Metushelah (Methuselah), Lamek, 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Yafet (Japeth).
5 Yafet’s sons were Gomer, Magog, Maday, Yavan, Tuval, Meshek, and Tiras. 6 Gomer’s sons were Ashkenaz, Rifat, and Togarmah. 7 Yavan’s sons were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.
8 Ham’s sons were Kush, Mitsrayim, Put, and Kanaan. 9 Kush’s sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Savteka. Raamah’s sons were Sheva and Dedan. 10 Then Kush fathered Nimrod and he became a mighty warrior. 11 Mitsrayim was the ancestor of the Lud, the Anam, the Lehab, the Naftuh, 12 the Patrus, the Kasluh, and the Kaftor people groups. (The Philistines descended from the Kasluh people group.) 13 Kanaan’s first son was Tsidon, and then he was also the ancestor of the Hittites, 14 the Yebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamatites.
17 Shem’s sons were Elam, Ashur, Arpakshad, Lud, and Aram. Aram’s sons were: Uts, Hul, Geter, and Meshek. 18 Arpakshad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. 19 Eber had two sons: Peleg (which sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘divided’, because in his lifetime, the earth was divided)[ref] and Yoktan. 20 Yoktan was the ancestor of: Almodad, Shelef, Hatsarmavet, Yerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Eybal, Abimael, Sheva, 23 Ofir, Havilah, and Yovav. All those were the descendants of Yoktan.
24 These were the descendants of Shem (in order from him to Abraham): Arpakshad, Shelah, 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram (whose name God later changed to Abraham).
28 Abraham’s sons were Yitshak (Isaac) and Yishmael (Ishmael). 29 These were their family lines: The first son born to Yishmael (the son of Abraham’s slave-wife Hagar) was Nevayot, then his other sons Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Yetur, Nafish, and Kedemah. Those were Yishmael’s twelve sons. 32 The sons of Abraham’s slave-wife Keturah were Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak, and Shuah. Yokshan’s sons were Sheva and Dedan. 33 Midyan’s sons were Efah, Efer, Hanok, Abida, and Eldaah. All those were Keturah’s descendants.
34 Abraham had his son Yitshak by his wife Sarah, and Yitshak’s sons were Esau and Yakov, whose name God later changed to Yisrael (Israel).
1:38 Seir’s descendants
38 Seir was another descendant of Esau, and his sons were Lotan, Shoval, Tsiveon, Anah, Dishon, Etser, and Dishan. 39 Lotan’s sons were Hori and Homam, and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40 Shoval’s sons were Alyan, Manahat, Eyval, Shefo, and Onam. Tsiveon’s sons were Ayyah and Anah. 41 Anah’s son was Dishon. Dishon’s sons were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. 42 Etser’s sons were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Yaakan. Dishan’s sons were Uts and Aran.
1:43 Edom’s rulers
43 These are the kings who ruled the region of Edom (where Seir’s descendants lived) before any kings ruled over Yisrael: Bela son of Beor, and his city’s name was Dinhavah. 44 When Bela died, Zerah’s son Yovav from Batsrah city replaced him as king. 45 When Yovav died, Husham replaced him as king. He was from the region where the Teman people group lived. 46 When Husham died, Bedad’s son Hadad replaced him as king. His city’s name was Avit. Hadad defeated the Midyan people group in the Moab region. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah city replaced him as king. 48 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehovot-on-the-river replaced him as king. 49 When Shaul died, Akbor’s son Baal-Hanan replaced him as king. 50 When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad replaced him as king. His city’s name was Pa’u. His wife’s name was Meheytavel—she was the daughter of Matred and the granddaughter of Me-Zahab.
The leaders of the Edom people group were Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Yetet, 52 Aholivamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mivtsar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram. Those were the chiefs of Edom.
3 Yehudah’s sons (with the Canaanite woman Bat-Shua) were Er, and Onan, and Shelah. (Yehudah’s eldest son, Er, was evil in Yahweh’s eyes, and he killed him.) 4 His daughter-in-law Tamar had twin boys named Perets and Zerah, so altogether Yehudah had five sons.
5 Perets’s sons were Hetsron and Hamul. 6 Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Eytan, Heyman, Kalkol, and Dara. 7 Zimri had a son named Karmi. Karmi had a son named Akar who brought trouble into Yisrael by violating a ban on devoted things.[ref] 8 Eytan’s son was Azaryah.
9 Hetsron had three sons: Yerahme’el, Ram, and Keluvay.[fn]
10 Ram was the father of Amminadav, and Amminadav was the father of Nahshon—a leader of the tribe of Yehudah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salma. Salma was the father of Boaz. 12 Boaz was the father of Oved. Oved was the father of Yishay (Jesse). 13 Yishay had his son Eliav first, Abinadab second, Shimea third. 14 Netanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 15 Otsem sixth, then David last. 16 Their sisters were Tseruyah and Avigayil. Tseruyah’s three sons were Avshai, Yoav (Joab), and Asah’el. 17 Avigayil had Amasa. Amasa’s father was Yeter, a descendant of Yishmael (Ishmael).
18 Hetsron’s third son Kalev (Caleb) had sons with Azuvah, one of his wives. The sons were Yesher, Shovav, and Ardon. (The other wife’s name was Yeriot.) 19 When Azuvah died, Kalev married Efrat, and they had a son named Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Betsal’el.
21 Later, when Hetsron was sixty years old, he had sexual intercourse with a daughter of Makir from the region of Gilead and married her. Hetsron’s new wife gave birth to their son Seguv. 22 Seguv was the father of Yair, and Yair controlled twenty-three cities in the Gilead region. 23 But Geshur and Aram captured Havvot-Yair and Kenat from them, plus their surrounding towns—sixty towns in all, populated by descendants of Makir (the father of Gilead). 24 After Hetsron’s death in Kalev-Efratah, his wife Aviyyah gave birth to his son Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.
25 Hetsron’s oldest son was Yerahme’el and his sons were Ram (the oldest), Bunah, Oren, Otsem, and Ahiyyah. 26 Yerahme’el had another wife named Atarah. She was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Yerahme’el’s oldest son, Ram, were Maats, Yamin, and Eker. 28 Onam’s sons were Shammai and Yada, and Shammai’s sons were Nadav and Avishur.
29 Avishur’s wife was Avihayil, and their sons were Ahban and Molid. 30 Nadav’s sons were Seled and Appayim. (Seled died childless.) 31 Appayim’s son was Yishi, Yishi’s son was Sheshan, and Sheshan’s son was Ahlai.
32 The sons of Shammai’s brother Yada were Yeter and Yonatan. (Yeter died childless.) 33 Yonatan’s sons were Pelet and Zaza.
Those were the descendants of Yerahme’el.
34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had a male servant from Egypt whose name was Yarha, 35 and Sheshan gave his daughter to him for a wife, and they had a son Attai. 36 Attai was the father of Natan, and Natan was the father of Zavad. 37 Zavad was the father of Eflal, and Eflal was the father of Oved. 38 Oved was the father of Yehu, and Yehu was the father of Azaryah. 39 Azaryah was the father of Helets, and Helets was the father of Eleasah. 40 Eleasah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai was the father of Shallum. 41 Shallum was the father of Yekamyah, and Yekamyah was the father of Elishama.
42 The oldest son of Yerahme’el’s brother Kalev was Meysha. Meysha was the father of Zif, and Zif was the father of Mareshah. Mareshah was the father of Hevron. 43 Hevron’s sons were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham. Raham was the father of Yorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 Shammai’s son was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beyt-Tsur. 46 Kalev had a slave-wife named Eyfah who gave birth to Haran, Motsa, and Gazez. Haran had a son who he also named Gazez. 47 Yahdai’s sons were: Regem, Yotam, Geshan, Pelet, Eyfah, and Shaaph.
48 Kalev had another slave-wife named Maacah who gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also gave birth to Shaaph (the father of Madmannah), Sheva (father of Makbenah and Gibea), and Kalev’s daughter Aksah.
50 These people were also descendants of Kalev: His other wife Efratah had a son Hur. Hur’s sons were Shobal (founder of Kiriat-Yearim city), 51 Salma (founder of Beyt-Lehem), and Haref (founder of Beyt-Gader). 52 The descendants of Shobal (founder of Kiriat-Yearim) were Haroeh, half of the Manahatites, 53 and the clans from Kiriat-Yearim: the Yitrites, the Putites, the Shumatites, and the Mishraites. From those came the Zoratites and Eshtaolites. 54 Salma’s descendants were the people of Beyt-Lehem, the Netofatites, the clan of Atrot-Beyt-Yoav, and half of the Manahatites, who were also Zorites. 55 The clans of the scribes lived at Yabez: the Tiratites, the Shimeatites, and the Sucatites. These are the Kenites who descended from Hammat, the ancestor of Rekav’s family.
3 These were David’s sons who were born to him in Hevron: the first was Amnon by Ahinoam the Yezreelite, the second Daniyel by Avigayil the Karmelite, 2 the third Avishalom (Absalom), the son of Maakah (daughter of King Talmai of Geshur), the fourth Adoniyyah, the son of Haggit, 3 the fifth Shefatyah by Avital, the sixth Yitream by his wife Eglah.
4 Six were born to David in Hevron where he reigned for seven and a half years.[ref]
Then he reigned in Yerushalem for thirty-three years 5 and these were born to him there: Beyt-Shua (also known as Bathsheba, daughter of Ammiel) gave birth to four sons: Shimea, Shovav, Natan, and Shelomoh (Solomon).[ref] 6 Other sons were Yivhar, Elishama, Elifelet, 7 Nogah, Nefeg, Yafia, 8 Elishama, Elyada, and Elifelet. (Nine in all.) 9 David also had sons from his slave-wives. Their sister was Tamar.
10 Shelomoh had a son Rehovoam, he had a son Aviyyah, he had a son Asa, he had a son Yehoshafat, 11 he had a son Yehoram, he had a son Ahazyah, he had a son Yoash, 12 he had a son Amatsyah, he had a son Azaryah, he had a son Yotham, 13 he had a son Ahaz, he had a son Hizkiyah, he had a son Menashsheh, 14 he had a son Amon, and he had a son Yosiyyah. 15 Yosiyyah had four sons: The oldest was Yohanan, second was Yehoyakim, third was Tsedekiyyah, and the fourth was Shallum. 16 Yehoyakim had a son Yekaneyah, and he had a son Tsedekiyyah.
17 Yekaneyah was captured and taken to Babylon. His sons were Shealtiel, 18 Malkiram, Pedayah, Shenatstsar, Yekamyah, Hoshama, and Nedavyah. 19 Pedayah’s sons were Zerubbavel and Shimei. Two of Zerubbavel’s sons were Meshullam and Hananyah, and their sister was Shelomot. 20 Zerubbavel’s five other sons were Hashubah, Ohel, Berekyah, Hasadyah, and Yushab-Hesed. 21 Hananyah’s descendants were Pelatyah, Yeshayah, and the sons of Refayah, of Arnan, of Ovadyah, and of Shekanyah. 22 Shekanyah’s six descendants were Shemayah and Shemayah’s sons Hattush, Yigal, Bariyah, Nearyah, and Shafat. 23 Nearyah’s three sons were Elyoenai, Hizkiyah, and Azrikam. 24 Elyoenai’s seven sons were Hodavyah, Eliashiv, Pelayah, Akkuv, Yohanan, Delayah, and Anani.
4 Yehudah’s sons were Perets, Hetsron, Karmi, Hur, and Shoval. 2 Shoval had a son Reayah, Reayah had a son Yahat, and Yahat had Ahumai and Lahad. Those were the ancestors of the Tsoratites. 3 Yezreel, Ishma, and Idbash started the clans that lived in Eytam city, and they had a sister named Hatselelponi. 4 Hur was the first son born to his mother Efratah, and he founded Beyt-Lehem city. Hur had these descendants: Penuel and Ezer. Penuel started the clans that lived in Gedor city, and Ezer started the clans that lived in Hushah city. 5 Hetsron’s son Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah, 6 and Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hefer, Teymeni, and Haahashtari. 7 Ashhur and his wife Helah’s sons were Tseret, Tsohar, Etnan, 8 and Kots. Kots was the father of Anub and Hatstsovevah, and the ancestor of the clans descended from Harum’s son Aharhel.
9 Yabets was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Yabets (which sounds like the word meaning ‘pain’), saying, “It’s because I bore him in pain.” 10 Yabets called out to Yisrael’s god, saying, “Oh, please give me a real blessing, and help me and enlarge my territory, and don’t do anything to harm me, so that I won’t be in pain.” And God did what Yabets requested.
11 Another of Yehudah’s descendants was Shuhah. His brother Kelub was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton was the father of Beyt-Rafa, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah founded Nahash city, but lived in Rekah.
13 Kenaz’s sons were Otniel and Serayah. And Otniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonotai.[fn] 14 Meonotai had a son Ofrah, and Serayah fathered Yoav, the founder of Craftsmen’s Valley, because they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Kalev (Yefunneh’s son) were Iru, Elah, and Naam, and Elah’s son was Kenaz.
