Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, had a spear that weighed three hundred bronze shekels, and he was armed with a new weapon. He had said that he would kill David.

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.

At the time of the harvest three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim.

The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.”

“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”

David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!”

So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

Araunah told David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wishes and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges and harnesses for wood.

Then David built an altar for the Lord there and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And the Lord accepted prayers for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah.

King David responded, “Summon Bathsheba!” She came and stood before the king.

Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”

King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king,

As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!”

David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.

May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, and his dynasty.”

Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following the practices of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.

If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, then I will grant you long life.”

He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David.