David again brought together all the able young men of Israel -- thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of...  Read More

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”The LORD answered him, “Go for I will surely...  Read More

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.”When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron ...  Read More

After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites.  . . . On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.  . . . “Where have you come from?” David asked him, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.” “What happened,” David asked.  . . .  “The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son ...  Read More

David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken.  . . . David brought everything back.  . . . Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor valley.  . . . As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, ...  Read More

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their ...  Read More