16 Yehallelel’s sons were Zif, Zifah, Tiriya, and Asarel.
17 Ezrah’s sons were Yeter, Mered, Efer, and Yalon. And Mered’s wife Bityah conceived Miryam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18 She was one of Far-oh’s (Pharaoh’s) daughters. Mered’s wife, who was a descendant of Yehudah (Judah), gave birth to Yered the father of Gedor, Hever the father of Sokoh, and Yekutiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of Hodiyyah’s wife (Naham’s sister) were the father of Keilah the Garmite and the father of Eshtemoa the Maakatite.
20 Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.
Ishi’s sons were Zohet and Ben-Zohet.
4:21 Shelah’s descendants
21 The sons of Shelah (one of Yehudah’s sons) were Er (father of Lekah), Laadah (father of Mareshah and the clans who worked with linen at Beyt-Ashbea), 22 Yokim and the men of Kozeba, and Yoash and Saraf, who ruled in Moav and Yashubi-Lehem. (All this is from ancient records.) 23 They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah—they lived there and worked for the king.
24 Shimeon’s sons were Nemuel, Yamin, Yarib, Zerah, and Shaul. 25 Shaul’s son was Shallum. Shallum’s son was Mivsam. Mivsam’s son was Mishma. 26 The following were Mishma’s descendants: Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zakkur. Zakkur’s son was Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had many children, so Shimeon’s descendants were never as numerous as those of his younger brother Yehudah (Judah).
28 Shimeon’s descendants lived in these cities and towns: Be’er-Sheva (Beersheba), Moladah, Hatsar-Shual,[ref] 29 Bilhah, Etsem, Tolad, 30 Betuel, Hormah, Tsiklag, 31 Beyt-Markaboth, Hatsar-Susim, Beyt-Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in those places until David became king. 32 They also lived in five villages: Eytam, Ayin, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, 33 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baal. Those were their settlements, and they kept their genealogical records.
34 Their clan leaders were Meshovav, Yamlek, Yoshah the son of Amatsyah, 35 Yoel, Yehu the son of Yoshibiah, the son of Serayah, the son of Asiel, 36 as well as Elioenai, Yaakobah, Yeshohaiah, Asayah, Adiel, Yesimiel, Benayah, 37 and Ziza the son of Shifi, the son of Allon, the son of Yedayah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemayah. 38 Those who are named above were the leaders of their clans, and their extended families increased greatly in number, 39 and they went to the entrance of Gedor (to the east of the valley) in search of pasture for their flocks. 40 They found good, fertile pasture, and the land was wide, and quiet and peaceful, because Ham’s descendants had lived there previously.
41 Those listed by name went there in the days of Yehudah’s King Hizkiyah and struck down the tents of the Meunites who were found there. They completely annihilated them (to this day), and they lived there in their place because there was pasture for their flocks there. 42 Then five hundred of their men who were descendants of Shimeon went to Mt. Seir, led by Yishi’s sons Pelatyah, Nearyah, Refayah, and Uzziel. 43 They also struck down the rest of the Amalekites who escaped, and they’ve lived there to this day.
5 Reuven was the first child born to Yisrael (or Israel, also known as Yakov/Jacob), but when he had sex with one of his father’s slave-wives, his birthright was given to the sons of Yosef (Joseph), another one of Yisrael’s sons. So Reuven wasn’t recorded as inheriting the birthright,[ref] 2 and although Yehudah (Judah) was stronger than his other brothers and would be the son to produce a ruler, the birthright went to Yosef. 3 The sons of Yisrael’s eldest son Reuven were Hanok, Pallu, Hetsron, and Karmi.
4 Another of Reuven’s descendants was Yoel, and his son was Shemayah. Shemayah’s son was Gog. Gog’s son was Shimei.[ref] 5 Shimei’s son was Mikah. Mikah’s son was Reayah. Reayah’s son was Baal. 6 Baal’s son was Beerah, who became a leader of the Reuvenites, but the Assyrian King Tiglat-Pileser captured him and took him back to Assyria. 7 His brothers by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records: Yeiel the leader, Zekaryah, 8 Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Yoel. Reuven’s clan lived near the city of Aroer as far north as the cities of Nevo and Baal-Meon. 9 Some of them lived further east, as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had multiplied back in the Gilead region. 10 (In the days of King Shaul, they’d battled with the Hagrites and defeated them, so then they’d lived in their tents all over eastern Gilead.)
5:11 Gad’s descendants
11 Gad’s descendants lived opposite them in the Bashan region as far as Salkah: 12 Yoel was their leader, Shafam was second-in-command, others were Yanai and Shafat in Bashan. 13 Their cousins who were leaders of seven clans were Mikael, Meshullam, Sheva, Yorai, Yakan, Zia, and Eber. 14 Those were descendants of Avihayil, the son of Huri, the son of Yaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Mikael, the son of Yeshishai, the son of Yahdo, the son of Buz. 15 Ahi was the son of Avdiel, the son of Guni, head of their clans. 16 Those descendants of Gad lived in towns in the Gilead and Bashan regions, and on all the pastureland throughout the Sharon Plain. 17 All of them were listed in the genealogies in the days of Yehudah’s King Yotham and Yisrael’s King Yeroboam.
5:18 The eastern warriors
18 There were 44,760 warriors descended from strong men in the tribes of Reuven and Gad and the eastern half of the tribe of Menashsheh. They all carried shields and swords, and bows and arrows, and were all trained to fight in battles. 19 They went to war against the Hagrites, Yetur, Nafish, and Nodav, 20 and were helped because they called out to God in the battle. So with God answering their prayers because of their trust in him, they were able to defeat the Hagrites and their allies. 21 They captured their livestock, including 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys, as well as 100,000 people, 22 because many were killed as a result of God’s assistance. Then they lived in that area until the exile.
23 The descendants of the half tribe of Menashsheh lived in the Bashan region as far as Baal-Hermon and Senir, and Mt. Hermon, and they increased in number. 24 Their clan leaders were Efer, Yishi, Eliel, Azriel, Yermiyah, Hodavyah, and Yahdiel. They were all powerful and famous warriors, and leaders of their clans.
25 But they disobeyed their ancestors’ god, and they prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples that God had destroyed ahead of them in that region. 26 So Yisrael’s god stirred up the spirit of the Assyrian King Pul (also known as Tilgath-Pileser). He took them into exile—that is, the Reuvenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Menashsheh. Then he took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan (where they still are to this day).[ref]
6 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohat, and Merari.
2 Kohat’s sons were Amram, Yitshar, Hevron, and Uzziel.
3 Amram’s children were Miryam (Miriam), Aharon (Aaron), and Mosheh (Moses).
Aharon’s sons were Nadav, Avihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar was the father of Pinehas, and Pinehas was the father of Avishua. 5 Avishua was the father of Bukki, and Bukki was the father of Uzzi. 6 Uzzi was the father of Zerahyah, and Zerahyah was the father of Merayot. 7 Merayot fathered Amaryah, and Amaryah fathered Ahituv. 8 Ahituv was the father of Tsadok, and Tsadok was the father of Ahimaats. 9 Ahimaats was the father of Azaryah, and Azaryah was the father of Yohanan. 10 Yohanan was the father of Azaryah. Azaryah was a priest in the temple that Shelomoh (Solomon) built in Yerushalem. 11 Azaryah was the father of Amaryah, and Amaryah was the father of Ahituv. 12 Ahituv was the father of Tsadok, and Tsadok was the father of Shallum. 13 Shallum was the father of Hilkiyah, and Hilkiyah was the father of Azaryah. 14 Azaryah was the father of Serayah, and Serayah was the father of Yehotsadak.
15 Yehotsadak was included when Yahweh sent Nevuchadnetstsar to take Yehudah (which includes Yerushalem) into exile.
16 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohat, and Merari.[ref] 17 The names of Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei. 18 Kohat’s sons were Amram, Yitshar, Hevron, and Uzziel. 19 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.
Here’s a list of Levi’s descendants who became leaders of their clans:
20 Gershon’s oldest son was Libni, Libni’s son was Yahat, and Yahat’s son was Zimmah. 21 Zimmah’s son was Yoah, Yoah’s son was Iddo, Iddo’s son was Zerah, and Zerah’s son was Yeaterai.
22 Another line of Kohat’s descendants started with his son Amminadav. Amminadav’s son was Korah. Korah’s son was Assir. 23 Assir’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Evyasaf. Evyasaf’s son was Assir. 24 Assir’s son was Tahat. Tahat’s son was Uriel. Uriel’s son was Uzziyah. Uzziyah’s son was Shaul.
25 Elkanah’s sons were Amasai, Ahimot, 26 and a son also named Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Tsofai. Tsofai’s son was Nahat. 27 Nahat’s son was Eliav. Eliav’s son was Yeroham. Yeroham’s son was Elkanah.
28 Shemuel had sons: his oldest son Yoel and his other son Aviyah.
29 Merari’s descendants started with Mahli. Mahli’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Shimei. Shimei’s son was Uzzah. 30 Uzzah’s son was Shimea. Shimea’s son was Haggiyah. Haggiyah’s son was Asayah.
31 These are the men that David put in charge of music in Yahweh’s residence, after the sacred chest was placed there. 32 They were the ones who’d ministered in the sacred tent (also called ‘the meeting tent’) with music until Shelomoh (Solomon) built the temple in Yerushalem. They performed their duties according to their instructions.
33 Here’s a list of the musicians and their sons:
39 Heman’s cousin Asaf’s group stood to the right. Asaf was Berekyah’s son. Berekyah was Shimea’s son. 40 Shimea was Mikael’s son. Mikael was Baaseyah’s son. Baaseyah was Malkiyah’s son. 41 Malkiyah was Etni’s son. Etni was Zerah’s son. Zerah was Adayah’s son. 42 Adayah was Etan’s son. Etan was Zimmah’s son. Zimmah was Shimei’s son. 43 Shimei was Yahat’s son. Yahat was Gershon’s son. Gershon was Levi’s son.
44 Heman’s cousin Merari’s group stood to the left. Eytan was Kishi’s son. Kishi was Abdi’s son. Abdi was Malluk’s son. 45 Malluk was Hashavyah’s son. Hashavyah was Uzziah’s son. Uzziah was Hilkiyah’s son. 46 Hilkiyah was Amtsi’s son. Amtsi was Bani’s son. Bani was Shemer’s son. 47 Shemer was Mahli’s son. Mahli was Mushi’s son. Mushi was Merari’s son. Merari was Levi’s son.
48 Their other Levite cousins were assigned to various ministries serving in God’s residence in the sacred tent. 49 It was Aharon (Aaron) and his sons who were responsible for offering the sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar for incense, for all the work of the holiest place, and for making atonement for Yisrael, according to everything that God’s servant Mosheh (Moses) had instructed. 50 These were Aharon’s descendants: Aharon’s son was Eleazar. Eleazar’s son was Pinehas. Pinehas’s son was Avishua. 51 Avishua’s son was Bukki. Bukki’s son was Uzzi. Uzzi’s son was Zerahyah. 52 Zerahyah’s son was Merayot. Merayot’s son was Amaryah. Amaryah’s son was Ahituv. 53 Ahituv’s son was Tsadok, and Tsadok’s son was Ahimaats.
54 Here’s a list of places where Aharon’s descendants lived. Kohat’s descendants were the first to be allotted property. 55 They were given the city of Hevron in Yehudah (Judah) and the surrounding pastureland, 56 except that Kalev (Caleb) received the fields farther from the city and the villages around the city. (Kalev was Yefunneh’s son.) 57 Those descendants of Aharon were given Hevron (a refuge city), as well as these towns and their nearby pastureland: Libnah, Yattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilez, Devir, 59 Ashan, and Beyt-Shemesh. 60 From the Benyamin tribe, they received the cities of Geba, Alemet, and Anatot and their pasturelands. Altogether those Kohatite clans received thirteen cities, 61 and the remaining Kohatite clans received ten cities from the clans of the Menashsheh tribe.
62 The clans of Gershon’s descendants received thirteen cities from the tribes of Yissakar (Issachar), Asher, Naftali, and the part of the Menashsheh tribe that lived in the Bashan region across the Yordan River. 63 The clans of Merari’s descendants received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Zevulun. 64 The Israeli leaders allotted those towns and the nearby pasturelands to the Levites. 65 They also allotted them the cities from the tribes of Yehudah, Shimeon, and Benyamin that were listed above. 66 Some of Kohat’s descendants received cities from the Efrayim tribe. 67 They also gave them these cities with the surrounding pasturelands: Shekem (a refuge city), Gezer, 68 Yokmeam, Beyt-Horon, 69 Ayyalon, and Gat-Rimmon. 70 Kohat’s other descendants received the cities of Aner and Bileam and the nearby pastureland from the half-tribe of Menashsheh (that lives west of the Yordan River).
71 Gershon’s descendants also received, from the part of the Menashsheh tribe that lived across the Yordan River, two cities and pastureland near them: Golan in the Bashan region, and Ashtarot.
72 From the Yissakar (Issachar) tribe they received these cities and their nearby pastureland: Kedesh, Daverat, 73 Ramot, and Anem. 74 From the Asher tribe they received these cities and their nearby pastureland: Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok, and Rehob.
76 From the Naftali tribe they received these cities and their nearby pastureland: Kedesh (in the Galilee region), Hammon, and Kiryatayim.
