great for ever, that it may be said, The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is God in Israel. And let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

For thou, O LORD, hast opened the ear of thy servant, to build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found to pray before thee.

Now, O LORD, thou art God, and hast spoken such good things unto thy servant.

Now therefore begin thou to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be established before thee for ever: for that which thou blessest, O LORD, is blessed for ever.
(1 Chronicles)
Chapter 19 (otherwise 18th)
David appoints officers after wars happily fought.

After this David smote the Philistines, and humbled them, and took Gath and her daughters out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he smote Moab also, so that Moab became servants unto David, and brought gifts.

And he smote Hadarezer king of Zobah in Hemath, when he went to set up his mark by the river Phrath.

And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand men of foot. And David lamed all the chariots, and kept an hundred chariots.

And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah. But David smote the same Syrians twenty and two thousand men.

And they sent people to Damascus in Syria; and the Syrians became servants unto David, and brought him gifts. For the LORD helped David whithersoever he went.

And David took the shields of gold that were in Hadarezer’s servants, and brought them to Jerusalem.

David also took of the cities of Hadarezer, Tibehath, and Chun, a great deal of brass, whereof Solomon made the brazen sea, and pillars, and vessels of brass.

And when Togu king of Hemath heard that David had slain all the power of Hadarezer king of Zobah

And he sent Hadoram his son unto king David, and saluted him, and blessed him, because he had fought with Hadarezer, and smitten him. For Thogu had a quarrel with Hadarezer. And all the vessels of gold, and of silver, and of brass.

King David sanctified unto the LORD the silver and gold which he had taken from the heathen, even from the Edomites, and from the Moabites, and from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines, and from the Amalekites.

And Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen
thousand;

And put people in Edomaea, that all the Edomites were servants unto David. For the LORD
helped David whithersoever he went.

So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice unto all his people.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the void; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was chancellor.

Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests. Sausa was a scribe.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Krethi and Plethi. And the first sons of David were at the king’s hand.
(1 Chronicles)
Chapter 20 (otherwise 19th)
David takes revenge on the taunting Ammonites.

And after these things died Nahash king of the children of Ammon, and his son reigned in his stead.

And David said, I will shew mercy unto Hanon the son of Naha: for his father hath shewed mercy unto me. And he sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon unto Hanon to comfort him, 3. And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanon, Dost thou think that David will honour thy father in thy sight, because he hath sent comforters unto thee? Yea, his servants are come unto thee to search, and to return, and to search the land.

And Hanon took David’s servants, and shod them, and cut off half their garments even to the loins, and sent them away.

And they went away, and told David by men. And he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly defiled. And the king said, Tarry ye at Jericho, till your beard be grown; and come again.

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, they sent, both Hanon and the children of Ammon, a thousand talents of silver, chariots, and horsemen, out of Mesopotamia, and out of Maechah, and out of Zobah.

And there were thirty and two thousand chariots, and king Maechah and his people: and they came and pitched before Medbah. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves also out of their cities, and came to battle.

And when David heard it, he sent Joab with all the host of the mighty men.

And the children of Ammon went out, and prepared themselves to battle before the gate of the city. And the kings that were come kept the battle in the field.

And when Joab saw that there was war against him before and behind, he chose out of all the young men of Israel, and armed himself against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he put under the hand of Abishai his brother, to prepare themselves against the children of Ammon.

And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, come to my help: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will help thee.

Be of good cheer, and let us be of good cheer for our people, and for the cities of our God.
Let the LORD do what pleases him!

And Joab came near with the people that were with him to fight against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they fled also from Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. And Joab came to Jerusalem.

And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent messengers, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river. And Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

And it came to pass, when it was told David, that he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan: and when he came to them, he armed himself against them. And David armed himself against the Syrians to battle, and they fought with him.

But the Syrians fled before Israel. And David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand men of foot: and he slew Shophach the captain of the host.

And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David and with his servants. And the Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.
(1 Chronicles)
Chapter 21 (otherwise 20th)
David’s war and victory against the Ammonites and Philistines.

And it came to pass, when the year was expired, at the time that kings go forth, that Joab led the host, and spoiled the land of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and brake it in pieces.

And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found thereon a talent of gold, and precious stones: and it was set upon David’s head. And he brought out of the city a great deal of spoil.

And he brought out the people that were within, and divided them with saws, and with hooks of iron, and with wedges. So did David to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and the people returned unto Jerusalem.

After this there was a battle in Gaser with the Philistines. Then Sibechai the Hushathite smote Sibai, which was of the children of the giants, and humbled him.

And there was yet a battle with the Philistines. And Elhanan the son of Jair smote Lahemi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, which had a spear like a weaver’s beam.

And again there was a controversy in Gath. There was a great man who had six fingers and six toes, making twenty-four, and he was born of giants;

And he honoured Israel. But Jonathan the son of Simea, David’s brother, smote him.

These were born of the giants of Gath, and fell by the hand of David and his servants.
(1 Chronicles)
Chapter 22 (otherwise 21st)
Three-day pestilence caused by counting the people.

And Satan stood against Israel, and admitted David to number Israel.

And David said unto Joab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even unto Dan, and bring them unto me, that I may know how many they are.

And Joab said, The LORD do unto his people, as they are now, an hundred times as much: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then doth my lord ask it? Why shall there be iniquity upon Israel?

And the king’s word went out against Joab. And Joab went out, and walked through all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

And he gave the number of the people that were numbered unto David. And there were of all Israel eleven hundred thousand men that drew sword, and Judah four hundred thousand, and seventy thousand men that drew sword.

And Levi and Benjamin he numbered not among them: for the king’s word was abomination to Joab.

But these things displeased God: for he smote Israel.

And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly in doing this: now therefore take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done almost foolishly.

And the LORD spake unto Gad the Philistine of David, saying:

Go and speak unto David, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I set before thee three things; choose thee one that I do unto thee.

And when Gad was come to David, he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee 12. Either three years’ torment, or three months’ flight from thine adversaries, and from the sword of