2 Samuel 4-10
New King James Version
Ishbosheth Is Murdered
4 When Saul’s [a]son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, (A)he[b] lost heart, and all Israel was (B)troubled. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For (C)Beeroth also was [c]part of Benjamin, 3 because the Beerothites fled to (D)Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
4 (E)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came (F)from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was (G)Mephibosheth.[d]
5 Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the (H)house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. 6 And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they [e]stabbed him (I)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, (J)who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”
9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, (K)who has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10 when (L)someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now (M)require his [f]blood at your hand and [g]remove you from the earth?” 12 So David (N)commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the (O)tomb of Abner in Hebron.
David Reigns over All Israel(P)
5 Then all the tribes of Israel (Q)came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed (R)we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, (S)you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, (T)‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” 3 (U)Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, (V)and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron (W)before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was (X)thirty years old when he began to reign, and (Y)he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah (Z)seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
The Conquest of Jerusalem(AA)
6 (AB)And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against (AC)the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (AD)(that is, the City of David).
8 Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), (AE)he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
9 Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it (AF)the City of David. And David built all around from [h]the Millo and inward. 10 So David went on and became great, and (AG)the Lord God of hosts was with (AH)him.
11 Then (AI)Hiram (AJ)king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. 12 So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had (AK)exalted His kingdom (AL)for the sake of His people Israel.
13 And (AM)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now (AN)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: [i]Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, (AO)Solomon, 15 Ibhar, [j]Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
The Philistines Defeated(AP)
17 (AQ)Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it (AR)and went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in (AS)the Valley of Rephaim. 19 So David (AT)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”
And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
20 So David went to (AU)Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place [k]Baal Perazim. 21 And they left their [l]images there, and David and his men (AV)carried them away.
22 (AW)Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Therefore (AX)David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 And it shall be, when you (AY)hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then (AZ)the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 25 And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from (BA)Geba[m] as far as (BB)Gezer.
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(BC)
6 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And (BD)David arose and went with all the people who were with him from [n]Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called [o]by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, (BE)who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on (BF)the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new [p]cart. 4 And they brought it out of (BG)the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel (BH)played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to (BI)Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his (BJ)hand to the ark of God and [q]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his [r]error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place [s]Perez Uzzah to this day.
9 (BK)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the (BL)City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the (BM)Gittite. 11 (BN)The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord (BO)blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.
12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” (BP)So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when (BQ)those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed (BR)oxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David (BS)danced[t] before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing (BT)a linen ephod. 15 (BU)So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, (BV)Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So (BW)they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in (BX)its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David (BY)offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, (BZ)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 (CA)Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.
20 (CB)Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, (CC)uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the (CD)base fellows [u]shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, (CE)who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the (CF)people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children (CG)to the day of her death.
God’s Covenant with David(CH)
7 Now it came to pass (CI)when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in (CJ)a house of cedar, (CK)but the ark of God dwells inside tent (CL)curtains.”
3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your (CM)heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: (CN)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house (CO)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in (CP)a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have (CQ)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded (CR)to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: (CS)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And (CT)I have been with you wherever you have gone, (CU)and have [v]cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will (CV)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; (CW)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 11 (CX)since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord [w]tells you (CY)that He will make you a [x]house.
12 (CZ)“When your days are fulfilled and you (DA)rest with your fathers, (DB)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 (DC)He shall build a house for My name, and I will (DD)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 (DE)I will be his Father, and he shall be (DF)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the [y]blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, (DG)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And (DH)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before [z]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Thanksgiving to God(DI)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: (DJ)“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. (DK)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? 20 Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, (DL)know Your servant. 21 For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. 22 Therefore (DM)You are great, [aa]O Lord God. For (DN)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our (DO)ears. 23 And who is like Your people, like Israel, (DP)the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before (DQ)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? 24 For (DR)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; (DS)and You, Lord, have become their God.
25 “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. 26 So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
28 “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and (DT)Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed (DU)forever.”
David’s Further Conquests(DV)
8 After this it came to pass that David [ab]attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took [ac]Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
2 Then (DW)he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s (DX)servants, and (DY)brought tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of (DZ)Zobah, as he went to recover (EA)his territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, [ad]seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David (EB)hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 (EC)When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So (ED)the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took (EE)the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [ae]Betah and from (EF)Berothai,[af] cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
9 When [ag]Toi king of (EG)Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent [ah]Joram his son to King David, to [ai]greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. 11 King David also (EH)dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— 12 from [aj]Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the (EI)Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David made himself a (EJ)name when he returned from killing (EK)eighteen thousand [ak]Syrians in (EL)the Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and (EM)all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
David’s Administration(EN)
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16 (EO)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; (EP)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 (EQ)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; [al]Seraiah was the [am]scribe; 18 (ER)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the (ES)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were [an]chief ministers.
