1 Chronicles 8-11

1Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third,

2Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

3The sons of Bela: Addar, Gera, Abihud,

4Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

5Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

6These were the descendants of Ehud who were the heads of the families living in Geba and were exiled to Manahath:

7Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who carried them into exile and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

8Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

9His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

10Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.

11He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.

12The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its villages),

13and Beriah and Shema (who were the heads of families living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath).

14Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth,

15Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

16Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah.

17Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

18Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal.

19Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

20Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

21Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei.

22Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

23Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

24Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

25Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

26Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

27Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham.

28All these were heads of families, the chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

29Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah,

30and Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

31Gedor, Ahio, Zecher,

32and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeah. They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem.

33Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

34The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, and Merib-baal was the father of Micah.

35The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

36Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza.

37Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

38Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

39The sons of his brother Eshek: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.

40The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons—150 in all. All these were the descendants of Benjamin.

1So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.

2Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.

3Some of the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:

4Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

5From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

6From the Zerahites: Jeuel and 690 relatives.

7From the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;

8Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;

9and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families.

10From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin;

11Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple;

12Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;

13and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

14From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;

15Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;

16Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

17These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief;

18he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.

19Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD.

20In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.

21Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

22The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust.

23So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent.

24The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south.

25Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.

26But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God.

27They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

28Some of them were in charge of the articles used in worship, to count them whenever they were brought in or taken out.

29Others were put in charge of the furnishings and other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices.

30And some of the sons of the priests mixed the spices.

31A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread.

32Some of their Kohathite relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the showbread every Sabbath.

33Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.

34All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

35Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah.

36Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

37Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

38Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem.

39Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

40The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, who was the father of Micah.

41The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

42Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza.

43Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was his son, Elasah his son, and Azel his son.

44And Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him.

4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died.

6So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house.

7When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.

8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.

10They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.

11When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul,

12all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

13So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,

14and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

1Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.

2Even in times past, while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

4Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.

5The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).

6Now David had said, “Whoever is the first to strike down a Jebusite will become chief commander.” And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became the chief.

7So David took up residence in the fortress; that is why it was called the City of David.

8He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city.

9And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of Hosts was with him.

10Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

11This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

12Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.

13He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place with a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines.

14But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

15Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

17David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

18So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

19saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

20Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

21He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

22And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

23He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

24These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men.

25He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

26Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

28Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,

29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32Hurai from the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,

35Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,

36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,

43Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite,

46Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,

47Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.