So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors<n id="1" /> against Jabesh Gilead.<n id="2" /> They commanded them, &#8220;Go and kill with your swords<n id="3" /> the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.

Now Saul&#8217;s son<n id="1" /> had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin,

<p class="bodytext">Ziba said to the king, &#8220;Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.&#8221; So Mephibosheth was a regular guest<n id="1" /> at David&#8217;s table,<n id="2" /> just as though he were one of the king&#8217;s sons.p>

<p class="bodytext">So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to<n id="1" /> them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)

He answered, &#8220;Everything is fine.<n id="1" /> My master sent me with this message, &#8216;Look, two servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country.<n id="2" /> Please give them a talent<n id="3" /> of silver and two suits of clothes.&#8217;&#8221;

His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and fifty Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace.<n id="1" /> Pekah then took his place as king.p>

<p class="bodytext">Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah,<n id="1" /> who was accompanied by his sons and brothers,<n id="2" /> 18 men,

Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam,<n id="1" /> addressed Ezra:p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying<n id="2" /> foreign women from the local peoples.<n id="3" /> Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph&#8217;s descendants who were the singers responsible for the service of the temple of God.