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may (ET)show him [ao]kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was (EU)Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He said, “At your service!”
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show (EV)the kindness of God?”
And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is (EW)lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of (EX)Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Now when (EY)Mephibosheth[ap] the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”
And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such (EZ)a dead dog as I?”
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, (FA)“I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son (FB)shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had (FC)fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”
“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at [aq]my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son (FD)whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, (FE)for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he (FF)was lame in both his feet.
The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated(FG)
10 It happened after this that the (FH)king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show (FI)kindness to Hanun the son of (FJ)Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.”
So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, (FK)at their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly [ar]ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the people of Ammon saw that they (FL)had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired (FM)the Syrians of (FN)Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of (FO)Maacah one thousand men, and from (FP)Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. 7 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of (FQ)the mighty men. 8 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And (FR)the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 10 And the rest of the people he put under the command of (FS)Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. 11 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 (FT)Be of good courage, and let us (FU)be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may (FV)the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to (FW)Jerusalem.
15 When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. 16 Then [as]Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond [at]the River, and they came to Helam. And [au]Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him. 18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand (FX)horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants to [av]Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and (FY)served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 4:1 Ishbosheth
- 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit. his hands dropped
- 2 Samuel 4:2 considered part of
- 2 Samuel 4:4 Merib-Baal, 1 Chr. 8:34; 9:40
- 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit. struck
- 2 Samuel 4:11 Or bloodshed
- 2 Samuel 4:11 Lit. consume you
- 2 Samuel 5:9 Lit. The Landfill
- 2 Samuel 5:14 Shimea, 1 Chr. 3:5
- 2 Samuel 5:15 Elishama, 1 Chr. 3:6
- 2 Samuel 5:20 Lit. Master of Breakthroughs
- 2 Samuel 5:21 idols
- 2 Samuel 5:25 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX Gibeon
- 2 Samuel 6:2 Baalah, Kirjath Jearim, Josh. 15:9; 1 Chr. 13:6
- 2 Samuel 6:2 LXX, Tg., Vg. omit by the Name; many Heb. mss., Syr. there
- 2 Samuel 6:3 LXX adds with the ark
- 2 Samuel 6:6 held it
- 2 Samuel 6:7 Or irreverence
- 2 Samuel 6:8 Lit. Outburst Against Uzzah
- 2 Samuel 6:14 whirled about
- 2 Samuel 6:20 openly
- 2 Samuel 7:9 destroyed
- 2 Samuel 7:11 declares to you
- 2 Samuel 7:11 Royal dynasty
- 2 Samuel 7:14 strokes
- 2 Samuel 7:16 LXX Me
- 2 Samuel 7:22 Tg., Syr. O Lord God
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Lit. struck
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Lit. The Bridle of the Mother City
- 2 Samuel 8:4 seven thousand, 1 Chr. 18:4
- 2 Samuel 8:8 Tibhath, 1 Chr. 18:8
- 2 Samuel 8:8 Chun, 1 Chr. 18:8
- 2 Samuel 8:9 Tou, 1 Chr. 18:9
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Hadoram, 1 Chr. 18:10
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Lit. ask him of his welfare
- 2 Samuel 8:12 LXX, Syr., Heb. mss. Edom
- 2 Samuel 8:13 LXX, Syr., Heb. mss. Edomites and 1 Chr. 18:12
- 2 Samuel 8:17 Shavsha, 1 Chr. 18:16
- 2 Samuel 8:17 secretary
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Lit. priests
- 2 Samuel 9:1 covenant faithfulness
- 2 Samuel 9:6 Or Merib-Baal
- 2 Samuel 9:11 LXX David’s table
- 2 Samuel 10:5 humiliated
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Heb. Hadarezer
- 2 Samuel 10:16 The Euphrates
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Shophach, 1 Chr. 19:16
- 2 Samuel 10:19 Heb. Hadarezer
1 Chronicles 13-20
New King James Version
The Ark Brought from Kirjath Jearim(A)
13 Then David consulted with the (B)captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are (C)left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; 3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, (D)for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.” 4 Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So (E)David gathered all Israel together, from (F)Shihor in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God (G)from Kirjath Jearim. 6 And David and all Israel went up to (H)Baalah,[a] to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, (I)who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed. 7 So they [b]carried the ark of God (J)on a new cart (K)from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8 Then (L)David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with [c]singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 And when they came to [d]Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen [e]stumbled. 10 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him (M)because he put his hand to the ark; and he (N)died there before God. 11 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called [f]Perez Uzza to this day. 12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”
13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 (O)The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed (P)the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.
