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But in the seventh month Ishmael came. He was the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king's family. He came with ten men and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and its towns. They took sixty cities in all. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many children. Their whole family did not have many children, like the sons of Judah.

Reuben was the first-born son of Israel but because he sinned against his father's marriage bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. Reuben is not written down in the family names by his birth-right.

Judah became stronger than his brothers, and a prince came from him. But the birth-right belonged to Joseph.

But they sinned against the God of their fathers. They sold themselves to the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

But Aaron and his sons gave the gifts on the altar of burnt gifts and on the altar of special perfume. They did all the work of the most holy place, to pay for the sins of Israel. They did all that Moses the servant of God had told them to do.

But the fields of the city and its towns were given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, "Take your sword and kill me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and make fun of me." But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it. For he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

The people of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." But David took the strong-place of Zion (that is, the city of David).

But he and his men stood on the piece of ground and fought for it, and killed the Philistines. The Lord saved them by His great power.

So the three men broke through the Philistine army. They took water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord,

He was the best known of the thirty. But he was not as important as the three.

And he killed an Egyptian who was very tall, five cubits tall. The Egyptian held a spear as big as the cross-piece of a cloth-maker. But Benaiah went down to him with a heavy stick and took the spear from the Egyptian's hand. Then he killed him with his own spear.

He was respected among the thirty. But he was not as important as the three. David chose him to be the head of his house soldiers.

David went out to meet them. He said to them, "If you come in peace to help me, my heart will be joined to you. But if you have come to hand me over to those who hate me, may the God of our fathers see it and speak strong words to you. For I have done nothing wrong."

Some men from Manasseh came over to David's side when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help him. For after talking it over, the Philistine leaders sent him away, saying, "He might go over to Saul's side with our heads."

Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the special box of God. For the Lord chose them to carry the special box of the agreement and to serve Him forever."

For all the gods of the people are false gods. But the Lord made the heavens.

Now when David lived in his house, he said to Nathan the special preacher, "See, I am living in a house of cedar wood. But the special box with the Law of the Lord is under a tent."