77 Merari’s descendants received these cities and their nearby pasturelands from the Zevulun tribe: Rimmono and Tabor.
78 From the Reuven tribe across the Yordan River (opposite Yereho), they were allotted these cities and towns and and their nearby pastureland: Betser in the wilderness, Yahtsah, 79 Kedemot, and Mefaat.
80 From the Gad tribe, they received these cities and their nearby pastureland: Ramot in the Gilead region, Mahanayim, 81 Heshbon, and Yazer.
1:11 OSHB variant note: לודיים: (x-qere) ’לוּדִ֧ים’: lemma_3866 morph_HNp id_13bmv לוּדִ֧ים
1:46 OSHB variant note: עיות: (x-qere) ’עֲוִֽית’: lemma_5762 n_0 morph_HNp id_13V8b עֲוִֽית
1:51 OSHB variant note: עליה: (x-qere) ’עַֽלְוָ֖ה’: lemma_5933 n_0.0 morph_HNp id_13mGU עַֽלְוָ֖ה
2:16 OSHB variant note: ו/אחיתי/הם: (x-qere) ’וְ/אַחְיוֹתֵי/הֶ֖ם’: lemma_c/269 n_1.0 morph_HC/Ncfpc/Sp3mp id_13yP1 וְ/אַחְיוֹתֵי/הֶ֖ם
2:52 OSHB exegesis note: WLC has this word divided as הָ/רֹאֶ֖ה
2:55 OSHB variant note: ישבו: (x-qere) ’יֹשְׁבֵ֣י’: lemma_3427 morph_HVqrmpc id_13xKf יֹשְׁבֵ֣י
3:1 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.
3:24 OSHB variant note: הדיוהו: (x-qere) ’הוֹדַוְיָ֡הוּ’: lemma_1938 n_0.0.0.3 morph_HNp id_13Gjw הוֹדַוְיָ֡הוּ
4:7 OSHB variant note: יצחר: (x-qere) ’וְ/צֹ֖חַר’: lemma_c/6714 n_0.0 morph_HC/Np id_13aWe וְ/צֹ֖חַר
4:20 OSHB variant note: ו/תולון: (x-qere) ’וְ/תִיל֑וֹן’: lemma_c/8436 n_1 morph_HC/Np id_134i9 וְ/תִיל֑וֹן
4:41 OSHB variant note: ה/מעינים: (x-qere) ’הַ/מְּעוּנִ֨ים’: lemma_d/4586 morph_HTd/Ngmpa id_13ojQ הַ/מְּעוּנִ֨ים
5:9 OSHB exegesis note: WLC has this word divided as לְב֣וֹא
5:27 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.1
5:28 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.2
5:29 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.3
5:30 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.4
5:31 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.5
5:32 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.6
5:33 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.7
5:34 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.8
5:35 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.9
5:36 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.10
5:37 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.11
5:38 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.12
5:39 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.13
5:40 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.14
5:41 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.15
6:1 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.16
6:2 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.17
6:3 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.18
6:4 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.19
6:5 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.20
6:6 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.21
6:7 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.22
6:8 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.23
6:9 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.24
6:10 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.25
6:11 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.26
6:11 OSHB variant note: בנ/ו: (x-qere) ’בְּנֵי֙’: lemma_1121 a n_0.1.0 morph_HNcmpc id_13cnB בְּנֵי֙
6:12 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.27
6:13 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.28
6:14 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.29
6:15 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.30
6:16 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.31
6:17 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.32
6:18 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.33
6:19 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.34
6:20 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.35
6:20 OSHB variant note: ציף: (x-qere) ’צוּף֙’: lemma_6689 n_0.1.0 morph_HNp id_13896 צוּף֙
6:21 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.36
6:22 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.37
6:23 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.38
6:24 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.39
6:25 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.40
6:26 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.41
6:27 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.42
6:28 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.43
6:29 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.44
6:30 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.45
6:31 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.46
6:32 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.47
6:33 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.48
6:34 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.49
6:35 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.50
6:36 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.51
6:37 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.52
6:38 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.53
6:39 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.54
6:40 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.55
6:41 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.56
6:42 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.57
6:43 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.58
6:44 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.59
6:45 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.60
6:46 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.61
6:47 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.62
6:48 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.63
6:49 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.64
6:50 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.65
6:51 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.66
6:52 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.67
6:53 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.68
6:54 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.69
6:55 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.70
6:56 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.71
6:57 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.72
6:58 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.73
6:59 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.74
6:60 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.75
6:61 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.76
6:62 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.77
6:63 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.78
6:64 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.79
6:65 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.80
6:66 Note: KJB: 1Chr.6.81
7:1 OSHB variant note: ישיב: (x-qere) ’יָשׁ֥וּב’: lemma_3437 morph_HNp id_13D5E יָשׁ֥וּב
7:10 OSHB variant note: יעיש: (x-qere) ’יְע֡וּשׁ’: lemma_3266 n_0.1.0.1 morph_HNp id_13tTX יְע֡וּשׁ
7:31 OSHB variant note: ברזות: (x-qere) ’בִרְזָֽיִת’: lemma_1269 n_0 morph_HNp id_13cpy בִרְזָֽיִת
7:34 OSHB variant note: ו/רוהגה: (x-qere) ’וְ/רָהְגָּ֖ה’: lemma_c/7303 n_0.0 morph_HC/Np id_13grp וְ/רָהְגָּ֖ה
7:34 OSHB variant note: יחבה: (x-qere) ’וְ/חֻבָּ֥ה’: lemma_c/3160 morph_HC/Np id_133iU וְ/חֻבָּ֥ה
8:25 OSHB variant note: ו/פניאל: (x-qere) ’וּ/פְנוּאֵ֖ל’: lemma_c/6439 n_0.0 morph_HC/Np id_13KVb וּ/פְנוּאֵ֖ל
9:4 OSHB variant note: בני/מן: (x-qere) ’בָּנִ֔י’: lemma_1137 n_0.1 morph_HNp id_132VQ בָּנִ֔י ’מִן’: lemma_4480 a morph_HR id_13gJa מִן
9:33 OSHB variant note: פטירים: (x-qere) ’פְּטוּרִ֑ים’: lemma_6362 n_1 morph_HVqsmpa id_13oGq פְּטוּרִ֑ים
9:35 OSHB variant note: יעואל: (x-qere) ’יְעִיאֵ֑ל’: lemma_3273 n_1 morph_HNp id_13CrC יְעִיאֵ֑ל
10:9 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.
11:11 OSHB variant note: ה/שלושים: (x-qere) ’הַ/שָּׁ֣לִישִׁ֔ים’: lemma_d/7991 c n_0.1 morph_HTd/Acbpa id_13eUm הַ/שָּׁ֣לִישִׁ֔ים
11:13 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.
11:17 OSHB variant note: ו/יתאו: (x-qere) ’וַ/יִּתְאָ֥יו’: lemma_c/183 morph_HC/Vtw3ms id_13yML וַ/יִּתְאָ֥יו
11:20 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.
11:20 OSHB variant note: ו/לא: (x-qere) ’וְ/ל/וֹ’: lemma_c/l morph_HC/R/Sp3ms id_13WV1 וְ/ל/וֹ
11:44 OSHB variant note: ו/יעואל: (x-qere) ’וִֽ/יעִיאֵ֔ל’: lemma_c/3273 n_0.1 morph_HC/Np id_13JnZ וִֽ/יעִיאֵ֔ל
12:3 OSHB variant note: ו/יזואל: (x-qere) ’וִ/יזִיאֵ֥ל’: lemma_c/3149 morph_HC/Np id_13cLd וִ/יזִיאֵ֥ל
12:5 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.4
12:6 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.5
12:6 OSHB variant note: ה/חריפי: (x-qere) ’הַ/חֲרוּפִֽי’: lemma_d/2741 n_0 morph_HTd/Ngmsa id_13FpW הַ/חֲרוּפִֽי
12:7 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.6
12:8 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.7
12:9 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.8
12:10 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.9
12:11 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.10
12:12 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.11
12:13 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.12
12:14 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.13
12:15 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.14
12:16 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.15
12:16 OSHB variant note: גדיתי/ו: (x-qere) ’גְּדוֹתָ֑י/ו’: lemma_1415 n_1 morph_HNcfpc/Sp3ms id_13hNu גְּדוֹתָ֑י/ו
12:17 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.16
12:18 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.17
12:19 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.18
12:19 OSHB variant note: ה/שלושים: (x-qere) ’הַ/שָּׁלִישִׁים֒’: lemma_d/7970 n_1.3 morph_HTd/Acbpa id_13icS הַ/שָּׁלִישִׁים֒
12:20 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.19
12:21 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.20
12:22 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.21
12:23 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.22
12:24 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.23
12:25 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.24
12:26 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.25
12:27 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.26
12:28 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.27
12:29 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.28
12:30 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.29
12:31 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.30
12:32 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.31
12:33 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.32
12:34 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.33
12:35 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.34
12:36 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.35
12:37 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.36
12:38 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.37
12:39 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.38
12:40 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.39
12:41 Note: KJB: 1Chr.12.40
14:1 OSHB variant note: חירם: (x-qere) ’חוּרָ֨ם’: lemma_2438 morph_HNp id_13WLs חוּרָ֨ם
14:10 OSHB variant note: פלשתיים: (x-qere) ’פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים’: lemma_6430 n_1.1 morph_HNgmpa id_13XTu פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
15:13 OSHB exegesis note: A single word in the text has been divided for exegesis.
15:24 OSHB variant note: מחצצרים: (x-qere) ’מַחְצְרִים֙’: lemma_2690 n_1.1.0 morph_HVhrmpa id_13r8i מַחְצְרִים֙
17:22 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.
18:10 OSHB variant note: ל/שאול: (x-qere) ’לִ/שְׁאָל’: lemma_l/7592 morph_HR/Vqc id_13Qnx לִ/שְׁאָל
20:4 OSHB exegesis note: A single word in the text has been divided for exegesis.
20:5 OSHB variant note: יעור: (x-qere) ’יָעִ֗יר’: lemma_3265 n_0.2.2 morph_HNp id_13oQN יָעִ֗יר
22:7 OSHB variant note: בנ/ו: (x-qere) ’בְּנִ֕/י’: lemma_1121 a n_0.3 morph_HNcmsc/Sp1cs id_13W2d בְּנִ֕/י
23:9 OSHB variant note: שלמות: (x-qere) ’שְׁלוֹמִ֧ית’: lemma_8019 a morph_HNp id_13UFD שְׁלוֹמִ֧ית
24:24 OSHB variant note: שמור: (x-qere) ’שָׁמִֽיר’: lemma_8069 n_0 morph_HNp id_13bXf שָׁמִֽיר
25:1 OSHB variant note: ה/נביאים: (x-qere) ’הַֽ/נִּבְּאִ֛ים’: lemma_d/5012 n_1.0.0 morph_HTd/VNsmpa id_13veq הַֽ/נִּבְּאִ֛ים
25:1 OSHB note: Yathir readings in L which we have designated as Qeres when both Dothan and BHS list a Qere.
26:25 OSHB variant note: ו/שלמות: (x-qere) ’וּ/שְׁלֹמִ֥ית’: lemma_c/8013 morph_HC/Np id_13F7i וּ/שְׁלֹמִ֥ית
27:12 OSHB variant note: ל/בנימיני: (x-qere) ’לַ/בֵּ֣ן’: lemma_l/1121 a n_1.0 morph_HRd/Ngmsa id_13mHz לַ/בֵּ֣ן׀ ׀’יְמִינִ֑י’: lemma_3227 n_1 morph_HNgmsa id_13Eb6 יְמִינִ֑י
27:29 OSHB variant note: שטרי: (x-qere) ’שִׁרְטַ֖י’: lemma_7861 n_1.0 morph_HNp id_13poL שִׁרְטַ֖י
29:16 OSHB variant note: היא: (x-qere) ’ה֖וּא’: lemma_1931 n_0.0 morph_HPp3ms id_139Vh ה֖וּא
7 Yissakar’s four sons were Tola, Puah, Yashub, and Shimron. 2 Tola’s sons were Uzzi, Refayah, Yeriel, Yahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, who all became leaders of their clans. There were strong warriors in the record of Tola’s descendants in each generation. (During the time when David was Yisrael’s king, there were 22,600 such men.)
3 Uzzi’s son was Yizrahyah. Yizrahyah’s five sons were Mikael, Ovadyah, Yoel, and Yishiyah. They were all leaders of their clans. 4 Along with them, according to their family records, were 36,000 troops in the army, because they had numerous wives and sons. 5 Altogether, Yissakar’s clans had 87,000 strong warriors listed in their genealogy.
6 Benyamin’s three sons were Bela, Beker, and Yediael. 7 Bela’s five sons were Etsbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Yerimot, and Iri, who were leaders of their clans. According to their family records, they had 22,034 strong warriors.
8 Beker’s sons were Zemirah, Yoash, Eliezer, Elyehoenai, Omri, Yerimot, Aviyah, Anatot, and Alemet. 9 Altogether, their clans had 20,200 strong warriors listed in their genealogy.
10 Yediael’s son was Bilhan. Bilhan’s sons were Yeush, Benyamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zetan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All those descendants of Yediael were clan leaders and strong warriors, having 17,200 men ready to go to war.
