<p class="bodytext">The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa.

<n id="1" /> David said, &#8220;Whoever attacks<n id="2" /> the Jebusites first will become commanding general!&#8221;<n id="3" /> So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked<n id="4" /> first and became commander.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished<n id="1" /> from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle.

<p class="bodytext">From Judah came 6,800 trained warriors carrying shields and spears.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">From Benjamin, Saul&#8217;s tribe,<n id="1" /> there were 3,000, most of whom, up to that time, had been loyal to Saul.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">From Ephraim there were 20,800 warriors, who had brought fame to their families.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command &#8211; they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.<n id="1" />p>

The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command.p>

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle<n id="1" /> them there; they will live there and not be disturbed<n id="2" /> anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning<n id="3" />

When the time comes for you to die,<n id="1" /> I will raise up your descendant,<n id="2" /> one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.

I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you.<n id="1" />

Joab<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;If the Arameans start to overpower me,<n id="2" /> you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,<n id="3" /> I will come to your rescue.

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before Joab&#8217;s<n id="1" /> brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,<n id="1" /> whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver&#8217;s loom.<n id="2" />p>

David said to Solomon: &#8220;My son, I really wanted<n id="1" /> to build a temple to honor<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> my God.

He will build a temple to honor me;<n id="1" /> he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Now, my son, may the <sc>Lordsc> be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the <sc>Lordsc> your God, just as he announced you would.<n id="1" />

The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men.<n id="1" />

Jahath was the oldest and Zizah the second oldest. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered one family with one responsibility.p>

They were in charge of the meeting tent and the holy place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.<n id="1" />p>