David Established at Jerusalem(Q)
14 Now (R)Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house. 2 So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was (S)highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
3 Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. 4 And (T)these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: [g]Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, [h]Elishua, [i]Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, [j]Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
The Philistines Defeated(U)
8 Now when the Philistines heard that (V)David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Then the Philistines went and made a raid (W)on the Valley of [k]Rephaim. 10 And David (X)inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”
The Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.”
11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the name of that place [l]Baal Perazim. 12 And when they left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
13 (Y)Then the Philistines once again made a raid on the valley. 14 Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, (Z)and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 15 And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from [m]Gibeon as far as Gezer. 17 Then (AA)the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord (AB)brought the fear of him upon all nations.
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(AC)
15 David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, (AD)and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one may carry the (AE)ark of God but the Levites, for (AF)the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” 3 And David (AG)gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his [n]brethren; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; 8 of the sons of (AH)Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren; 9 of the sons of (AI)Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.
11 And David called for (AJ)Zadok and (AK)Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; [o]sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 For (AL)because you did not do it the first time, (AM)the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him [p]about the proper order.”
14 So the priests and the Levites [q]sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as (AN)Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16 Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy. 17 So the Levites appointed (AO)Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, (AP)Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of their brethren, the sons of Merari, (AQ)Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, [r]Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers; 19 the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze; 20 Zechariah, [s]Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings according to (AR)Alamoth; 21 Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the (AS)Sheminith; 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful; 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark; 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, (AT)were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and (AU)Obed-Edom and Jehiah, doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So (AV)David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. 26 And so it was, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine (AW)linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 (AX)Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps.
29 And it happened, (AY)as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart.
The Ark Placed in the Tabernacle(AZ)
16 So (BA)they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, (BB)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to (BC)commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then (BD)Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.
David’s Song of Thanksgiving(BE)
7 On that day (BF)David (BG)first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:
8 (BH)Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
His (BI)judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The (BJ)covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
17 And (BK)confirmed it to (BL)Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
19 When you were (BM)few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20 When they went from one nation to another,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong;
Yes, He (BN)rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, (BO)“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
23 (BP)Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods (BQ)of the peoples are [t]idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.
28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the (BR)trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is (BS)coming to judge the earth.
34 (BT)Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
35 (BU)And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”
36 (BV)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And all (BW)the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Regular Worship Maintained
37 So he left (BX)Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work (BY)required; 38 and (BZ)Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; 39 and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, (CA)before the tabernacle of the Lord (CB)at the [u]high place that was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly (CC)morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel; 41 and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, (CD)because His mercy endures forever; 42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.
43 (CE)Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.
God’s Covenant with David(CF)
17 Now (CG)it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”
2 Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall (CH)not build Me a house to dwell in. 5 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. 6 Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken 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 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you (CI)from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be [v]ruler over My people Israel. 8 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have [w]made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 9 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will (CJ)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 10 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a [x]house. 11 And it shall be, when your days are (CK)fulfilled, when you must [y]go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your (CL)seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 (CM)He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 (CN)I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, (CO)as I took it from him who was before you. 14 And (CP)I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
16 (CQ)Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 17 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. 18 What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. 19 O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 (CR)And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? 22 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.
23 “And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. 24 So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. 25 For You, O my God, [z]have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. 26 And now, Lord, [aa]You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. 27 Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.”
David’s Further Conquests(CS)
18 After this (CT)it came to pass that David [ab]attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. 2 Then he [ac]defeated (CU)Moab, and the Moabites became David’s (CV)servants, and brought tribute.
3 And (CW)David [ad]defeated [ae]Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, [af]seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David [ag]hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 When the (CX)Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [ah]Tibhath and from [ai]Chun, cities of [aj]Hadadezer, David brought a large amount of (CY)bronze, with which (CZ)Solomon made the bronze [ak]Sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze.
9 Now when [al]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had [am]defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10 he sent [an]Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and [ao]defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou); and Hadoram brought with him all kinds of (DA)articles of gold, silver, and bronze. 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had brought from all these nations—from Edom, from Moab, from the (DB)people of Ammon, from the (DC)Philistines, and from (DD)Amalek.