12 The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.
14 Menashsheh had sons by his Syrian (Heb. Aramean) slave-wife. She gave birth to Asriel and Makir (who fathered Gilead). 15 Makir married a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. (His sister’s name was Maakah.) Another descendant was Tselofehad, and he had daughters. 16 Makir’s wife (also called Maakah) bore a son and named him Peresh (and named his brother Sheresh) and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17 Ulam’s son was Bedan. Those were the descendants of Gilead (Makir’s son and Menashsheh’s grandson).
18 Gilead’s sister was Hammoleket. She was the mother of Ishhod, Aviezer, and Mahlah.
19 Another of Gilead’s sons was Shemida, whose sons were Ahyan, Shekem, Likhi, and Aniam.
20 These are Efrayim’s descendants:
One of Efrayim’s sons was Shutelah. Shutelah’s son was Bered. Bered’s son was Tahat. Tahat’s son was Eleadah. Eleadah’s son was also named Tahat. 21 Tahat’s son was Zavad. Zavad’s son was Shutelah. Efrayim’s other sons, Ezer and Elead, went to Gat city to steal some cattle but were killed by some of the natives of that area. 22 Their father Efrayim mourned for quite some time, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he slept with his wife and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son. Efrayim named him Beriah (which sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘trouble’), because of the recent tragedy in their family.
24 Efrayim’s daughter was Sheerah and she founded three towns: Lower Beyt-Horon, Upper Beyt-Horon, and Uzzen-Sheerah.
25 Another of Efrayim’s sons was Refah. Refah’s son was Reshef. Reshef’s son was Telah. Telah’s son was Tahan. 26 Tahan’s son was Ladan. Ladan’s son was Ammihud. Ammihud’s son was Elishama. 27 Elishama’s son was Nun. Nun’s son was Yehoshua (or Joshua, who led Yisrael’s descendants after Mosheh died).
28 This is a list of the cities and areas where Efrayim’s descendants lived: Beyt-El and the nearby villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer to the west and the nearby villages, and Shekem and the nearby villages extending north as far as Ayyah and its villages.
29 Along the border of the area where Menashsheh’s descendants lived were these towns: Beyt-Shan, Taanak, Megiddo, Dor, and all the nearby villages. The people who lived in all those places were descendants of Yakov’s son Yosef (Joseph).
7:30 Asher’s descendants
30 Asher’s sons were Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah.
31 Beriah’s sons were Hever and Malkiel. Malkiel was the father of Birzayit.
32 Heber was the father of Yaflet, Shomer, Hotam, and their sister Shua. 33 Yaflet’s sons were Pasak, Bimhal, and Ashvat.
34 Shomer’s sons were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.
35 Shomer’s younger brother was Helem. Helem’s sons were Tsofah, Yimna, Shelesh, and Amal.
36 Zofah’s sons were Suah, Harnefer, Shual, Beri, Yimrah, 37 Betser, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Yitran (whose other name was Yeter), and Beera.
38 Yeter’s sons were Yefunneh, Pispah, and Ara. 39 Another of Asher’s descendants was Ulla, whose sons were Arah, Hanniel, and Ritsia.
40 All those were Asher’s descendants, clan leaders, chosen, very strong, leaders of leaders. And there were 26,000 men listed in their genealogy in the army.
8 Benyamin had sons: Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, 2 Nohah, and the fifth, Rafa.
3 Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Avishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shefufan, and Huram.
6 One of Gera’s sons was Ehud. His descendants were leaders of their clans who lived in Geba city, but were taken into exile to Manahat. 7 Ehud’s sons were Naaman, Ahiyyah, and Gera. Gera was the one who led them when they moved to Manahat. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
8 Another of Benyamin’s descendants was Shaharayim, who lived in the Moab countryside. He divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, 9 and fathered sons with his wife Hodesh: Yobab, Tsivya, Mesha, Malkam, 10 Yeuts, Sakeya, and Mirmah. They all became leaders of their clans. 11 (He’d fathered Avituv and Elpaal by Hushim.)
12 Elpaal’s sons were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono city, plus Lod and its towns),
Benyamin’s descendants in Gat and Ayyalon
13 plus Beriah and Shema, who were leaders of their clans, who lived in Ayyalon city. They forced the people who lived in Gat city to flee.14-16 14-16Beriah’s sons were Ahyo, Shashak, Yerimot, Zevadyah, Arad, Eder, Mikael, Yishpah, and Yoha.
Benyamin’s descendants in Yerushalem
17-18 17-18Elpaal’s other descendants included Zevadyah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Yishmerai, Yizliah, and Yovav.
19-21 19-21Another of Benyamin’s descendants was Shimei. Shimei’s descendants included Yakim, Zikri, Zavdi, Elienai, Tsilletai, Eliel, Adayah, Berayah, and Shimrat.
22-25 22-25Shashak’s sons were Yishpan, Eber, Eliel, Avdon, Zikri, Hanan, Hananyah, Elam, Antotiyah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel.
26-27 26-27Another of Benyamin’s descendants was Yeroham, whose sons were Shamsherai, Sheharyah, Atalyah, Yaareshyah, Eliyah, and Zikri.
28 All those descendants of Elpaal (Shaharayim’s son) were leaders of their clans according to their genealogies. They all lived in Yerushalem.
Benyamin’s descendants in Gibeon
29 Another of Benyamin’s descendants was Yeiel—he was a founder of Gibeon city. His wife was Maakah. 30 His sons, starting with the eldest, were Avdon, Tsur, Kish, Baal, Nadav, 31 Gedor, Ahyo, and Zeker. 32 Miklot (another of Yeiel’s sons) was Shimeah’s father. All those descendants of Yeiel also lived in Yerushalem near their relatives.
33 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of King Shaul. Shaul was the father of Yonatan (Jonathan), Malki-Shua, Avinadav, and Esh-Baal. 34 Yonatan’s son was Meriv-Baal. Meriv-Baal was the father of Mikah.
35 Mikah’s sons were Pithon, Melek, Tarea, and Ahaz. 36 Ahaz was the father of Yehoaddah. Yehoaddah was the father of Alemet, Azmavet, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Motsa. 37 Motsa was the father of Binea. Rafah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Raphah’s son. Atsel was Eleasah’s son.
38 Atsel had a total of six sons, named Azrikam, Bokeru, Yishmael, Shearyah, Ovadyah, and Hanan. 39 Atsel had a brother, Eshek. Eshek’s oldest son was Ulam. His other sons were Yeush and Elifelet.
40 Ulam’s sons were powerful warriors who were also archers. Altogether they had 150 sons and grandsons.
All those were Benyamin’s descendants.
9 So the genealogy of all Israelis was listed—yes, written on the scroll of Yisrael’s kings.
Then Yehudah (Judah) was taken into exile to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 The first to return and resettle their land and their cities were some priests, Levites, temple servants, and other Israelis.[ref] 3 Some from the tribes of Yehudah, Benyamin, Efrayim, and Menashsheh also returned and lived in Yerushalem, including the following:
4 Utai son of Ammihud (Ammihud was Omri’s son, Omri was Imri’s son, Imri was Bani’s son, Bani was a descendant of Perets, Perets was Yehudah’s son), 5 Asayah and his sons (descendants of Shilon—Asayah was the oldest), 6 and Yeuel and 690 other relatives from Zerah’s clan.
7 From Benyamin’s descendants, Sallu (who was Meshullam’s son, Meshullam was Hodavyah’s son, Hodavyah was Hassenuah’s son), 8 Ibneyah (Yeroham’s son), Elah (who was Uzzi’s son, Uzzi was Mikri’s son), and Meshullam (who was Shefatyah’s son, Shefatyah was Reuel’s son, Reuel was Yivniyah’s son).
9 In all, there were 956 of Benyamin’s descendants living in Yerushalem. All those above were leaders of their clans.
10 Some of the priests who returned to Yehudah were: Yedayah, Yehoyariv, Yakin, 11 Azaryah, the leading official at the temple (Azaryah was Hilkiyah’s son, Hilkiyah was Meshullam’s son, Meshullam was Tsadok’s son, Tsadok was Merayot’s son, Merayot was Ahituv’s son), 12 Adayah (who was Yeroham’s son, Yeroham was Pashhur’s son, Pashhur was Malkiyah’s son), and Maasai (who was Adiel’s son, Adiel was Yahzerah’s son, Yahzerah was Meshullam’s son, Meshullam was Meshillemit’s son, Meshillemit was Immer’s son).
13 Altogether there were 1,760 priests who returned to Yehudah. They were leaders of their clans, and they were all capable and responsible to work in God’s residence.
9:14 Levites who returned
14 From Levi’s descendants who returned to Yehudah there were: Shemayah (who was Hasshuv’s son, Hasshuv was Azrikam’s son, Azrikam was Hashavyah’s son, Hashavyah was a descendant of Levi’s youngest son Merari), 15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattanyah (who was Mika’s son, Mika was Zikri’s son, Zikri was Asaf’s son), 16 Ovadyah (who was Shemayah’s son, Shemayah was Galal’s son, Galal was Yedutun’s son), and Berekyah who lived in one of the villages where the Netofat people lived (Berekyah was Asa’s son, Asa was Elkanah’s son).
17 From Levi’s descendants who returned to Yehudah and who guarded the temple gates there were Shallum, Akkuv, Talmon, Ahiman, and some of their relatives. Shallum was their leader. 18 Those descendents of Levi were gatekeepers at the King’s Gate on the east, and their descendants still are, even to this day.
19 Shallum was Kore’s son, Kore was Evyasaf’s son, and Evyasaf was Korah’s son. Shallum and his relatives from his clan (Korah’s descendants) had the duty of being gatekeepers, responsible for guarding the entrances to Yahweh’s temple, as their ancestors had done. 20 Previously Pinehas (Eleazar’s son) had supervised the gatekeepers. Yahweh was with Pinehas.
21 Zekaryah (Meshelemyah’s son) was gatekeeper of the entrance to the assembly tent. 22 Altogether, there were 212 men chosen to guard the gates. The records of the clans in their villages listed their names. King David and the prophet Shemuel (Samuel) appointed them because they were dependable. 23 They and their sons watched over the gates of Yahweh’s house, that is, the sacred tent, as guards. 24 There were gatekeepers on each of the temple’s four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives in their villages would come in from time to time to relieve them for seven days, 26 because the four leaders of the gatekeepers were Levites, and they were also trusted to supervise the rooms and the treasuries in God’s residence. 27 They would spend the night around the temple while they were in charge, and would open it with the key each morning.
28 Some of them monitored the utensils used in the activities—counting them as they brought them out and when they put them away again. 29 Others took care of the containers and utensils used in the sanctuary, along with the fine flour, the wine and oil, and the frankincense and spices. 30 Some of the priests mixed the fragrances and spices.
31 There was a Levite named Mattityah (Shallum’s oldest son, who was a descendant of Korah) whose official duty was supervising the baking of the flat breads. 32 Some of Kohat’s descendants prepared the rows of bread to be laid out on the sacred table every rest day.
33 Some of Levi’s descendants were temple musicians and singers. The leaders of those families stayed in the temple accommodations. They didn’t have other duties, because they were expected to serve day and night. 34 Those were the heads of the Levite families according to their generations, and they lived in Yerushalem.
35 Another of Benyamin’s descendants was Yeiel. He was a founder of Gibeon city and lived there. His wife was Maakah. 36 His oldest son was Avdon, and his other sons were Tsur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadav, 37 Gedor, Ahyo, Zekaryah, and Miklot. 38 Miklot was Shimeam’s father. They also lived near their relatives in Yerushalem.
39 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of King Shaul (Saul). Shaul was the father of Yonatan (Jonathan), Malki-Shua, Avinadav, and Esh-Baal. 40 Yonatan’s son was Meriv-Baal. Meriv-Baal was the father of Mikah. 41 Mikah’s sons were Piton, Melek, and Tahrea. 42 Ahaz was the father of Yarah. Yarah was the father of Alemet, Azmavet, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Motsa. 43 Motsa was the father of Binea. Refayah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Refayah’s son. Atsel was Eleasah’s son.
44 Atsel had six sons, named Azrikam, Bokeru, Yishmael, Shearyah, Ovadyah, and Hanan.
10 Now the Philistines fought against Yisrael, and the Israeli men fled away from the Philistines, and many were killed on Mt. Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines pursued Shaul and his sons, and they killed his sons Yonatan, Avinadav, and Malki-Shua. 3 The battle against Shaul was very fierce, and then the archers spotted him and wounded him. 4 Then Shaul said to his equipment carrier, “Draw your sword and pierce me with it, so those uncircumcised Philistines can’t come here and torture me.” But his equipment carrier was very scared and wasn’t willing to do it, so Shaul took his sword and fell onto it. 5 Then his equipment carrier, seeing that King Shaul had died, also fell on his sword and died. 6 So Shaul and his three sons died, thus ending his family’s rule. 7 When all the Israelis living in the valley saw that the army had fled, and that Shaul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came, and they lived there instead.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Shaul and his sons’ bodies on Mt. Gilboa. 9 They stripped him and carried away his head and his armour. Then they sent messengers all around the Philistine regions to take the news to their idols and the people. 10 They put his armour in the temple of their gods, and they hung his head in their god Dagon’s temple. 11 When everyone who lived back in Yavesh in the Gilead region heard about everything the Philistines had done to Shaul, 12 all the strong men took action and retrieved the corpses of Shaul and his sons, and brought them back to Yavesh. Then they buried them under the large tree in Yavesh, and they fasted for seven days. 13 So Shaul died because of his disobedience—when he was unfaithful to Yahweh by not following Yahweh’s instructions, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance[ref] 14 instead of requesting Yahweh’s advice. So Yahweh killed him and handed the kingdom over to Yishay’s son David.
