During the time of Saul they attacked the Hagrites and defeated them. They took over their territory in the entire eastern region of Gilead.<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>

I was with you wherever you went and I defeated<n id="1" /> all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.<n id="2" />

O <sc>Lordsc>, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,<n id="1" /> you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.<n id="2" />

So now, O <sc>Lordsc>, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality!<n id="1" /> Do as you promised,<n id="2" />

&#8220;Go, tell David, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />

Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Jabez called out to the God of Israel, &#8220;If only<n id="1" /> you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!&#8221;<n id="2" /> God answered his prayer.<n id="3" />p>

From Tibhath<n id="1" /> and Kun,<n id="2" /> Hadadezer&#8217;s cities, David took a great deal of bronze. (Solomon used it to make the big bronze basin called &#8220;The Sea,&#8221;<n id="3" /> the pillars, and other bronze items.p>

He removed the city&#8217;s residents and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and axes.<n id="1" /> This was his policy<n id="2" /> with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.p>

<p class="bodytext">David said to God, &#8220;I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.&#8221;

David said to God, &#8220;Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed!<n id="1" /> As for these sheep &#8211; what have they done? O <sc>Lordsc> my God, attack me and my family,<n id="2" /> but remove the plague from your people!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

Ornan told David, &#8220;You can have it!<n id="1" /> My master, the king, may do what he wants.<n id="2" /> Look, I am giving you the oxen for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for an offering. I give it all to you.&#8221;

But the <sc>Lordsc> said to me:<n id="1" /> &#8216;You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me,<n id="2" /> for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me.

Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the <sc>Lordsc> ordered Moses to give to Israel.<n id="1" /> Be strong and brave! Don&#8217;t be afraid and don&#8217;t panic!<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">These were the descendants of Levi according to their families, that is, the leaders of families as counted and individually listed who carried out assigned tasks in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and were twenty years old and up.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">David said to his son Solomon: &#8220;Be strong and brave! Do it! Don&#8217;t be afraid and don&#8217;t panic!<n id="1" /> For the <sc>Lordsc> God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple is finished.