³⁷ So David left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, to minister before the Ark continually, according to each day’s requirements, ³⁸ including Obed-edom and his 68 kinsmen. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. ³⁹ Also he left Zadok the kohen and his fellow kohanim before the Tabernacle of Adonai in the high place that was at Gibeon ⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to Adonai on the altar of burnt offering, regularly morning and evening, according to all that is written in the Torah of Adonai that He commanded Israel. ⁴¹ Along with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, designated by name to give thanks to Adonai—for His mercy endures forever. ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for music and other instruments for praising God. The sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people departed each one to his home, and David returned to bless his household.

Covenant Promise to David

17 After David settled in his place, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai is under a tent.”

² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: ⁴ “Go and tell David My servant, thus says Adonai, ‘You are not to build Me a house in which to dwell. ⁵ For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel out to this day. I have gone from tent to tent, and from one dwelling to another. ⁶ Wherever I went throughout all Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’

⁷ “So now, say this to My servant David, ‘Thus says Adonai Tzva’ot, I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep, to be prince over My people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your name like the names of the great ones that are in the earth. ⁹ I wil establish a place for My people Israel, and plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and shall tremble no more. Violent people will no longer wear them down, as they did formerly, ¹⁰ from the days I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.’

“‘Moreover, I declare to you that Adonai will build you a house. ¹¹ It will be that when your days are fulfilled to go with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He will build a house for Me and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me,^[a] I will not withdraw My lovingkindness from him, as I withdrew it from the one who ruled before you. ¹⁴ I will appoint him over My House and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai, and said, “Who am I, Adonai Elohim, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far? ¹⁷ And this was not enough in Your eyes, O God! You have spoken about the future of Your servant’s household. You have regarded me as the most distinquished of men, Adonai Elohim.

¹⁸ “What more can David say to You for honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ Adonai, for the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to reveal all Your greatness.

²⁰ “Adonai, there is none like You and there is no other god besides You, as we have heard with our own ears. ²¹ And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a Name for Yourself by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? ²² You made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Adonai, became their God.

²³ “Now, Adonai, may the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be confirmed forever. Do as You have spoken ²⁴ so that it might be established and Your Name might be magnified forever, saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ Then the house of David Your servant will be established before You.

²⁵ “You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found courage to pray before You. ²⁶ Now, Adonai, You are God! You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁷ Now You are willing to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You, for it is You, Adonai who have blessed, and it is blessed forever!”

King David’s Rule Expands

18 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. ² He also defeated Moab, and the Moabites became vassals to David and brought tribute.

³ Moreover, David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath, when he went to establish his dominion to the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 infantrymen. David hamstrung all the chariot horses but reserved 100 of them for chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 of the Arameans. ⁶ David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus and the Arameans became subject to David and brought tribute. Adonai gave David victory wherever he went. ⁷ David took the gold shields that were on Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tibhath and from Kun, Hadadezer’s cities, David took a very large quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze sea, pillars and bronze vessels.

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet and bless him because he fought against Hadarezer and defeated him—for Hadadezer had many wars with Tou. He also sent all kinds of articles of gold, silver and bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated these articles to Adonai, along with the silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations: from Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines and Amalek.

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became vassals to David. So Adonai gave David victory wherever he went.

¹⁴ David reigned over all Israel and he administered justice and righteousness to all his people. ¹⁵ Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary. ¹⁶ Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were kohanim, and Shavsha was scribe. ¹⁷ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief officials in the service of the king.

God’s Judgment on Unrighteousness

2 Therefore you are without excuse, O man—every one of you who is judging. For by whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. ^{[a] 2} We know that God’s judgment on those who practice such things is based on truth. ³ But you, O man—judging those practicing such things yet doing the same—do you suppose that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you belittle the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience—not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

⁵ But by your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ^{[b] 6} He will pay back each person according to his deeds. ^{[c] 7} To those who by perseverance in doing good are seeking glory, honor, and immortality—eternal life. ⁸ But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—wrath and fury. ⁹ There will be trouble and hardship for every human soul that does evil—to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁰ But there will be glory, honor, and shalom to everyone who does good—to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.^[d]

¹² For all who have sinned outside of Torah will also perish outside of Torah, and all who have sinned according to Torah will be judged by Torah. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of Torah who are righteous before God; rather, it is the doers of Torah who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the Torah, do by nature the things of the Torah, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the Torah. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the Torah is written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts switching between accusing or defending them ¹⁶ on the day when God judges the secrets of men according to my Good News through Messiah Yeshua.

Jewish People Fall Short Too

¹⁷ But if you call yourself Jewish and rely upon the Torah and boast in God ¹⁸ and know His will and determine what matters because you are instructed from the Torah— ¹⁹ and you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Torah the embodiment of knowledge and the truth—