1 Chronicles 13-21

New International Version

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.

Ministering Before the Ark^(BP)(BQ)(BR)

16 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched^(BS) for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. ² After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(BT) the people in the name of the Lord. ³ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins^(BU) to each Israelite man and woman.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites to minister^(BV) before the ark of the Lord, to extol,^[l] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: ⁵ Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel,^[m] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, ⁶ and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise^(BW) to the Lord in this manner:

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

³⁷ David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister there regularly, according to each day’s requirements.^{(DI) 38} He also left Obed-Edom^(DJ) and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah,^(DK) were gatekeepers.

³⁹ David left Zadok^(DL) the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon^{(DM) 40} to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law^(DN) of the Lord, which he had given Israel. ⁴¹ With them were Heman^(DO) and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song.^(DP) The sons of Jeduthun^(DQ) were stationed at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family.

God’s Promise to David^(DR)

17 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.^(DS)”

² Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind,^(DT) do it, for God is with you.”

³ But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

¹⁵ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer^(EE)

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

David’s Victories^(EM)

18 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.

² David also defeated the Moabites,^(EN) and they became subject to him and brought him tribute.

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(EO) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[r] the Euphrates River.^{(EP) 4} David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(EQ) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(ER) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[s] and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea,^(ES) the pillars and various bronze articles.

⁹ When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom^(ET) and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.^(EU)

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites^(EV) in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David’s Officials^(EW)

¹⁴ David reigned^(EX) over all Israel,^(EY) doing what was just and right for all his people. ¹⁵ Joab^(EZ) son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁶ Zadok^(FA) son of Ahitub and Ahimelek^[t](FB) son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; ¹⁷ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;^(FC) and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

David Defeats the Ammonites^(FD)

19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites^(FE) died, and his son succeeded him as king. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, ³ the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out^(FF) the country and overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵ When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious^(FG) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents^[u] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,^[v] Aram Maakah and Zobah.^{(FH) 7} They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,^(FI) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.

⁸ On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

¹⁰ Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹¹ He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai^(FJ) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. ¹² Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. ¹³ Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”

¹⁴ Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷ When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel^(FK) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. ¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

¹⁹ When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.

So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

The Capture of Rabbah^(FL)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah^(FM) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.^{(FN) 2} David took the crown from the head of their king^[w]—its weight was found to be a talent^[x] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city ³ and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.^(FO) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines^(FP)

⁴ In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.^(FQ) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,^(FR) and the Philistines were subjugated.

⁵ In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.^(FS)

⁶ In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

⁸ These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

David Counts the Fighting Men^(FT)

21 Satan^(FU) rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census^(FV) of Israel. ² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count^(FW) the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

³ But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over.^(FX) My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel^(FY) there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

⁶ But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. ⁷ This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

⁹ The Lord said to Gad,^(FZ) David’s seer,^{(GA) 10} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine,^(GB) three months of being swept away^[y] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword^(GC) of the Lord^(GD)—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy^(GE) is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.^{(GF) 15} And God sent an angel^(GG) to destroy Jerusalem.^(GH) But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented^(GI) concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying^(GJ) the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah^[z] the Jebusite.

¹⁶ David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.^(GK)

¹⁷ David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd,^[aa] have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep.^(GL) What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family,^(GM) but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

David Builds an Altar

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor^(GN) of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord.

²⁰ While Araunah was threshing wheat,^(GO) he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹ Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

²² David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”

²³ Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

²⁴ But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

²⁵ So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels^[ab] of gold for the site. ²⁶ David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire^(GP) from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

²⁷ Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. ²⁸ At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. ²⁹ The tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.^{(GQ) 30} But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.