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He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.

The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.

So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever."

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

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

He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

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

So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, "Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number."

After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

David answered Gad, "I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.

"Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" Araunah said. "To buy your threshing floor," David replied, "that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted."

So his servants said to him, "Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm."