Bringing Back the Ark^(A)

13 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. ³ Let us bring the ark of our God back to us,^(B) for we did not inquire^(C) of^[a] it^[b] during the reign of Saul.” ⁴ The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel,^(D) from the Shihor River^(E) in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,^(F) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.^{(G) 6} David and all Israel went to Baalah^(H) of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim^(I)—the ark that is called by the Name.

⁷ They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s^(J) house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. ⁸ David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.^(K)

⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger^(L) burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down^(M) because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

¹¹ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.^[c](N)

¹² David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom^(O) the Gittite. ¹⁴ The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household^(P) and everything he had.

David’s House and Family^(Q)

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs,^(R) stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. ² And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted^(S) for the sake of his people Israel.

³ In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons^(T) and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of the children born to him there:^(U) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada^[d] and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines^(V)

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel,^(W) they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley^(X) of Rephaim; ¹⁰ so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

¹¹ So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim,^(Y) and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.^{[e] 12} The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn^(Z) them in the fire.^(AA)

¹³ Once more the Philistines raided the valley;^{(AB) 14} so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. ¹⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” ¹⁶ So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon^(AC) to Gezer.^(AD)

¹⁷ So David’s fame^(AE) spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear^(AF) him.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(AG)

15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared^(AH) a place for the ark of God and pitched^(AI) a tent for it. ² Then David said, “No one but the Levites^(AJ) may carry^(AK) the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister^(AL) before him forever.”

³ David assembled all Israel^(AM) in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. ⁴ He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:^(AN)

¹¹ Then David summoned Zadok^(AR) and Abiathar^(AS) the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. ¹² He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate^(AT) yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. ¹³ It was because you, the Levites,^(AU) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.^(AV) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.^(AW)” ¹⁴ So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded^(AX) in accordance with the word of the Lord.^(AY)

¹⁶ David^(AZ) told the leaders of the Levites^(BA) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians^(BB) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.^(BC)

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman^(BD) son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph^(BE) son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites,^(BF) Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,^[g] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom^(BG) and Jeiel,^[h] the gatekeepers.

¹⁹ The musicians Heman,^(BH) Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel,^[i] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,^{[j] 21} and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.^{[k] 22} Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets^(BI) before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark^(BJ) of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. ²⁶ Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams^(BK) were sacrificed. ²⁷ Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.^{(BL) 28} So all Israel^(BM) brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts,^(BN) with the sounding of rams’ horns^(BO) and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

²⁹ As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? ² Much in every way!^(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.^(B)

³ What if some were unfaithful?^(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?^{(D) 4} Not at all! Let God be true,^(E) and every human being a liar.^(F) As it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,^(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)^{(I) 6} Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?^{(J) 7} Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,^(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”^{(L) 8} Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?^(M) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?^(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.^{(O) 10} As it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(V) it says to those who are under the law,^(W) so that every mouth may be silenced^(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(Y) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(AA)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(AC) 22} This righteousness^(AD) is given through faith^(AE) in^[h] Jesus Christ^(AF) to all who believe.^(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(AH) 23} for all have sinned^(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(AJ) freely by his grace^(AK) through the redemption^(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood^(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(AO)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(AQ) 29} Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(AR) 30} since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(AS) 31} Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say^(AT) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,^(AU) discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.^{(AV) 3} What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[j](AW)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(AX) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(AY) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?^(BA) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.^{(BB) 10} Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(BC) So then, he is the father^(BD) of all who believe^(BE) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise^(BF) that he would be heir of the world,^(BG) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.^{(BH) 14} For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,^{(BI) 15} because the law brings wrath.^(BJ) And where there is no law there is no transgression.^(BK)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(BL) and may be guaranteed^(BM) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^{(BN) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[l](BO) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(BP) to the dead and calls^(BQ) into being things that were not.^(BR)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(BS) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[m](BT) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(BU)—since he was about a hundred years old^(BV)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(BW) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(BX) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(BY) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(BZ) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(CA) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(CB) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(CC) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(CD) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(CE) and was raised to life for our justification.^(CF)