David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies was with him. ¹ 

they wandered from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another. ¹ 

They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep.

Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord sent the people of ¹  Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

David and the whole Israelite army ¹  advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). ²  (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.) ³ 

Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family. ¹ 

David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, when he went to extend his authority ¹  to the Euphrates River. ² 

But the king’s edict stood, despite Joab’s objections. ¹  So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. ² 

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

When David ¹  went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of a thousand soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh.

So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration.

“Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live.

I was with you wherever you went and I defeated ¹  all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. ² 

When the time comes for you to die, ¹  I will raise up your descendant, ²  one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.

David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; ¹  the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected ²  David wherever he campaigned. ³ 

He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected ¹  David wherever he campaigned. ² 

“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’” ¹ 

But David could not go before it to seek God’s will, for he was afraid of the sword of the Lord’s messenger.

Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say ¹  to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, ²  ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’

And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation ¹  in the earth? Their God ²  went to claim ³  a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds ⁴  when you drove out ⁵  nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods. ⁶