David

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

Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:

Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”)

They helped David against the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and commanders in the army.

For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.

Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:

From the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.

All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.

They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.

Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.

And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us.

So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.

David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

Then David became angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah; so he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”

So he did not move the ark with him to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters, to build a palace for him.

And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had highly exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

And David took more wives in Jerusalem and became the father of more sons and daughters.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them.