God’s Blessing on David

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

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

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of David; when David heard of this, he went out to face them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided in Rephaim Valley,^{(C) 10} so David inquired of God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied, “Attack, and I will hand them over to you.”

¹¹ So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place The Lord Bursts Out.^{[a] 12} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

¹³ Once again the Philistines raided in the valley. ¹⁴ So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, “Do not pursue them directly. Circle around them and attack them opposite the balsam trees. ¹⁵ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” ¹⁶ So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷ Then David’s fame spread throughout the lands, and the Lord caused all the nations to be terrified of him.^(D)

The Ark Comes to Jerusalem

15 David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.^{(E) 2} Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”^(F)

³ David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem^(G) to bring the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.^{(H) 4} Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵ From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives; ⁶ from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives; ⁷ from the Gershomites,^[b] Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives; ⁸ from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives; ⁹ from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives; ¹⁰ from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

¹¹ David summoned the priests Zadok^(I) and Abiathar^(J) and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹² He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves^(K) so that you may bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.^{(L) 13} For the Lord our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn’t inquire of him about the proper procedures.”^{(M) 14} So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵ Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord: on their shoulders with the poles.^(N)

¹⁶ Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.^{(O) 17} So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. ¹⁸ With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel,^[c] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. ¹⁹ The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth^{[d] 21} and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith. ²² Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. ²⁴ The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets^(P) before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.

²⁵ David,^(Q) the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom.^{(R) 26} Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with God’s help, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.^(S)

²⁷ Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. ²⁸ So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, the sound of the ram’s horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres. ²⁹ As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping^[e] and dancing, and she despised him in her heart.

Persecutions Predicted

¹⁸ “If the world hates^(A) you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen^(B) you out of it, the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^(C) If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word,^(D) they will also keep yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name,^(E) because they don’t know^(F) the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.^(G) Now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ The one who hates me also hates my Father.^{(H) 24} If I had not done the works^(I) among them that no one else has done,^(J) they would not be guilty of sin.^(K) Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled:^(L) They hated me for no reason.^[a](M)

The Counselor’s Ministry

²⁶ “When the Counselor^(N) comes, the one I will send to you from the Father^(O) —the Spirit of truth^(P) who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ You also will testify,^(Q) because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(R) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(S) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(T) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[b] comes you will remember^(U) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away^(V) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(W) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(X) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.^{(Y) 8} When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father^(Z) and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(AA) because the ruler of this world^(AB) has been judged.^(AC)

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.^{(AD) 13} When the Spirit of truth^(AE) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(AF) For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father^(AG) has is mine.^(AH) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.^(AI)