11 Then all of Yisrael assembled around David at Hevron, saying, “Look, we’re your flesh and blood relatives. 2 In the recent past, even when Shaul was king, you were the one who took Yisrael out and the one who brought us back in. Plus your god Yahweh told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people, Yisrael, and you yourself will become the leader of my Israeli people.’ ” 3 So all the Israeli elders went to the king at Hevron, and David made a solemn agreement with them at Hevron in front of Yahweh. Then they anointed David as king over Yisrael in accordance with Yahweh’s message that was given through the prophet Shemuel (Samuel).
4 Then David and all of Yisrael went to Yerushalem (Jerusalem, which was also known as Yevus because the Yevusites were living there).[ref] 5 The inhabitants inside Yevus said to David, “You won’t be entering this place.” But David captured what became known as the Tsiyyon (Zion) stronghold, that is, the city of David. 6 He’d said, “Whoever strikes down the Yevusites first will become my army commander.” Tseruyah’s son Yoav went up over the wall first, and he became head of the army. 7 David started living in that stronghold, so then they called it the city of David. 8 He built the city up all around, from the terrace to the surrounding walls, and Yoav restored the rest of the city. 9 So David became more powerful because army commander Yahweh helped him.
10 The following were the leaders of David’s powerful warriors who, together with all of Yisrael, strengthened his kingdom and established him as king, just as Yahweh had said. 11 So these are David’s powerful warriors: Yashaveam (a Hakmonite and the leader of the thirty), who once used his spear against three hundred men in a single battle and killed them all. 12 Next was Eleazar (an Ahohite, son of Dodo) who was one of the top three powerful warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-Dammim when the Philistines had assembled there for battle near a part of the countryside where barley was growing. At first, the Israelis fled from the Philistines, 14 but then they took their stand in the middle of the barley and proceeded to defeat the Philistines as Yahweh saved them through a stunning victory.
15 Then three of that top thirty went down to David, near the rock at Adullam’s cave. Meanwhile, Philistines had encamped in the Refaim Valley. 16 David was in that stronghold then, and the Philistine garrison was in Beyt-Lehem, 17 and David was thirsty and asked, “Who’ll get me water to drink from the well by the Beyt-Lehem gate?” 18 So those three broke through the Philistine camp, and they drew water from the well at the Beyt-Lehem gate, and they brought it back to David. But David wasn’t willing to drink it, and he poured it out on the ground as an offering to Yahweh. 19 “Far be it from me to drink this water in front of my god,” he said. “Could I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it?” So he wasn’t prepared to drink it. Those were some of the things those three powerful warriors did.
20 Yoav’s brother Abshai was the head of a group of three. He’d killed three hundred people with his spear and had a reputation among the three.[fn] 21 He was honoured more than the other two and became the leader of that second group of three, but didn’t enter the first Three.
22 Yehoyada’s son Benayah from Kavtse’el was a powerful warrior who did amazing things. He struck down Ariel’s two sons from Moab. Another time, he climbed down into a pit on a snowy day and killed the lion that was trapped in the pit. 23 He also killed a huge Egyptian man—well over two metres tall. The Egyptian was carrying a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benayah went down to take him on with a staff. He forced the spear from the Egyptian’s grasp, and then killed him with it. 24 So that was what Benayah (Yehoyada’s son) did that gave him a reputation among the three powerful warriors. 25 Actually, he was honoured more than the Thirty, yet he didn’t make it to the first Three, but David appointed him to have authority over his bodyguards.
26 These are the names of the powerful warriors: Asahel (Yoav’s brother), Elhanan (Dodo’s son from Beyt-Lehem), 27 Shammot (from Haror), Helets (from Pelon), 28 Ira (Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa), Aviezer (from Anatot), 29 Sibbekai (from Hushah), Ilai (from Ahoh), 30 Maharai (from Netofah), Heled (Baanah’s son from Netofah), 31 Itai (Rivai’s son from Giveah, which belonged to Benyamin’s descendants), Benayah (from Piraton), 32 Hurai (from the valleys near Mt. Gaash), Aviel (from Aravah), 33 Azmavet (from Baharum), Elyahba (from Shaalvon), 34 Hashem’s sons (from Gizon), Yonatan (Shagee’s son from Harar), 35 Ahiam (Sakar’s son from Harar), Elifal (Ur’s son), 36 Hefer (from Mekerat), Ahiyyah (from Pelon), 37 Hezro (from Karmel), Naarai (Ezbai’s son), 38 Yoel (Natan’s brother), Mivhar (Hagri’s son), 39 Tselek (the Ammonite), Naharai (from Beerot, armour bearer for Tseruyah’s son Yoav), 40 Ira (the Yitrite), Garev (the Yitrite), 41 Uryyah (Bat-Sheba’s husband the Hittite), Zavad (Ahlai’s son), 42 Adina (Shiza’s son from the tribe of Reuven, a leader from that tribe who had thirty soldiers with him), 43 Hanan (Maakah’s son), Yoshafat (from Mithna), 44 Uzziyya (from Ashterat), Shama and Yeiel (Hotam’s sons from Aroer), 45 Yediael (Shimri’s son) and his brother Yoha (from Tiz), 46 Eliel (from Mahavah), Yerivai and Yoshaviah (Elnaam’s sons), Yitmah (from Moav), 47 Eliel and Obed, and Yaasiel (from Zobah).
12 These were the men who joined David in Tsiklag, when he was banished from Kish’s son Shaul’s presence. (They were among the warriors who assisted David in battle 2 armed with bows. Some used slings right-handed and some left-handed, as well as shooting arrows with a bow. They were from the Benyamin tribe, Shaul’s relatives.) 3 Their leader was Ahiezer, then next was Yoash, both Shemaah’s sons from Gibeah city. Others were: Yeziel and Pelet (Azmavet’s sons), Berakah, Yehu (from Anatot city), 4 Yishmayah (from Gibeon city, who was the leader of the thirty greatest warriors), Yermeyah, Yahaziel, Yohanan, Yozabad (from Gederah city), 5 Eluzai, Yerimot, Bealyah, Shemaryah, Shefatyah (from Haruf city), 6 Elkanah, Yishshiyah, Azarel, Yoezer, and Yashoveam (all Korah’s descendants), 7 and Yoelah and Zevadyah (Yeroham’s sons, from Gedor city).
8 Some Gadites joined David at the wilderness stronghold. They were very strong army warriors, ready for battle with shields and spears. Their faces were fierce like lions, but they could run across the hills like gazelles. 9 Their leader was Ezer, then Ovadyah, then Eliav. 10 Next was Mishmannah, then Yermeyah, 11 Attai, Eliel, 12 Yohanan, Elzavad, 13 another Yermeyah, then the eleventh was Makbannai.
14 Those men from the Gad tribe were army leaders—each leading somewhere between a hundred and a thousand men. 15 They crossed to the west side of the Yordan River during the spring, at the time of the year when the river floods. They drove out all the people who lived in the valleys on both sides of the river.
16 Some other men from the tribes of Benyamin and Yehudah also went to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out of the cave to meet them, and he told them: “If you’ve come to me in peace, to help me, then I’ll be happy to cooperate with you men. But if you men plan to betray me to my enemies even though I’ve done you no harm, may the god of our ancestors see your motives and judge.”
18 Then the spirit empowered Amasai, the head of the thirty, and he said: “To you, David, and with you, son of Yishay (Jesse): peace. Peace to you and peace to the one who helps you, because your god has helped you.” And David received them and appointed them as the heads of the troop.
19 Some men from Menashsheh joined David when he accompanied the Philistines to battle against King Shaul. (But David and his men didn’t help the Philistines because the Philistines’ governors were advised to send them away as there was a worry that David would feel loyal to his former master, and hence turn on them.) 20 As David was going to Tsiklag, the following men from Menashsheh joined him: Adnah, Yozavad, Yediael, Mikael, another Yozavad, Elihu, and Tsilletai—the captains of units of thousands from Menashsheh. 21 They helped David stand against bands of raiders, because they were all powerful warriors and military leaders. 22 Every day more men joined David to help him, until his army became very large, like the Israeli people group itself.
23 The following are the numbers of the leaders of those equipped for war. They came to David at Hevron to help him obtain Shaul’s kingdom as Yahweh had promised.
38 All those enthusiastic and capable warriors came to Hevron to make David king over all of Yisrael. The rest of Yisrael was also united in wanting to make David king. 39 They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, because their families had sent provisions with them. 40 Also, people who lived near that area (even as far as the tribal areas belonging to Yissakar, Zevulun, and Naftali) were bringing bread on donkeys and camels, and on mules and on oxen: plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, and oil, as well as oxen and sheep, because Yisrael was celebrating.
13 One day David consulted with all his leaders—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds. 2 David said to the whole Israeli assembly, “If it sounds good to you, and to our god Yahweh, let’s spread out to all our different regions to recruit our relatives, along with the priests and the Levites in the cities among their pasturelands, so they can join us. 3 And let’s return our god’s box back here, because we didn’t use it to ask God for guidance in Shaul’s time.” 4 All the assembled people agreed because everyone could see that it was the right thing to do.
5 So David assembled all of Yisrael, from everywhere from the Shihor river down in Egypt to as far north as Lebo-Hamat, to bring in God’s box from Kiriat-Yearim.[ref] 6 Then David and all of Yisrael went to Kiriat-Yearim (also known as Baalah, in Yehudah), to bring up from there the box of God Yahweh who sits over the winged creatures. The box is used when calling his name to request help.[ref] 7 They transported God’s box on a new cart from Avinadav’s house, and Uzzah and Ahyo were leading the cart, 8 and David and all of Yisrael were celebrating in front of God with all their energy, with songs, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 However, just as they were passing Kidon’s threshing floor, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the box. 10 That made Yahweh very angry with Uzzah, and he struck him down because he’d reached out to touch the box, and he died right there in front of God. 11 That in turn made David angry because Yahweh had burst out against Uzzah, and he named that place Perets-Uzzah (which means ‘outburst against Uzzah’), which it’s still called, to this day.
12 David was afraid of God that day and asked himself, “How can I possibly bring God’s box to where I am in Yerushalem?” 13 So David gave up on bringing the box to where he was in the city of David, and instead he took it into the nearby house belonging to Oved-Edom the Gittite. 14 So God’s box stayed at Oved-Edom’s house for three months, and Yahweh blessed Oved-Edom’s home and everything that belonged to him.[ref]
14 One day King Hiram from Tsor (Tyre) sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and stone masons and carpenters to build a house for him. 2 By then David had realised that Yahweh had established him as king over Yisrael—that his kingdom was being made more prominent for the sake of Yahweh’s people Yisrael.
3 Then David took more wives in Yerushalem and he fathered more sons and daughters. 4 These are his children who were born there in Yerushalem: Shammua, Shovav, Natan, Shelomoh (Solomon), 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nefeg, Yafia, 7 Elishama, Beelyada, and Elifelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all of Yisrael, the entire Philistine army went up into the hill country to eliminate him. David got this news and took his army out to meet them. 9 Meanwhile, the Philistines went and raided the Refaim valley, 10 and David asked God, “Should I take on the Philistines, and will you give me victory over them?”
“Go ahead,” Yahweh answered, “and I’ll enable you to defeat them.”
11 Then they[fn] went up to what’s now called Baal-Peratsim, and David defeated them down there. David said, “God has used me to break through my enemies like a flooded river breaking a dam.” Therefore they named that place Baal-Peratsim (which means ‘the master bursts through’). 12 The Philistines abandoned their idols as they fled, and David ordered them to be burnt.
13 But soon the Philistines raided the valley again, 14 and David asked God’s advice again. “Don’t go uphill after them,” God said, “but circle around them and confront them in front of the balsam trees. 15 When you hear the sound of the marching in the tops of the balsam trees, that’s when you should attack, because God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 16 So David did just as God had told him, and he attacked the Philistines from Giveon all the way to Gezer. 17 So David’s reputation spread everywhere, and Yahweh caused the other nations to be afraid of him.
15 David constructed houses for his wives in the city of David. He also prepared a place for God’s sacred box and erected a tent for it. 2 Then David ordered, “Only the Levites are allowed to carry God’s box, because Yahweh chose them to carry the box and to minister for him forever.”[ref] 3 David assembled all of Yisrael in Yerushalem to bring Yahweh’s box uphill there to the place that he’d prepared for it. 4 Then he summoned Aharon’s descendants and these Levites:
11 David summoned the priests Tsadok and Abiatar and these Levites: Uriel, Asayah, Yoel, Shemayah, Eliel, and Amminadav. 12 He told them, “You are the heads of the Levite clans. Consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, and bring Yisrael’s god Yahweh’s box up to where I’ve prepared a place for it. 13 The first time we tried, it wasn’t you Levites, so our god Yahweh burst out against us because we hadn’t requested his instruction.”
