Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. ¹ 

These were the leaders of David’s warriors who helped establish and stabilize his rule over all Israel, in accordance with the Lord’s word. ¹ 

David said to the whole Israelite assembly, “If you so desire and the Lord our God approves, ¹  let’s spread the word ²  to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities, ³  so they may join us.

That night God told Nathan the prophet, ¹ 

Remember ¹  continually his covenantal decree, the promise he made ²  to a thousand generations –

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

According to David’s final instructions, the Levites twenty years old and up were counted. ¹ 

The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command.

So David went up as Gad instructed him to do in the name of the Lord. ¹ 

So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! ¹  Do as you promised, ² 

All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s prophet. God had promised him these sons in order to make him prestigious. ¹  God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

But the Lord said to me: ¹  ‘You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, ²  for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me.

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits. ¹ 

When all the leaders ¹  of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made an agreement ²  with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed ³  David king over Israel, just as the Lord had announced through Samuel. ⁴ 

The following is a record of the armed warriors who came with their leaders and joined David in Hebron in order to make David king in Saul’s place, in accordance with the Lord’s decree: ¹ 

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?’”’

King David’s accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet. ¹ 

The Lord told Gad, David’s prophet, ¹ 

Now Joab ¹  did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king’s edict disgusted him.

They stripped his corpse, and then carried off his head and his armor. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines proclaiming the news to their idols and their people.