12 Moreover (DE)Abishai the son of Zeruiah killed (DF)eighteen thousand [ap]Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 (DG)He also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
David’s Administration(DH)
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. 15 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 Zadok the son of Ahitub and [aq]Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; [ar]Shavsha was the scribe; 17 (DI)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were [as]chief ministers at the king’s side.
The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated(DJ)
19 It(DK) happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.
3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, [at]“Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments [au]in the middle, at their (DL)buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then some went and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from [av]Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maacah, (DM)and from [aw]Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. Also the people of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle.
8 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 9 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 11 And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the people of Ammon. 12 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 15 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem.
16 Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought the Syrians who were beyond [ax]the River, and [ay]Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when David had set up in battle array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed [az]seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand [ba]foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shophach the commander of the army. 19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. So the Syrians were not willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.
Rabbah Is Conquered(DN)
20 It(DO) happened [bb]in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But (DP)David stayed at Jerusalem. And (DQ)Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 Then David (DR)took their king’s crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the [bc]spoil of the city in great abundance. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it, and [bd]put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Philistine Giants Destroyed(DS)
4 Now it happened afterward (DT)that war broke out at [be]Gezer with the Philistines, at which time (DU)Sibbechai the Hushathite killed [bf]Sippai, who was one of the sons of [bg]the giant. And they were subdued.
5 Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of [bh]Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s (DV)beam.
6 Yet again (DW)there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to [bi]the giant. 7 So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of [bj]Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
8 These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 13:6 Baale Judah, 2 Sam. 6:2
- 1 Chronicles 13:7 Lit. caused the ark of God to ride
- 1 Chronicles 13:8 songs
- 1 Chronicles 13:9 Nachon, 2 Sam. 6:6
- 1 Chronicles 13:9 Or let it go off
- 1 Chronicles 13:11 Lit. Outburst Against Uzza
- 1 Chronicles 14:4 Shimea, 1 Chr. 3:5
- 1 Chronicles 14:5 Elishama, 1 Chr. 3:6
- 1 Chronicles 14:5 Eliphelet, 1 Chr. 3:6
- 1 Chronicles 14:7 Eliada, 2 Sam. 5:6; 1 Chr. 3:8
- 1 Chronicles 14:9 Lit. Giants
- 1 Chronicles 14:11 Lit. Master of Breakthroughs
- 1 Chronicles 14:16 Geba, 2 Sam. 5:25
- 1 Chronicles 15:5 kinsmen
- 1 Chronicles 15:12 consecrate
- 1 Chronicles 15:13 regarding the ordinance
- 1 Chronicles 15:14 consecrated
- 1 Chronicles 15:18 So with MT, Vg.; LXX omits Ben
- 1 Chronicles 15:20 Jaaziel, v. 18
- 1 Chronicles 16:26 worthless things
- 1 Chronicles 16:39 Place for pagan worship
- 1 Chronicles 17:7 leader
- 1 Chronicles 17:8 given you prestige
- 1 Chronicles 17:10 Royal dynasty
- 1 Chronicles 17:11 Die and join your ancestors
- 1 Chronicles 17:25 Lit. have uncovered the ear of
- 1 Chronicles 17:26 Or You alone are
- 1 Chronicles 18:1 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:2 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Heb. Hadarezer
- 1 Chronicles 18:4 seven hundred, 2 Sam. 8:4
- 1 Chronicles 18:4 crippled
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Betah, 2 Sam. 8:8
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Berothai, 2 Sam. 8:8
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Heb. Hadarezer
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Great laver or basin
- 1 Chronicles 18:9 Toi, 2 Sam. 8:9, 10
- 1 Chronicles 18:9 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:10 Joram, 2 Sam. 8:10
- 1 Chronicles 18:10 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:12 Syrians, 2 Sam. 8:13
- 1 Chronicles 18:16 Ahimelech, 2 Sam. 8:17
- 1 Chronicles 18:16 Seraiah, 2 Sam. 8:17, or Shisha, 1 Kin. 4:3
- 1 Chronicles 18:17 Lit. at the hand of the king
- 1 Chronicles 19:3 Lit. In your eyes is David honoring your father because
- 1 Chronicles 19:4 in half
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Heb. Aram Naharaim
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Zoba, 2 Sam. 10:6
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 The Euphrates
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Zoba, 2 Sam. 10:6, or Shobach, 2 Sam. 10:16
- 1 Chronicles 19:18 seven hundred, 2 Sam. 10:18
- 1 Chronicles 19:18 horsemen, 2 Sam. 10:18
- 1 Chronicles 20:1 Lit. at the return of the year
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 plunder
- 1 Chronicles 20:3 LXX cut them with
- 1 Chronicles 20:4 Gob, 2 Sam. 21:18
- 1 Chronicles 20:4 Saph, 2 Sam. 21:18
- 1 Chronicles 20:4 Or Raphah
- 1 Chronicles 20:5 Jaare-Oregim, 2 Sam. 21:19
- 1 Chronicles 20:6 Or Raphah
- 1 Chronicles 20:7 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9 or Shimeah, 2 Sam. 21:21
Psalm 2
New King James Version
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom(A)
2 Why (B)do the [a]nations [b]rage,
And the people plot a [c]vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the (C)rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His (D)Anointed,[d] saying,
3 “Let (E)us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens (F)shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have [e]set My King
[f]On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the [g]decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
(G)‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 (H)You shall [h]break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 [i]Kiss the Son, lest [j]He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When (I)His wrath is kindled but a little.
