The Philistines left ¹  their idols ²  there, so David ordered that they be burned.

The Lord ordered the messenger ¹  to put his sword back into its sheath.

David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink ¹  from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!”

Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind, ¹  for God is with you.”

Gad went to David and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pick one of these:

David then said, “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”

¹  David said, “Whoever attacks ²  the Jebusites first will become commanding general!” ³  So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked ⁴  first and became commander. ⁵ 

David asked God, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to him, “March up! I will hand them over to you!”

So David again asked God what he should do. ¹  This time ²  God told him, “Don’t march up after them; circle around them and come against them in front of the trees. ³ 

He told them: “You are the leaders of the Levites’ families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it.

David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. ¹ 

David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, ¹  that you should have brought me to this point?

Joab ¹  said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, ²  you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, ³  I will come to your rescue.

David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple.

David said to Solomon: “My son, I really wanted ¹  to build a temple to honor ²  the Lord my God.

He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to become my son and I will become his father.

David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: ¹  “O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore!

Saul told his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it. Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me.” ¹  But his armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general. ¹  The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’”

and said, “God forbid that I should do this! ¹  Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” ²  Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. ³