<t /><p class="bodytext">The divisions of the gatekeepers:p> <p class="bodytext">From the Korahites: Meshelemiah, son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.p>

He was a descendant of Perez; he was in charge of all the army officers for the first month.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;So now, say this to my servant David: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies<n id="1" /> says: &#8220;I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd<n id="2" /> to make you a leader of my people Israel.

David seized from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers,<n id="1" /> and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of Hadadezer&#8217;s<n id="2" /> chariot horses.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,<n id="1" /> Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents<n id="2" /> of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah.<n id="3" />

They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there prior to that.

Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir

In the east they settled as far as the entrance to the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, for their cattle had increased in numbers in the land of Gilead.

<p class="bodytext">Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

He received honor from<n id="1" /> the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.p>

So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River<n id="1" /> in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,<n id="2" /> to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.

<p class="bodytext">So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration.

He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.

<p class="poetry">Say this prayer:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Deliver us, O God who delivers us!p> <p class="poetry">Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!p> <p class="poetry">Then we will give thanks<n id="2" /> to your holy name,p> <p class="poetry">and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">May the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel be praised,p> <p class="poetry">in the future and forevermore.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then all the people said, &#8220;We agree!<n id="2" /> Praise the <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt<n id="1" /> to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.<n id="2" />

When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David; he came out from the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face<n id="1" /> to the ground.

David built there an altar to the <sc>Lordsc> and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings.<n id="1" /> He called out to the <sc>Lordsc>, and the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar.

<p class="bodytext">Hosah, one of the descendants of Merari, had sons:p> <p class="bodytext">The firstborn Shimri (he was not actually the firstborn, but his father gave him that status),

<p class="bodytext">The seventh, assigned the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. His division consisted of 24,000 men.p>