1 Chronicles 12:23-40
Other Fighting Men Join David at Hebron
Large numbers of men came to David at Hebron. They were prepared for battle. They came to hand Saul’s kingdom over to him, just as the Lord had said. Here are the numbers of the men who came.
The men from Judah carried shields and spears. They were prepared for battle. The total number of them was 6,800.
The fighting men from Simeon were ready for battle. The total number of them was 7,100.
The total number of men from Levi was 4,600. They included Jehoiada. He was the leader of the family of Aaron. He came with 3,700 men. The men from Levi also included Zadok. He was a brave young fighter. He came with 22 officers from his family.
The men from Benjamin were from Saul’s tribe. Most of them had remained faithful to Saul’s family until that time. The total number of them was 3,000.
The men from Ephraim were brave fighting men. They were famous in their own family groups. The total number of them was 20,800.
The men from half of the tribe of Manasseh had been chosen by name to come and make David king. The total number of them was 18,000.
The men from Issachar understood what was going on at that time. They knew what Israel should do. The total number of their chiefs was 200. They came with all their relatives who were under their command.
The men from Zebulun knew how to fight well. That’s because they had done it many times before. They were prepared for battle. They had every kind of weapon. They came to help David with their whole heart. The total number of them was 50,000.
The total number of officers from Naphtali was 1,000. They came with 37,000 men who carried shields and spears.
The men from Dan were ready for battle. The total number of them was 28,600.
The men from Asher knew how to fight well. That’s because they had done it many times before. They were prepared for battle. The total number of them was 40,000.
The men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh were armed with every kind of weapon. The men came from the east side of the Jordan River. The total number of them was 120,000.
All these fighting men offered to serve in the army.
Before they came to Hebron, they had agreed completely to make David king over all the Israelites. All the rest of the people also agreed to make David king. The men spent three days there with David. They ate and drank what their families had given them. Their neighbors also brought food. They brought it on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. They came from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali. There was plenty of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep. The Israelites brought all these things because they were so happy.
1 Chronicles 13:1-14
David Brings Back the Ark
David talked with each of his officers. He wanted to get their advice. Some of them were commanders of thousands of men. Others were commanders of hundreds. David spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, “Let’s send word to the rest of our people no matter how far away they live. They live in all the territories of Israel. Let’s also send word to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and on their grasslands. Let’s invite everyone to come and join us. Let’s do it if it seems good to you and if that’s what the Lord our God wants. Let’s bring the ark of our God back here to us. We didn’t use it to ask God for advice during the whole time Saul was king.” So that’s what the whole community agreed to do. It seemed right to them.
David gathered together all the Israelites. They came from the area between the Shihor River in Egypt and Lebo Hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem. David went to Baalah of Judah. The whole community of Israel went with him. Baalah is also called Kiriath Jearim. All the people went there to get the ark of God the Lord. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The ark is named after the Lord.
The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was moved from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding it. David was celebrating with all his might in front of God. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
They came to the threshing floor of Kidon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out his hand to hold the ark steady. Then the Lord became very angry with Uzzah. The Lord struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So Uzzah died there in front of God.
David was angry because the Lord’s great anger had broken out against Uzzah. That’s why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this day.
David was afraid of God that day. David asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God back here to me?” So he didn’t take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom. It stayed in his house for three months. And the Lord blessed his family. He also blessed everything that belonged to him.
1 Chronicles 14:1-17
David’s Palace and Family
Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers to build a palace for David. They worked with stone and wood. David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that the Lord had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people.
In Jerusalem David married more women. He also became the father of more sons and daughters. Here is a list of the children born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.
David Wins the Battle Over the Philistines
The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over the entire nation of Israel. So the whole Philistine army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went out to where they were. The Philistines had come and attacked the people in the Valley of Rephaim. So David asked God for advice. David asked, “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The Lord answered him, “Go. I will hand them over to you.”
So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim. There David won the battle over the Philistines. He said, “God has broken through against my enemies, just as water breaks through a dam.” That’s why the place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines had left statues of their gods there. So David gave orders to burn them up.
Once more the Philistines attacked the people in the valley. So David asked God for advice again. God answered him, “Do not go straight after them. Instead, circle around them. Attack them in front of the poplar trees. Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move out to fight. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army.” So David did just as God had commanded him. He and his men struck down the Philistine army. They struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.
So David became famous in every land. The Lord made all the nations afraid of him.
