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.

16 They^(T) brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it.^(U) Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. ² When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³ Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

⁴ David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him. ⁵ Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals ⁶ and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving

⁷ On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives:

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

³⁷ So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister regularly^(AT) before the ark according to the daily requirements.^{(AU) 38} He assigned Obed-edom^(AV) and his^[i] sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah^(AW) were to be gatekeepers. ³⁹ David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon^{(AX) 40} to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep.^{(AY) 41} With them were Heman,^(AZ) Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name^(BA) to give thanks to the Lord—for his faithful love endures forever.^{(BB) 42} Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God.^(BC) Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

⁴³ Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.^(BD)

The Accusation against Paul

24 Five days later Ananias^(A) the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.^{(B) 2} When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said, “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight. ³ We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent^(C) Felix, with utmost gratitude. ⁴ But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing. ⁵ For we have found this man to be a plague,^(D) an agitator^(E) among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.^{(F) 6} He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him.^{[a] 8} By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.” ⁹ The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.

Paul’s Defense before Felix

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.^{(G) 11} You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.^{(H) 12} They didn’t find me arguing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.^{(I) 13} Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴ But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way,^(J) which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.^{(K) 15} I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection,^[b](L) both of the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(M) 16} I always strive to have a clear conscience^(N) toward God and men. ¹⁷ After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people.^{(O) 18} While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.^{(P) 19} It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”

The Verdict Postponed

²² Since Felix was well informed about the Way,^(Q) he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from meeting^[c] his needs.^(R)

²⁴ Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ Now as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come,^(S) Felix became afraid and replied, “Leave for now, but when I have an opportunity I’ll call for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money.^[d] So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Porcius Festus^(T) succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor,^(U) he left Paul in prison.^(V)