As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up.

The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord’s instructions.

Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, ¹  “To Hebron.”

So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities ¹  of Hebron.

David and all Israel ¹  were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets. ² 

When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

Smoke ascended from ¹  his nose; ²  fire devoured as it came from his mouth; ³  he hurled down fiery coals. ⁴ 

So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed ¹  hand the Philistines over to you.”

O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet ¹  as well as jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your clothes.

Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit ¹  of their brothers!”

So David asked the Lord what he should do. ¹  This time ²  the Lord ³  said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. ⁴ 

I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent. ¹ 

Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

So all the men of Israel deserted ¹  David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River ²  to Jerusalem. ³ 

David ¹  brought the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.

So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

Araunah told David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wishes ¹  and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges ²  and harnesses ³  for wood.

Then David built an altar for the Lord there and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And the Lord accepted prayers for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.