14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up Yisrael’s god Yahweh’s sacred box. 15 Then, following Yahweh’s instructions as given to Mosheh (Moses), Levi’s descendants carried God’s sacred box with its poles on their shoulders.[ref]
16 Meanwhile, David instructed the Levite leaders to assign their brothers as the singers, with accompanying instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals—playing to raise a sound of celebration. 17 The Levites assigned Yoel’s son Heman and his relative Asaf (son of Berekyah) and Eytan (Kishayah’s son, a descendant of Merari), 18 along with their Levite cousins: Zekaryah, Ben, Yaaziel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Unni, Eliav, Benayah, Maaseyah, Mattityah, Elifelehu, Mikneyah, and two of the temple gatekeepers, Oved-Edom and Yeiel. 19 Heman, Asaf, and Etan sang and also played bronze cymbals. 20 Zekaryah, Aziel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Unni, Eliav, Maaseyah, and Benayah played harps in a certain musical style. 21 Mattityah, Elifelehu, Mikneyah, Oved-Edom, Yeiel, and Azazyah played lyres in a different musical style.
22 Kenanyah, the leader of the musical Levites, directed the singing because he was very capable. 23 Berekyah and Elkanah were two of the men who guarded the sacred box. 24 The priests Shevanyah, Yoshafat, Netanel, Amasai, Zekaryah, Benayah, and Eliezer were the ones who blew trumpets in front of God’s sacred chest. Oved-Edom and Yehiyyah also guarded the sacred chest.
25 So David, the Israeli elders, and the top army commanders went to get the box containing Yahweh’s agreement from Oved-Edom’s house with much celebration. 26 Indeed, God helped the Levites carrying the box containing Yahweh’s agreement, and they slaughtered seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was wearing a fine-linen robe, and so were all the Levites carrying the box, and the singers, and the choir director Kenanyah. In addition, David wore a linen chestpiece. 28 So all of Yisrael brought the box containing Yahweh’s agreement up the hill with happy shouting, and with a sound of a ram’s horn, and with trumpets and cymbals, along with the sound of harps and lyres.
29 As the box containing Yahweh’s agreement was being brought inside the city of David, Mikal (Shaul’s daughter) looked out the window and saw her husband, King David, dancing and celebrating, and she secretly despised him.
16 Then they brought in God’s box and put it in the middle of the tent that David had erected for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in front of God. 2 When David finished presenting the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in Yahweh’s name. 3 Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each man and woman in Yisrael.
4 Then David appointed some Levites to minister in front of Yahweh’s box and to commemorate and to thank and to praise Yisrael’s god Yahweh. 5 Asaf was their leader, with Zekaryah as his assistant. The other Levites who helped were Yeiel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Mattityah, Eliav, Benayah, Oved-Edom, and Yeiel. They played harps and lyres, and Asaf played cymbals. 6 Benayah and Yahaziel the priests regularly blew trumpets in front of the box containing God’s agreement.
7 On that day David first gave Asaf and his helpers this song to praise Yahweh:
8 Give thanks to Yahweh and use his name when calling out for help.
→ Tell all the other nations about what he’s done for you Israelis.
9 Sing to him and make music to him.
→ Tell everyone about all the wonderful things that he’s done.
10 Boast about his untarnished reputation.
→ Those who follow Yahweh should celebrate.
11 Ask Yahweh to help you and give you his strength.
≈ Constantly ask for his direction.
12 Remember the wonderful things that he’s done—
≈ his miracles and how he punished those who deserved it.
13 You descendants of his servant Yisrael,
≈ you descendants of Yakov, the one who he chose,
15 Remember his agreement forever—
≈ the instructions that he gave to a thousand generations,
16 the agreement that he made with Abraham,[ref]
17 He established it as a law for Yakov[ref]—
≈ as an eternal agreement for Yisrael,
18 saying, “I’ll give the Canaan region to you—
≈ your portion that will then be your inheritance.”
19 When your ancestors were still a small group,
≈ insignificant, and strangers in the land,
20 and they wandered back and forth from nation to nation,
≈ and from one kingdom to another,
21 God didn’t permit anyone to oppress them,[ref]
≈ and he rebuked kings on their behalf:
22 “Don’t attack my chosen people,
≈ and don’t harm my prophets.”
→ Every day tell others that he’s saved us.
24 Tell the other nations about his power.
≈ Tell all the people groups about the wonderful things he’s done,
25 because Yahweh is great and deserves a lot of praise,
≈ and he should be revered more than any other god.
26 All those gods of the other people groups are worthless,
^ but it was Yahweh who created the heavens.
27 His presence emanates splendour and grandeur,
≈ and strength and happiness radiate from his place.
28 You people in nations all over the world, praise Yahweh—
praise him for his splendour and his strength.
29 Praise Yahweh for his great reputation.
Bring an offering and come into his presence.
≈ Worship Yahweh in his splendour and purity.
30 Let the entire planet tremble if he comes.
The world is firmly established—it can’t be shaken around.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth shout in celebration,
and let people in all the nations say, “Yahweh is king.”
32 Let the oceans roar along with all the creatures in them.
Let the countryside celebrate along with all the creatures that live there.
33 Then the trees in the forests should shout happily when Yahweh comes,
because he is coming to judge the world.
34 Give thanks to Yahweh, because he’s good,[ref]
because his loyal commitment lasts forever.
35 Then say, “Rescue us, God who’s our saviour,
and bring us together and save us from attacks by other nations,
so that we’ll thank you for your untarnished reputation,
and boast about your praiseworthy actions.”
36 Blessed be Yisrael’s god Yahweh,
in eternity past and eternity to come.
37 Then David went away from where Yahweh’s box had been placed. Asaf and his brothers were left to minister in front of the box continually—in the appropriate way each day depending on the occasion—38 along with Oved-Edom and sixty-eight relatives. Oved-Edom (Yedutun’s son) and Hosah were gatekeepers.
39 Also, Tsadok the priest and his relatives the priests were at the front of Yahweh’s tabernacle at the high place, which was in Gibeon, 40 to continually present burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar for burnt offerings, morning and evening, following all the instructions Yahweh had given Yisrael, which had been written down. 41 With them were Heman and Yedutun and the rest of those chosen, who were designated by name to thank Yahweh because his loyal commitment lasts forever. 42 Heman and Yedutun had brought trumpets and cymbals to accompany the songs for God, and Yedutun’s sons at the gate joined in also.
43 Then all the people left and went home, and David also returned home to bless his household.[ref]
17 After a while when David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Natan, “Look, here I am living in a palace made of cedar, but the box containing Yahweh’s agreement is kept in a tent.” 2 “Go add and do what you’re planning,” Natan replied, “because God is with you.”
3 But that night God spoke to Natan, 4 “Go and tell my servant David that Yahweh says this: You yourself won’t be the one to build a residence for me to live in, 5 because I haven’t lived in a building from the day that I brought Yisrael out of Egypt until today—I’ve moved from place to place and tent to tent. 6 As I travelled with all the Israelis, did I ever complain to any of Yisrael’s leaders who I’d commanded to shepherd my people, and ask them, ‘Why haven’t you all built a house of cedar for me?’ ”
7 “So now you should tell my servant David that army commander Yahweh says this: I myself took you from the pasture, from behind the sheep, to be a leader over my people Yisrael. 8 I’ve always been with you wherever you’ve gone, and I’ve defeated all your enemies who were attacking you, and I’ll make you famous like some of the greatest people in the world. 9 I’ll set a place for my people Yisrael, and I’ll plant them, and they’ll settle in that place and not need to be fearful again. Violent groups won’t continue to trouble them like they’ve done before, 10 and ever since the time that I put heroes and leaders over my people Yisrael. Then I’ll humble all your enemies. In addition, I declare to you that Yahweh will build a dynasty for you. 11 When your time on earth is up and it’s time to join your deceased ancestors, then I’ll raise up one of your sons and establish his kingdom. 12 He’ll be the one to build a temple for me and establish a dynasty that will last forever. 13 I myself will be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me, and I won’t cease my loyal commitment to him like I ended it with your predecessor.[ref] 14 I’ll confirm his rule over my temple and my kingdom forever, and his ruling dynasty will last forever.”
16 Then king David went in and sat in front of Yahweh, and asked, “Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my family, that you’ve brought me to this point? 17 This was such a small thing in your eyes, God, and you’ve spoken about the future of your servant’s family, and you’ve blessed me more than I deserve, Yahweh God. 18 What more can I, David say to you about how you’ve honoured your servant, because you certainly know me well. 19 Yahweh, you’ve done all these great things for the sake of your servant, and done just what you wanted in order to reveal your greatness. 20 Yahweh, there’s no one else like you, and no god except you, as we’ve all heard for ourselves. 21 There’s no other country like your people Yisrael—the only nation in the world where you God, rescued the people in order to make them your own. That made you famous and also feared, as you drove the people groups out ahead of your people who you ransomed out of Egypt. 22 You took your people Yisrael to be your people forever, and you, Yahweh, became our god.
23 “And now, Yahweh, may what you said about your servant and his family be confirmed forever, and come to pass just like you’ve said. 24 May your reputation be established and increase forever, as people say, ‘Army commander Yahweh, Yisrael’s god, is god over Yisrael.’ And your servant David’s family has been established as you’ve watched 25 because you, God, have revealed to your servant that you will give me a dynasty. That’s why I’m brave enough to pray to you. 26 Yes, Yahweh, you are God and you’ve promised these good things to me, your servant. 27 Then you’ve now decided to bless your servant’s family to be forever in front of you, because you, Yahweh, have blessed us and so we’ll be blessed forever.
18 Sometime afterwards, David attacked and defeated the Philistines, subduing them, and he captured the Philistine city of Gat and its surrounding villages. 2 Then he attacked and defeated Moav, and the Moabites became servants to David—taking him regular tribute.
3 Next David attacked and defeated King Hadadezer of Tsovah-Hamat, when that king had tried enforce his control at the Euphrates River. 4 David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot-soldiers from him. And David hamstrung all but one hundred of the chariot horses.
5 When the Arameans (or, Syrians) came from Damascus to help King Hadadezer, David struck killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 6 Then David established forces in the Aramean town of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, taking him regular tribute. So Yahweh helped David wherever he went. 7 David took the gold shields that were used by Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Yerushalem. 8 He also took a lot of bronze from Hadadezer’s cities of Tibhat and Kun. (Later, Shelomoh/Solomon used it to make the huge bronze basin called ‘the sea’, along with its pillars and other bronze items.)[ref]
9 When King To’u from Hamat heard that David defeated the entire the army of King Hadadezer from Tsovah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David carrying various items of gold, silver, and bronze. Hadorom went to ask David for peace and to bless him because he’d fought against Hadadezer and struck him down, because To’u had also been at war with Hadadezer. 11 King David consecrated that to Yahweh, along with the gold and silver that he’d brought back from other nations: from Edom, from Moav, from the Ammonites, from the Philistines, and from the Amalekites.
12 Avshai (whose mother was Tseruyah) defeated Edom in the Salt Valley, killing eighteen thousand of them.[ref] 13 Then David stationed garrisons in Edom, and all Edom became his servants. And Yahweh saved David in all where he went.
14 So David ruled over all Yisrael and administered justice and did what was right for all his people. 15 Tseruyah’s son Yoav led the army, and Ahilud’s son Yehoshafat was the record keeper. 16 Ahituv’s son Tsadok and Avyatar’s son Ahimelek were priests, and Shavsha was the secretary. 17 Yehoyada’s son Benayah supervised the Keretites and Feletites who were David’s bodyguards, and David’s sons were his leading officials.
19 Some time later, the Ammonite King Nahash died and his son Hanun became their king 2 and David said, “I’ll show loyal commitment to Nahash’s son Hanun, because his father was good to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father’s death. However, when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to comfort Hanun, 3 the Ammonite leaders asked their new king, “Do you think that David’s really sending comforters to honour your father? Wouldn’t it be more likely that he sent his servants to explore and spy out the land in order to overthrow you?” 4 So King Hanun took David’s servants, and had their beards shaved off, plus he cut off the bottom half of their robes to expose their buttocks, and then he sent them home. 5 Some people quickly informed David what had happened, so he sent messengers to meet the men (because they were very much humiliated) and to tell them, “Stay there in Yeriho (Jericho) until your beards grow out, then return here.”
6 By then, the Ammonites realised that they had greatly insulted King David, so King Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty tonnes of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, Aram-Maakah, and Tsovah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots, as well as the king of Maakah and his army. They all came and set up their camps near Meydeva, plus they were joined by the Ammonites themselves coming out of their cities ready for battle.
8 When David heard about that, he sent Yoav with the entire army. 9 Then the Ammonites marched out and deployed ready for battle at the entrance to their city, while kings who had come were over in the countryside with their men.
10 Yoav quickly realised that he’d have to fight on two fronts, so he chose Yisrael’s best warriors and set them out to face the Arameans (Syrians), 11 while he placed the remaining men (under the control of his older brother Avshai) out against the Ammonites. 12 Yoav told them, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you can come to rescue me. But if the Ammonites start to gain on you, then I’ll come to rescue you. 13 We must be strong and fight hard to defend our people and our cities that belong to our god. Yahweh will do what he considers to be good.”
14 So Yoav advanced his troops to attack the Arameans, but the Arameans fled away from them. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Avshai and withdrew into the city, so Yoav went back to Yerushalem.