(J)Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Footnotes
- Psalm 2:1 Gentiles
- Psalm 2:1 throng tumultuously
- Psalm 2:1 worthless or empty
- Psalm 2:2 Christ, Commissioned One, Heb. Messiah
- Psalm 2:6 Lit. installed
- Psalm 2:6 Lit. Upon Zion, the hill of My holiness
- Psalm 2:7 Or decree of the Lord: He said to Me
- Psalm 2:9 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. rule (cf. Rev. 2:27)
- Psalm 2:12 LXX, Vg. Embrace discipline; Tg. Receive instruction
- Psalm 2:12 LXX the Lord
Psalm 20
New King James Version
The Assurance of God’s Saving Work
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob [a]defend you;
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3 May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And (A)fulfill all your [b]purpose.
5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the Lord saves His [c]anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in (B)horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
Footnotes
- Psalm 20:1 Lit. set you on high
- Psalm 20:4 counsel
- Psalm 20:6 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah
Psalm 68
New King James Version
The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 Let (A)God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 (B)As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
(C)As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But (D)let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
(E)Extol[a] Him who rides on the [b]clouds,
(F)By His name [c]Yah,
And rejoice before Him.
5 (G)A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 (H)God sets the solitary in families;
(I)He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But (J)the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, (K)when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 (L)You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
(M)You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the [d]company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings(N) of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the [e]spoil.
13 (O)Though you lie down among the [f]sheepfolds,
(P)You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 (Q)When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you [g]fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
(R)This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17 (S)The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 (T)You have ascended on high,
(U)You have led captivity captive;
(V)You have received gifts among men,
Even from (W)the rebellious,
(X)That the Lord God might dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And (Y)to God the Lord belong escapes from death.
21 But (Z)God will wound the head of His enemies,
(AA)The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring (AB)back from Bashan,
I will bring them back (AC)from the depths of the sea,
23 (AD)That [h]your foot may crush them in blood,
(AE)And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen Your [i]procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 (AF)The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from (AG)the fountain of Israel.
27 (AH)There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their [j]company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28 [k]Your God has (AI)commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
(AJ)Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
(AK)The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone (AL)submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 (AM)Envoys will come out of Egypt;
(AN)Ethiopia will quickly (AO)stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you (AP)kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him (AQ)who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a (AR)mighty voice.
34 (AS)Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, (AT)You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:4 Praise
- Psalm 68:4 MT deserts; Tg. heavens (cf. v. 34 and Is. 19:1)
- Psalm 68:4 Lit. Lord, a shortened Heb. form
- Psalm 68:11 host
- Psalm 68:12 plunder
- Psalm 68:13 Or saddlebags
- Psalm 68:16 Lit. stare
- Psalm 68:23 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. you may dip your foot
- Psalm 68:24 Lit. goings
- Psalm 68:27 throng
- Psalm 68:28 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Command, O God
Psalm 106
New King James Version
Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins
106 Praise[a] the Lord!
(A)Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Who can [b]utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
3 Blessed are those who keep justice,
And [c]he who (B)does righteousness at (C)all times!
4 (D)Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with [d]Your inheritance.
6 (E)We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
(F)But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
(G)That He might make His mighty power known.
9 (H)He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So (I)He led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
10 He (J)saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 (K)The waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.
