July 16th

These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they made all those in the valleys flee, both to the east and to the west.

Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

David went out before them, and he answered and said to them, “If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no violence in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and reprove.”

And the Spirit clothed Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said,

Then David received them and made them chiefs of the band.

Now from Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after counsel sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”

As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands who belonged to Manasseh.

They helped David against the marauding band, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army.

For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great camp like the camp of God.

Now these are the numbers of the companies equipped for military duty, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the command of Yahweh.

The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for military duty.

Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for military duty, 7,100.

Of the sons of Levi 4,600.

Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700,

also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house 22 commanders.

Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, men who had a name in their fathers’ households.

Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king.

Of the sons of Issachar, men who knew how to discern the times, to know what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their relatives were at their command.

Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could arrange themselves for battle with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David with an undivided heart.

Of Naphtali there were 1,000 commanders, and with them 37,000 with large shield and spear.

Of the Danites who could arrange themselves for battle, there were 28,600.

Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to arrange themselves for battle.

From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons for the army for battle.

All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle lines, came to Hebron with their whole heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their relatives had prepared for them.

Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and on oxen, great provisions of flour, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep. There was gladness indeed in Israel.

Then David took counsel with the commanders of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from Yahweh our God, let us send everywhere to our relatives who remain in all the lands of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may gather with us;

and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, Yahweh, who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called.

And they drove the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio were leading the cart.

Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their strength, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and with trumpets.

Then they came to the threshing floor of Chidon. And Uzza reached out with his hand to take hold of the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it.

And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he reached out with his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

And David became angry because of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzza; and that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.

So David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God back to me?”

And David did not move the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

Thus the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months; and Yahweh blessed the household of Obed-edom with all that he had.

Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of walls and craftsmen of wood, to build a house for him.

Thus David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was lifted up, for the sake of His people Israel.

Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters.

These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem:

Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

Then the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, so all the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went out against them.

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

Then David asked of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” And Yahweh said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.”

So they came up to Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim.

And they forsook their gods there; so David said the word, and they were burned with fire.

Then the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley.

So David again asked of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go directly up after them; circle around from behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

And it will be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”

Then David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the camp of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer.

Then the name of David went out into all the lands; and Yahweh brought the dread of him on all the nations.

and they sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

Since we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,

it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.”

So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

And both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a lengthy message.

And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers in peace to those who had sent them.

[But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]

But Paul and Barnabas spent a long time in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

And Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.

But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

And there was such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Now Paul also arrived at Derbe and at Lystra. And behold, a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,

and he was well spoken of by the brothers who were in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wanted this man to go with him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to keep.

So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily.

And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them.