16 When the Arameans saw that they were defeated by Yisrael, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from across the Euphrates river, led by Shofak, the commander of Hadadezer’s army. 17 When that was reported to David, he gathered all Yisrael and crossed the Yordan. They positioned themselves against the Arameans who then fought against them. 18 But the Arameans fled away from the Israelis, and David killed seven thousand chariot drivers and forty thousand men on foot, as well as killing Shofak their army commander. 19 When Hadadezer’s servants saw that Yisrael had defeated them, they made peace with David and became his subjects, so Aram (Syria) wasn’t willing to help the Ammonites militarily any more.
20 Then in the spring when kings often march out to war, Yoav led the army out for war and he devastated the land of the Ammonites. Then he reached the capital, Rabbah, and he besieged it while David stayed in Yerushalem. Yoav defeated Rabbah and demolished the city.[ref] 2 Then David took their king’s crown off his head—it was gold with a valuable gemstone set in out, and weighed thirty kilograms. He put the crown on his own head, plus he took a very large amount of plunder out of the city. 3 Then they took all the people out of the city and forced them to work with saws and iron picks, and axes. David did that for the people of all the Ammonite cities, then he returned to Yerushalem with his army.
4 Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer, then Sibbekai the Hushatite struck down Sippai, from the descendants of the Refaim, and they were subdued.
5 Then there was another battle with the Philistines, and Yair’s son Elhanan killed Lahmi the brother of Goliyat (Goliath)[ref] the Gittite (i.e., from Gat), even though his spear shaft was as thick as the beam of a weaver’s loom. 6 There was also war at Gat where there was a very tall man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot who was also a descendant of Rafa. 7 When he insulted Yisrael, Shimea’s son Yonatan killed him. (Shimea was one of David’s older brothers.)
8 Those were the descendants of Rafa from Gat who were killed by David and he men.
Yoav doesn’t want to do the census
21 Then a trouble-maker went against Yisrael by encouraging David to take a census of Yisrael, 2 So David ordered Yoav and the other officials, “Go and count Yisrael from Be’er-Sheva in the south and as far north as Dan, then come and tell me so that I’ll know how many warriors I have.”
3 “My master, the king, may Yahweh multiply his people one hundred times over. Aren’t they all your servants?” Yoav diplomatically queried, “So why does my master want to do this? Why should he bring judgement on Yisrael?” 4 But the king insisted, so Yoav was forced to go and survey the entire country. Then he returned to Yerushalem 5 and reported the numbers to David. Yisrael had 1.1 million sword-wielding men, and Yehudah had 470 thousand. 6 However, Yoav had intentionally not counted the tribes of Levi and Benyamin, because he was horrified by the king’s command.
Punishment for the census
7 God was displeased by what David had ordered, and he punished Yisrael, 8 and David said to God, “I’ve disobeyed you badly by doing that. Please forgive your servant for his disobedience, because I’ve been very stupid.”
9 Then Yahweh told David’s prophet Gad, 10 “Go and tell David that Yahweh says this: I’ll give you three options—choose one of them and that’s what I’ll do to you.”
11 So Gad went to David and told his, “Yahweh says that you must choose one of these punishments: 12 either three years of famine, or three months of being overcome by your enemies’ armies, or three days of Yahweh’s ‘sword’ of pestilence in the land and the Yahweh’s messenger bringing destruction across all of Yisrael’s territory. So now, tell me what answer I should take back to the one who sent me?”
13 “Oh, that’s very distressing,” David replied to Gad, “but please don’t let me fall into the hands of my enemies. Yahweh is very merciful, so please let him be the one to punish me directly.”
14 So Yahweh sent a disease throughout Yisrael and seventy thousand Israeli men died. 15 Then God sent a messenger to destroy Yerushalem, and while the disease was still spreading Yahweh looked down and relented about the tragedy, and he told to the destroying messenger, “Enough! Now release your hand.” Now Yahweh’s messenger happened to be standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Yevusite.
16 As David looked up, he saw Yahweh’s messenger standing between the earth and the heavens, holding his sword stretched out over Yerushalem. Then David and the elders who were all dressed in sackcloth, fell to their knees and bowed their faces to the ground. 17 Then David asked God, “Wasn’t it me myself who said to count the people? It’s me who disobeyed and clearly did what was wrong, but these sheep, what have they done? Yahweh my god, please direct your punishment against me and my extended family, but don’t continue this plague on your people.”
18 Then Yahweh’s messenger told Gad to tell David that he should build an altar to Yahweh at the threshing floor of Ornan the Yevusite. 19 So David went up to that place when he heard Gad’s message that was delivered in Yahweh’s name. 20 Meanwhile, Ornan was threshing wheat, and he turned and saw Yahweh’s messenger and he and his four sons who were with him quickly hid behind something. 21 When David arrived there, Ornan saw him and left the threshing floor and knelt in front of David and bowed his face to the ground. 22 Then David asked Ornan, “Give me this place with its threshing floor, and I’ll build an altar to Yahweh on it. Sell it to me at the full price, so the plague against the people will be stopped.”
23 “My master the king, take anything that you want,” Ornan replied. “Listen, I’ll donate the cattle for the burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for firewood, and the wheat for the offering—all at no charge.”
24 “No, I’ll most definitely pay the full price,” King David responded. “I couldn’t offer a burnt offering to Yahweh if it hadn’t cost me anything.” 25 So David paid Ornan six hundred gold pieces for his place, 26 and he built an altar to Yahweh there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on it. He called to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire from the heavens on that altar of the burnt offering.
27 Then Yahweh spoke to his messenger who then returned his sword to his sheath.
28 When David saw that Yahweh had answered him at (the Yevusite) Ornan’s threshing floor, then he sacrificed there. 29 At that time, Yahweh’s sacred tent that Mosheh (Moses) had made in the wilderness, and the altar for burnt sacrifices, were on a hill used for worship near Gibeon city. 30 David wasn’t able to go there to ask God’s direction because he was terrified of Yahweh’s messenger’s sword.
22 Then David said, “This is now the residence of Yahweh God, and this is the altar for Yisrael’s burnt offering.”
2 Then David said to gather the foreigners who lived in Israel, and he assigned them the job of hewing out cut stones to build the residence for God. 3 He prepared a large quantity of iron for the door hinges and fittings, so much brass that it couldn’t be weighed, 4 and innumerable cedar logs that the Tsidonians and the Tsorians (Sidonians and Tyrians) brought in for David. 5 David said, “My son Shelomoh (Solomon) is young and tender, and the house to be built for Yahweh must be impressive for the sake of his reputation and for beauty in all the lands so I’ll prepare for it now.” So David prepared a large amount before he died.
6 Then David called for his son Shelomoh (Solomon), and ordered him to build a residence for Yisrael’s god Yahweh. 7 David told him, “My son, I wanted to build a temple to honour my god Yahweh,[ref] 8 but Yahweh gave me this message, ‘You’ve fought a lot of battles and shed a large amount of blood, so you won’t be the one who’ll build a residence to honour me—you’ve shed too much blood on the ground in my sight.’ 9 He told me, ‘Listen, you’ll have a son who’ll be a man of peace. I’ll give him relief from all his enemies from the surrounding regions. That’s why he’ll be called ‘Shelomoh’ (which sounds like ‘Shalom’—the Hebrew word for peace), and I’ll give peace and quietness to Yisrael during his lifetime. 10 He’ll be the one to build a residence for me, and he himself will become my son, and I’ll become his father, and I’ll establish the throne of his kingdom over Yisrael forever.’
11 “Now, my son, may Yahweh be with you, and may you be successful and build a residence for Yahweh your god, just as he said you would. 12 I also ask Yahweh to give you insight and understanding, and give you charge over Yisrael so that you can keep your god Yahweh’s regulations. 13 Then you’ll succeed, if you are careful to follow the instructions and the directions that Yahweh commanded Mosheh (Moses) concerning Yisrael. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged.[ref]
14 Now, see, despite many battles, I’ve prepared the following for Yahweh’s residence: three thousand tonnes of gold and thirty thousand tonnes of silver, along with too much bronze and iron to weigh, and timber and cut stones. Plus you’ll be able to add more. 15 You’ll have plenty of skilled workers including those who work with stone and those who work with wood. 16 Then there’s so many skilled with gold and silver, and bronze and iron. So get organised and get started, and may Yahweh be with you.
17 Then David ordered all the Israeli officials to assist his son Shelomoh, saying, 18 “Isn’t Yahweh your god with you all, and hasn’t he given peace to you all from all around, because he’s allowed me to take control of this region, and this area has been subdued with the help of Yahweh and his people. 19 Now, dedicate your mind and strength to request advice from your god Yahweh, then get organised and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God so you can bring the box containing Yahweh’s agreement to the residence to be built to honour Yahweh’s name, and bring God’s sacred items.”
23 By then David was old and coming to the end of his life, and he made his son Shelomoh (Solomon) king over Yisrael.[ref]
2 Then David gathered all the Israeli officials and the priests and Levites. 3 Counting the Levite males that were thirty years old and older, they found there were thirty-eight thousand men. 4 David assigned twenty-four thousand of them to supervise the work at Yahweh’s temple, six thousand to be officials and judges, 5 four thousand to be gatekeepers, and four thousand to praise Yahweh using the musical instruments that he’d provided.
6 So David divided the Levites into divisions according to their ancestry through Levi’s sons Gershon, Kohat, and Merari.
23:7 The Gershonites
7 The Gershonites included Ladan and Shimei. 8 Ladan’s three sons were: Yehiel (the oldest), Zetam, and Yoel. 9 Shimei’s[fn] three sons were: Shelomot, Haziel, and Haran. (They were leaders of Ladan’s clans.) 10 Shimei’s four sons were: Yahat, Zina,[fn] Yeush, and Beriah. 11 (Yahat was the head, and Zizah was second. Yeush and Beriah were grouped together as one family unit as they only had few descendants.)
The Kohatites
12 Kohat’s four sons were: Amram, Yitshar, Hevron, and Uzziel. 13 Amram’s sons were Aharon and Mosheh (Aaron and Moses). Aharon and his future male descendants were permanently appointed to consecrate the most sacred things, to burn incense, to minister to Yahweh, and to bless his name.[ref] 14 Mosheh was known as a man who served God, and his descendants were included with the other Levites. 15 Mosheh’s sons were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 Gershom’s eldest son was Shevuel. 17 Eliezer’s only son was Rehavyah, but Rehavyah went on to have many sons.
18 Yitshar’s eldest son was Shelomot. 19 Hevron’s sons from oldest to youngest were: Yeriyyah, Amaryah, Yahaziel, and Yekamean. 20 Uzziel’s sons were Mikah and Yishshiyah.
The Merarites
21 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi, and Mahli sons were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died without having any sons, so his brother Kish’s sons married his daughters (to continue the family name). 23 Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Yerimot.
24 Those were Levi’s descendants by their clans and their appointments, who did the work of serving in Yahweh’s temple once they reached twenty years old, 25 because David had said, “Yisrael’s god Yahweh has given peace to his people, and he’ll now live forever in Yerushalem, 26 so the Levites won’t need to carry the sacred tent anymore, along with all its equipment.”[ref] 27 So one of David’s final instructions had been to count the Levite men who were twenty years old and over, 28 because their work was to assist Aharon’s descendants in their work in Yahweh’s temple. They were in charge of the temple courtyards and siderooms, in charge of the purification ceremonies, and did other work at the temple.[ref] 29 They were also in charge of the sacred bread, as well as the fine flour for the offering, the wafers of bread without rising agent, the baking pans, and all the measuring and mixing of ingredients.
30 Every morning and every evening the Levites stood and praised Yahweh. 31 They would also do that on the rest days, and at the new moon celebrations and during the other religious festivals. There were regulations about how many of them must always be on duty serving Yahweh. 32 They were also in charge of the sacred tent and the holy place and assisting the priests (their relatives, Aharon’s descendants) in their service at Yahweh’s temple.
24 Aharon’s sons were: Nadav, Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar, 2 but Nadav and Avihu died before their father and without having any children, so only Eleazar and Itamar became priests.[ref] 3 David gave Eleazar’s descendant Tsadok, and Itamar’s descendant Ahimelek two different sets of duties to perform. 4 There were more leaders among Eleazar’s descendants than there were among Itamar’s descendants, so they appointed sixteen leaders from Eleazar’s descendants and eight from Itamar’s descendants. 5 They divided up the duties by lots so some of the leaders from each of the two groups served the facility and others served God directly. DOUBLE-CHECK, along with v3. 6 Netanel’s son Shemayah was the Levite scribe who recorded all this in front of the king and the leaders, Tsadok the priest and Abiatar’s son Ahimelek, and the clan leaders of the priests and the Levites. (One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar’s group, and then the next from Itamar’s, etc.)
7 The first two allocations of duties went to Yehoyariv and then Yedayah. 8 Next were Harim and Seorim, 9 Malkiyyah and Miyyamin, 10 Hakkots and Aviyyah, 11 Yeshua and Shekanyah, 12 Elyashiv and Yakim, 13 Huppah and Yesheveav, 14 Bilgah and Immer, 15 Hezer and Ha-Pitstsets, 16 Patahyah and Yehezkel, 17 Yakin and Gamul, 18 Delayah and lastly, Maazyah.
