So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

The ark of the <sc>Lordsc> remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The <sc>Lordsc> blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.<n id="1" />

So David said to Ittai, &#8220;Come along then.&#8221;<n id="1" /> So Ittai the Gittite went along,<n id="2" /> accompanied by all his men and all the dependents<n id="3" /> who were with him.p>

All his servants were leaving with him,<n id="1" /> along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites &#8211; some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with<n id="2" /> the king.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, &#8220;Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new<n id="1" /> king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.<n id="2" />

David then sent out the army &#8211; a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab&#8217;s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, &#8220;I too will indeed march out with you.&#8221;p>

Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair<n id="1" /> the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,<n id="2" /> the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver&#8217;s beam.