1 Then 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.’”

3 So 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.

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

5 The 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).

6 Now 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.

7 So 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.

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

10 Now 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.

12 Next 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.

15 Three 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!”

18 So 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.

20 Now 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.

22 And 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.

26 Now these were the mighty men:

1 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; 2they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. 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:

14 These Gadites were army commanders, the least of whom was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.

15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17And 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.”

18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said:

So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

1 Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.

3 Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand. 4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7 Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. 9After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well.

10 The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.

11 After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead. 12Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli. 14There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.

15 The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.

16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

17 After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me. 19But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation. 20So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

21 The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you. 22But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

23 So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

24 Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe. 25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

28 Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

30 Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him. 31Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.