Study Desk

So the names of all Israel were written down by families. See, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away to Babylon because they were not faithful.

So they and their sons were gate-keepers of the Lord's house, the holy tent.

Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, "Take your sword and kill me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and make fun of me." But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it. For he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

So Saul died with his three sons. All those of his house died together.

All the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in their cities.

So they took his clothes, his head, and his battle-clothes. And they sent men around the land of the Philistines to take the good news to their false gods and to the people.

So all the powerful soldiers went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons. They brought them to Jabesh and buried their bones under the oak tree there. Then they went without food for seven days.

So Saul died for his sin against the Lord, because he did not keep the Word of the Lord. He had asked a woman who spoke with spirits what he should do.

He did not ask the Lord. So the Lord killed him, and gave the nation to David the son of Jesse.

So all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord. Then they poured oil on David to be the king of Israel, just as the Lord had said through Samuel.

Now David had said, "Whoever kills a Jebusite first will be captain and leader." Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became captain.

Then David lived in the strong-place. So it was called the city of David.

So the three men broke through the Philistine army. They took water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord,

and said, "Far be it from me that I should do this before my God. Should I drink the blood of these men? For they put their lives in danger to bring it." So he would not drink it. These things are what the three powerful soldiers did.

Then all the people said that they would do so. For it was right in the eyes of all the people.

So David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt to the gate of Hamath, to bring the special box of God from Kiriath-jearim.

Then the anger of the Lord burned against Uzza. So He killed him because Uzza had put out his hand to the special box of God, so before God he died.

So David did not take the special box of God with him to the city of David. He took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

The Philistines heard that David had been chosen as king of all Israel. So they went up to look for him. David heard of it and went out against them.

So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David won the battle against them there. David said, "By my hand God has broken through those who hate me, like the breaking through of a flood." So they gave that place the name Baal-perazim.