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.

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah^(A) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.^{(B) 2} The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat^(C) the Lord^{(D) 3} by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn^(E) and fast in the fifth^(F) month, as I have done for so many years?”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: ⁵ “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted^(G) and mourned in the fifth and seventh^(H) months for the past seventy years,^(I) was it really for me that you fasted? ⁶ And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?^{(J) 7} Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets^(K) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest^(L) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills^(M) were settled?’”^(N)

⁸ And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: ⁹ “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;^(O) show mercy and compassion to one another.^{(P) 10} Do not oppress the widow^(Q) or the fatherless, the foreigner^(R) or the poor.^(S) Do not plot evil against each other.’^(T)

¹¹ “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly^(U) they turned their backs^(V) and covered their ears.^{(W) 12} They made their hearts as hard as flint^(X) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.^(Y) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.^(Z)

¹³ “‘When I called, they did not listen;^(AA) so when they called, I would not listen,’^(AB) says the Lord Almighty.^{(AC) 14} ‘I scattered^(AD) them with a whirlwind^(AE) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.^(AF) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.^(AG)’”

The Empty Tomb^(A)

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene^(B) went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.^{(C) 2} So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,^(D) and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”^(E)

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.^{(F) 4} Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in^(G) at the strips of linen^(H) lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head.^(I) The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first,^(J) also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture^(K) that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)^{(L) 10} Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb^{(M) 12} and saw two angels in white,^(N) seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”^(O)

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”^{(P) 14} At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,^(Q) but she did not realize that it was Jesus.^(R)

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?^(S) Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,^(T) “Rabboni!”^(U) (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers^(V) and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father^(W) and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene^(X) went to the disciples^(Y) with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,^(Z) Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(AA) be with you!”^{(AB) 20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.^(AC) The disciples were overjoyed^(AD) when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!^(AE) As the Father has sent me,^(AF) I am sending you.”^{(AG) 22} And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.^{(AH) 23} If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”^(AI)

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas^(AJ) (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side,^(AK) I will not believe.”^(AL)

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(AM) be with you!”^{(AN) 27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”^(AO)

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;^(AP) blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”^(AQ)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs^(AR) in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.^{(AS) 31} But these are written that you may believe^[b](AT) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,^(AU) and that by believing you may have life in his name.^(AV)