12 (L)Then they believed His words;
They sang His praise.
13 (M)They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
14 (N)But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
15 (O)And He gave them their request,
But (P)sent leanness into their soul.
16 When (Q)they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the Lord,
17 (R)The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18 (S)A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
19 (T)They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus (U)they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 (V)Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one (W)stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.
24 Then they despised (X)the pleasant land;
They (Y)did not believe His word,
25 (Z)But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 (AA)Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
(AB)To [e]overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 (AC)To [f]overthrow their descendants among the [g]nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.
28 (AD)They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices [h]made to the dead.
29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 (AE)Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
31 And that was accounted to him (AF)for righteousness
To all generations forevermore.
32 (AG)They angered Him also at the waters of [i]strife,
(AH)So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
33 (AI)Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 (AJ)They did not destroy the peoples,
(AK)Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them,
35 (AL)But they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
36 (AM)They served their idols,
(AN)Which became a snare to them.
37 (AO)They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to (AP)demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And (AQ)the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they [j]were (AR)defiled by their own works,
And (AS)played[k] the harlot by their own deeds.
40 Therefore (AT)the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred (AU)His own inheritance.
41 And (AV)He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 (AW)Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When (AX)He heard their cry;
45 (AY)And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And (AZ)relented (BA)according to the multitude of His mercies.
46 (BB)He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.
47 (BC)Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.
48 (BD)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
[l]Praise the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 106:1 Heb. Hallelujah
- Psalm 106:2 express
- Psalm 106:3 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. those who do
- Psalm 106:5 The people of Your inheritance
- Psalm 106:26 make them fall
- Psalm 106:27 make their descendants fall also
- Psalm 106:27 Gentiles
- Psalm 106:28 offered
- Psalm 106:32 Or Meribah
- Psalm 106:39 became unclean
- Psalm 106:39 Were unfaithful
- Psalm 106:48 Heb. Hallelujah
Psalm 132
New King James Version
The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.
132 Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;
2 How he swore to the Lord,
(A)And vowed to (B)the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4 I will (C)not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I (D)find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it (E)in Ephrathah;
(F)We found it (G)in the fields of [a]the woods.
7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
(H)Let us worship at His footstool.
8 (I)Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and (J)the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests (K)be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.
10 For Your servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your [b]Anointed.
11 (L)The Lord has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne (M)the [c]fruit of your body.
12 If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”
13 (N)For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His [d]dwelling place:
14 “This(O) is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 (P)I will abundantly bless her [e]provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 (Q)I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
(R)And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 (S)There I will make the [f]horn of David grow;
(T)I will prepare a lamp for My [g]Anointed.
18 His enemies I will (U)clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 132:6 Heb. Jaar, lit. Woods
- Psalm 132:10 Commissioned One, Heb. Messiah
- Psalm 132:11 offspring
- Psalm 132:13 home
- Psalm 132:15 supply of food
- Psalm 132:17 Government
- Psalm 132:17 Heb. Messiah
Psalm 139
New King James Version
God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, (A)You have searched me and known me.
2 (B)You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You (C)understand my thought afar off.
3 (D)You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, (E)You know it altogether.
5 You have [b]hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 (F)Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 (G)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (H)If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
(I)If I make my bed in [c]hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall [d]fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, (J)the darkness [e]shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You [f]covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for [g]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 (K)My [h]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 (L)How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would (M)slay the wicked, O God!
