Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, ‘’Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’’So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, ‘’Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’’But Joab replied to the king, ‘’May the LORD your God multiply the troops ...  Read More

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. Next to him was Eleazer . . .  As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines . . . the Israelites retreated, but Eleazer stood his ground and struck down the Philistines ti...  Read More

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: ‘’The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior -- from violent people you saved me.‘’I called to the LORD, who is worthy of pr...  Read More

. . . When Shimei, son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him, ‘’May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.  May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord...  Read More

The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept.  As he went, he said: ‘’O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!’’Joab was told, ‘’The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.’’ And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, ‘’The king is gri...  Read More

So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.The king saId to Ittai the Gittite, ‘’Why should you come along with us?  Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an ex...  Read More