19 Those were the priests selected to be leaders of the groups that would serve in Yahweh’s temple, following the instructions that Yisrael’s god Yahweh had given their ancestor Aharon.
Other Levites
20 This is a list of some of Levi’s other descendants:
Those were the Levites listed by their ancestors’ families. 31 They too, used lots just like Aharon’s descendants (their relatives) to determine their specific duties irrespective of where they came in their families. This was done in front of King David, Tsadok and Ahimelek, the clan leaders, and the other priests and Levites.
25 Then David and the army chiefs allocated the musical service to the sons of Asaf, Heyman, and Yedutun—the ones prophesying with harps, with lyres, and with cymbals. This is a list of the men whom they chose for that work:
6 All of those served as musicians in Yahweh’s temple under their fathers’ supervision—they played cymbals, harps, and lyres. Their fathers were supervised by the king. 7 There were 288 of those men and their musical relatives who played to Yahweh. 8 They used lots to determine their duties, whether young or old, and irrespective of their musical abilities.
9 The first allocation went (in order) to:
26 These were the division of the gatekeepers:
8 All those descendants of Oved-Edom and their sons and relatives were capable people and strong workers. Altogether there were 62 of them.
12 Those men were leaders of the groups of men who guarded the gates of the temple. They worked in Yahweh’s temple like their relatives did. 13 They used lots to assign each family to a particular gate, irrespective of the family reputation. 14 Shelemyah’s group was allocated to the eastern gate, and his son Zekaryah (a wise adviser) was allocated to the northern gate. 15 Oved-Edom’s group was allocated to the southern gate, plus his sons were to guard the storehouses. 16 Shuppim’s and Hosah’s groups were allocated the western gate, along with the Shalleket gate on the uphill road with side-by-side guards. 17 Every day there were six Levites on duty in the east, four in the north, four in the south, and two at the storehouses. 18 There were four on the road by the western courtyard, and two in the courtyard. 19 Those were the groups of men who were Korah’s and Merari’s descendants who guarded the temple gates.
20 The Levite, Ahiyyah was in charge of the temple treasuries, as well as the storehouses for dedicated gifts. 21 Ladam’s descendants (also descendants of Gershon) were leaders among their family groups. Yehiel was a descendant of this Ladan. 22 Yehiel’s sons were Zetam and Yoel, and they were in charge of the storehouses in Yahweh’s temple.
23 Others who did that work were descendants of Amram, Yitshar, Hevron and Uzziel.
24 Shuvael, a descendant of Mosheh’s son Gershom, was another leader in charge of the treasuries, 25 along with his relatives: Eliezer’s son Rehavyah, Rehavyah’s son Yeshayah, Yeshayah’s son Yoram, Yoram’s son Zikri, and Zikri’s son Shelomot. 26 Shelomot and his relatives supervised all the storehouses for the sacred things that were consecrated by King David, the clan leaders, and the army division leaders and other commanders 27 who had dedicated some of the plunder from their battles to the repair of Yahweh’s residence. 28 Shelomot and his relatives were also in charge of everything that the prophet Shemuel, King Shaul (Kish’s son), and David’s two army commanders Abner (Ner’s son) and Yoav (Tseruyah’s son) had dedicated to Yahweh.
29 From Yitshar’s descendants, Kenanyah and his sons worked outside the temple area as officials and judges over Yisrael.
30 From Hevron’s descendants, Hashavyah and his relatives were responsible for all the work done for Yahweh and for the king in the area west of the Yordan river. There were 1,700 of them who were able to do their work well. 31 According to the records of Hevron’s descendants, Yeriyyah was their leader. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign, they had searched in those records and discovered that there were powerful men in Yazer in Gilead.) 32 Yeriyyah had 2,700 relatives who were strong workers and leaders of their families. King David put them in charge of governing the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and the eastern half of the tribe of Menashsheh, to ensure that all the people did what God commanded and what the king told them to do.
27 This is a list of the Israeli men who served the king in the army. Some were leaders of families, some were commanders of divisions of one thousand, some were commanders of division of one hundred, and some were other officers. There were twenty-four thousand men in each group, and each group served one month each year.
16 There were certain tribal leaders over each of Yisrael’s tribes:
Those were the commanders of Yisrael’s tribes.
23 David didn’t include men who were less than twenty years old when he had ordered a census, because Yahweh had promised that he would multiply the Israelis like stars in the sky.[ref] 24 Yoav (Tseruyah’s son) began the count but never finished it because Yahweh’s anger had struck Yisrael, so the census result wasn’t recorded in the record of King David’s reign.[ref]
28 Now David called all Yisrael’s leaders to assemble in Yerushalem: the tribal leaders, the leaders of the various divisions that served the king, the commanders of army units of thousands and of hundreds, and the supervisors of all the property and cattle belonging to the king and his sons, along with the tops officials, and the warriors including their powerful heroes.
2 Then King David stood up and spoke, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people, I had in my heart to put up a building for the box containing Yahweh’s covenant to rest in. It’s the footstool of our god’s feet of our god and I’ve made preparations to start building,[ref] 3 but God told me that I wouldn’t be the one to build a house to honour him because I’ve been involved in a lot of war and killings.
4 “Yet Yisrael’s god Yahweh chose me from all of my father’s family to be king over Yisrael forever, because he chose a leader from the tribe of Yehudah, my father’ tribe, and among the sons of my father, with me he was pleased to make king over all Israel. 5 Then out of the many sons that he’s given me, he chose my son Shelomoh (Solomon) to be the next king to rule his kingdom of Yisrael.
6 “Then he told me, ‘Your son Shelomoh is the one who will build my temple and the courtyards around it, because I’ve chosen him to be like my son and I’ll be like a father to him. 7 I’ll establish his kingdom forever, if he’s diligent at following my instructions and obeying my judgements, like he is at present.’
8 “So now, in front of all Yisrael, Yahweh’s assembly, and in the ears of our god, I challenge you all to discover and obey all the commands of your god Yahweh so that you’ll all possess the good land and you’ll all leave your sons after you to inherit it forever.
9 “And you, Shelomoh my son, follow your father’s god and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing life, because Yahweh looks into all hearts, and understands all your motives. If you look for him, he’ll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he’ll reject you forever. 10 You can now see that you need to be strong and get busy, because Yahweh has chosen you to erect a building to be his sanctuary.”
11 Then David gave the plans for the temple to his son Shelomoh, including plans for its porch, its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms and its inner rooms, and the room to contain the sacred box. 12 He also handed over the plans he envisioned for the temple courtyards, all the surrounding apartments, all the treasuries, and all the storerooms for sacred things. 13 He included instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the services required to operate the temple, and for all the equipment and utensils needed for all that. 14 David had determined the weight of gold and silver would be needed to make all the necessary items that would be used in the regular temple functions, 15 including the gold lampstands and lamps and the silver lampstands and lamps, 16 and the gold for the display tables, and the silver for the silver tables. 17 Also the pure gold meat forks and the jugs and basins, and the weights of the gold and silver bowls. 18 Then the weight of refined gold for the incense altar, and for making the winged creatures that spread out across the top of the box containing Yahweh’s agreement, 19 saying, “I’ve written down all those plans with Yahweh’s direction as he gave me instructions for what has to be done.” 20 Then David told his son Shelomoh, “Be strong and courageous, and get going. Don’t be afraid or discouraged because Yahweh God, my god, is with you. He won’t leave you and he won’t abandon you until all the work of constructing Yahweh’s residence and the necessary equipment is finished. 21 Listen, the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the god’s house and all the skilled workmen will be backing you in all the work. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions.”
29 Then King David told the entire assembly, “My son Shelomoh (Solomon) has been chosen by God himself. He’s young and tender, and it’s a huge job because the temple isn’t being built for people, but for Yahweh God.[ref] 2 I’ve used all my resources to provide a plentiful supply of materials for my god’s residence: the gold for the gold things, and the silver for the silver things, the bronze for the bronze things, the iron for the iron things, the wood for the wooden parts, onyx stones for inlays, antimony stones and colourful things, and all the rare stones and alabaster stones. 3 What’s more, because I’m excited to have my god’s residence built, I’ve donated my own personal gold and silver on top of everything else that I’ve prepared for the sacred temple: 4 100 tonnes of gold and 2,500 tonnes of refined silver for overlaying the buildings’ walls, 5 as well as gold for the gold things, silver for the silver things, and for everything to be made by the craftsmen. So who is willing today, to commit themselves to making a contribution towards Yahweh’s work?
6 Then the family leaders and the leaders of the tribes, and the various levels of military commanders, and the king’s construction overseers, all contributed willingly. 7 They donated a total of 170 tonnes of gold and 100kg of gold coins, 350 tonnes of silver, 600 tonnes of bronze, and 3,400 tonnes of iron for the temple construction, 8 plus anyone who had precious stones donated them to the treasury for the temple. Yehiel (a Gershonite) was in charge of those. 9 The people were excited, because they’d all given willingly to Yahweh, and King David was also very pleased.
10 Then King David blessed Yahweh in front of the entire assembly, saying, “Blessed are you, Yahweh, God of Yisrael, our father, from the ages past and until the ages to come. 11 Greatness and the power, beauty and splendour and majesty all belong to you, Yahweh, as indeed does everything in the heavens and on the earth. The kingdom and supreme leadership all belongs to you, Yahweh.[ref] 12 Wealth and prestige comes from you, and you rule over everything. You have the power and strength and control to make people great and to strengthen everyone, 13 so now, our god, we’re thanking you and praising your beautiful name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be in a position to be able to donate freely like this? Yes, everything comes from you, and we’ve simply given back from what you gave to us, 15 because we’re just strangers on the earth in your eyes, and foreign guests like all our ancestors. Our time on the earth is like a shadow without any permanence. 16 Yahweh our god, all this abundance that we have collected in order to build a house for you, for your holy name, originally it came from you and it all belongs to you anyway. 17 Yes I know, my god, that you examine our hearts and you’re pleased when we do what is right. I have freely offered all these gifts as I strive to do what is right, and now I’m also happy to see your people to freely offer gifts to you. 18 Yahweh, the god of our ancestors Abraham, Yitshak (Isaac), and Yisrael (Israel), help your people continue to desire to do things like this forever, and help them remain loyal to you. 19 Also, give my son Shelomoh (Solomon) a sincere desire to follow your instructions, your testimonies, and your regulations, and to do everything needed to build the temple following all my preparation work.”
20 Then David told all the assembled people, “Bless your god Yahweh.” and the entire assembly blessed Yahweh, the god of their ancestors. Then they bowed down to honour both Yahweh and the king.
21 Then they offered sacrifices to Yahweh, and sacrificed burnt offerings to Yahweh on the following day: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, 1,000 lambs, plus their drink offerings and sacrifices for all Yisrael in abundance. 22 They ate and drank in Yahweh’s honour that day with great celebration.
Then they rededicated David’s son Shelomoh (Solomon) as king, and anointed him as leader on Yahweh’s behalf and Tsadok as priest. 23 Shelomoh sat on Yahweh’s throne as king replacing his father David, and he prospered and all Yisrael listened to him.[ref] 24 All the leaders and the mighty warriors, as well as all the sons of King David, pledged allegiance to King Shelomoh. 25 Yahweh made Shelomoh exceedingly great in the eyes of all Yisrael, and bestowed a kingdom on him, the majesty of which hadn’t previously been on any king over Yisrael.
26 Yishay’s (Jesse’s) son David was the king who ruled all Yisrael (Israel) 27 and he ruled for forty years: from Hevron city for seven years, and then thirty-three years from Yerushalem.[ref] 28 He lived a long life with riches and splendour, and died at a good old age. Then his son Shelomoh (Solomon) replaced him as king. 29 The records of everything done by King David, from the beginning to his end, were written by the prophets Shemuel (Samuel), Natan (Nathan), and Gad. 30 They wrote about his powerful rule, and all the things that happened to him and to the Israeli people, and in the kingdoms of other countries while he was ruling Yisrael.
2:9 In the Hebrew, ‘Keluvay’ is called ‘Kalev’ (Caleb) below.
4:13 Not in the Hebrew, but ‘sons’ was plural, so it seems that it may have been accidentally dropped out of the text.
11:20 This seems unexpectedly similar to verse 11 and might possibly indicate some confusion in the early records.
14:11 It’s not clear who’s being referred to here.
23:9 Possibly the wrong name got into the Hebrew here, because it disagrees with v10.
23:10 Some ancient translations have Zizah here, which would seem to fit better with v11.
24:33 Missing here in the Hebrew, but see 1 Chr. 23:19.
3:4: 2Sam 5:4-5; 1Ki 2:11; 1Ch 29:27.
5:1: Gen 35:22; 49:3-4; Gen 49:8-10.
5:26: a 2Ki 15:19; b 2Ki 15:29; c 2Ki 17:6.
10:13: a 1Sam 13:8-14; 15:1-24; b Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1Sam 28:7-8.
16:16: a Gen 12:7; b Gen 26:3.
16:34: 2Ch 5:13; 7:3; Ezr 3:11; Psa 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11.
18:8: 1Ki 7:40-47; 2Ch 4:11-18.
22:7-10: 2Sam 7:1-16; 1Ch 17:1-14.
27:24: 2Sam 24:15; 1Ch 21:1-14.