(N)Depart from me, therefore, you [i]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they (O)speak against You wickedly;
[j]Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 (P)Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with [k]perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 (Q)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And (R)lead me in the way everlasting.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:3 Lit. winnow
- Psalm 139:5 enclosed
- Psalm 139:8 Or Sheol
- Psalm 139:11 Vg., Symmachus cover
- Psalm 139:12 Lit. is not dark
- Psalm 139:13 wove
- Psalm 139:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. You are fearfully wonderful
- Psalm 139:15 Lit. bones were
- Psalm 139:19 Lit. men of bloodshed
- Psalm 139:20 LXX, Vg. They take Your cities in vain
- Psalm 139:22 complete
Matthew 16-22
New King James Version
The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign(A)
16 Then the (B)Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ [a]Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 (C)A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of [b]the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees(D)
5 Now (E)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, (F)“Take heed and beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you [d]have brought no bread? 9 (G)Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 (H)Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the [e]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [f]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ(I)
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, (J)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, (K)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or (L)one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do (M)you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, (N)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, (O)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but (P)My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that (Q)you are Peter, and (R)on this rock I will build My church, and (S)the gates of Hades shall not [g]prevail against it. 19 (T)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth [h]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 (U)Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(V)
21 From that time Jesus began (W)to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, [i]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, (X)Satan! (Y)You are [j]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him(Z)
24 (AA)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and (AB)follow Me. 25 For (AC)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what (AD)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or (AE)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For (AF)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father (AG)with His angels, (AH)and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, (AI)there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount(AJ)
17 Now (AK)after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, [k]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 (AL)While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, (AM)“This is My beloved Son, (AN)in whom I am well pleased. (AO)Hear Him!” 6 (AP)And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and (AQ)touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, (AR)“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming [l]first and will (AS)restore all things. 12 (AT)But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they (AU)did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise (AV)the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 (AW)Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
A Boy Is Healed(AX)
14 (AY)And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is [m]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O [n]faithless and (AZ)perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus (BA)rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your [o]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, (BB)if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 [p]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(BC)
22 (BD)Now while they were [q]staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly (BE)sorrowful.
Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes
24 (BF)When they had come to [r]Capernaum, those who received the [s]temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from (BG)strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a [t]piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Who Is the Greatest?(BH)
18 At (BI)that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little (BJ)child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, (BK)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 (BL)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 (BM)Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Jesus Warns of Offenses(BN)
6 (BO)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of [u]offenses! For (BP)offenses must come, but (BQ)woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 (BR)“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into [v]hell fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep(BS)
10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven (BT)their angels always (BU)see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 (BV)For[w] the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
12 (BW)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the (BX)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Dealing with a Sinning Brother
15 “Moreover (BY)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, (BZ)you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that (CA)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a (CB)heathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, (CC)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 (CD)“Again[x] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, (CE)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered (CF)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? (CG)Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, (CH)up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded (CI)that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down [y]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you [z]all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you (CJ)all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 (CK)“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother [aa]his trespasses.”
Marriage and Divorce(CL)
19 Now it came to pass, (CM)when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 (CN)And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who [ab]made them at the beginning (CO)‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, (CP)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and (CQ)the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
7 They said to Him, (CR)“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the (CS)hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your (CT)wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 (CU)And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for [ac]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
10 His disciples said to Him, (CV)“If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
Jesus Teaches on Celibacy
11 But He said to them, (CW)“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are [ad]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and (CX)there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children(CY)
13 (CZ)Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for (DA)of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler(DB)
16 (DC)Now behold, one came and said to Him, (DD)“Good[ae] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, [af]“Why do you call Me good? [ag]No one is (DE)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, (DF)keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, (DG)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 (DH)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, (DI)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have (DJ)kept [ah]from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, (DK)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
With God All Things Are Possible(DL)
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that (DM)it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but (DN)with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, (DO)we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, (DP)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 (DQ)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [ai]or wife or children or [aj]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 (DR)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing [ak]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, [al]and whatever is right you will receive.’
8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they [am]complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 (DS)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or (DT)is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 (DU)So the last will be first, and the first last. (DV)For[an] many are called, but few chosen.”
Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection(DW)
17 (DX)Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 (DY)“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 (DZ)and deliver Him to the Gentiles to (EA)mock and to (EB)scourge and to (EC)crucify. And the third day He will (ED)rise again.”
Greatness Is Serving(EE)
20 (EF)Then the mother of (EG)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine (EH)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink (EI)the cup that I am about to drink, [ao]and be baptized with (EJ)the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, (EK)“You will indeed drink My cup, [ap]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24 (EL)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet (EM)it shall not be so among you; but (EN)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 (EO)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 (EP)just as the (EQ)Son of Man did not come to be served, (ER)but to serve, and (ES)to give His life a ransom (ET)for many.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight(EU)
29 (EV)Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, (EW)two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, (EX)Son of David!”
31 Then the multitude (EY)warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had (EZ)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
The Triumphal Entry(FA)
21 Now (FB)when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to [aq]Bethphage, at (FC)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 [ar]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell(FD) the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 (FE)So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, (FF)laid their clothes on them, [as]and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; (FG)others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
(FH)‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 (FI)And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, (FJ)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple(FK)
12 (FL)Then Jesus went into the temple [at]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the (FM)money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, (FN)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a (FO)‘den of thieves.’ ”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the (FP)Son of David!” they were [au]indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
(FQ)‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
17 Then He left them and (FR)went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.
The Fig Tree Withered(FS)
18 (FT)Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 (FU)And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree(FV)
20 (FW)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, (FX)if you have faith and (FY)do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, (FZ)but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And (GA)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Jesus’ Authority Questioned(GB)
23 (GC)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and (GD)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The (GE)baptism of (GF)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we (GG)fear the multitude, (GH)for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my (GI)vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, (GJ)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For (GK)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; (GL)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [av]relent and believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers(GM)
33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner (GN)who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and (GO)went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 (GP)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his (GQ)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, (GR)‘This is the heir. (GS)Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 (GT)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41 (GU)They said to Him, (GV)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, (GW)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will [aw]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
(GX)‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 “Therefore I say to you, (GY)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And (GZ)whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, (HA)it will grind him to powder.”
45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they [ax]perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they (HB)feared the multitudes, because (HC)they took Him for a prophet.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast(HD)
22 And Jesus answered (HE)and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; (HF)my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them [ay]spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out (HG)his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not (HH)worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and (HI)gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there (HJ)who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was (HK)speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, [az]take him away, and cast him (HL)into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 (HM)“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?(HN)
15 (HO)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the (HP)Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not [ba]regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus [bb]perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, (HQ)“Render[bc] therefore to Caesar the things that are (HR)Caesar’s, and to God the things that are (HS)God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?(HT)
23 (HU)The same day the Sadducees, (HV)who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, (HW)Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are [bd]mistaken, (HX)not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but (HY)are like angels [be]of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 (HZ)‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the multitudes heard this, (IA)they were astonished at His teaching.
The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?(IB)
34 (IC)But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, (ID)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, (IE)“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: (IF)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 (IG)On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?(IH)
41 (II)While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The (IJ)Son of David.”
43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
44 ‘The(IK) Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?
45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 (IL)And no one was able to answer Him a word, (IM)nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
Footnotes
- Matthew 16:3 NU omits Hypocrites
- Matthew 16:4 NU omits the prophet
- Matthew 16:6 yeast
- Matthew 16:8 NU have no bread
- Matthew 16:11 yeast
- Matthew 16:12 teaching
- Matthew 16:18 be victorious
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been bound . . . will have been loosed
- Matthew 16:22 Lit. Merciful to You (May God be merciful)
- Matthew 16:23 a stumbling block
- Matthew 17:4 NU I will make
- Matthew 17:11 NU omits first
- Matthew 17:15 Lit. moonstruck
- Matthew 17:17 unbelieving
- Matthew 17:20 NU little faith
- Matthew 17:21 NU omits v. 21.
- Matthew 17:22 NU gathering together
- Matthew 17:24 NU Capharnaum, here and elsewhere
- Matthew 17:24 Lit. double drachma
- Matthew 17:27 Gr. stater, the exact temple tax for two
- Matthew 18:7 enticements to sin
- Matthew 18:9 Gr. Gehenna
- Matthew 18:11 NU omits v. 11.
- Matthew 18:19 NU, M Again, assuredly, I say
- Matthew 18:29 NU omits at his feet
- Matthew 18:29 NU, M omit all
- Matthew 18:35 NU omits his trespasses
- Matthew 19:4 NU created
- Matthew 19:9 Or fornication
- Matthew 19:12 Emasculated men
- Matthew 19:16 NU omits Good
- Matthew 19:17 NU Why do you ask Me about what is good?
- Matthew 19:17 NU There is One who is good. But
- Matthew 19:20 NU omits from my youth
- Matthew 19:29 NU omits or wife
- Matthew 19:29 Lit. fields
- Matthew 20:6 NU omits idle
- Matthew 20:7 NU omits the rest of v. 7.
- Matthew 20:11 grumbled
- Matthew 20:16 NU omits the rest of v. 16.
- Matthew 20:22 NU omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with
- Matthew 20:23 NU omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with
- Matthew 21:1 M Bethsphage
- Matthew 21:4 NU omits All
- Matthew 21:7 NU and He sat
- Matthew 21:12 NU omits of God
- Matthew 21:15 angry
- Matthew 21:32 regret it
- Matthew 21:41 give
- Matthew 21:45 knew
- Matthew 22:6 insolently
- Matthew 22:13 NU omits take him away, and
- Matthew 22:16 Lit. look at the face of
- Matthew 22:18 knew
- Matthew 22:21 Pay
- Matthew 22:29 deceived
- Matthew 22:30 NU omits of God
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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