⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How^(A) can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰ He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom^(B) the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.^(C)

¹¹ “‘Then you crossed the Jordan^(A) and came to Jericho.^(B) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,^(C) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(D) but I gave them into your hands.^{(E) 12} I sent the hornet^(F) ahead of you, which drove them out^(G) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.^{(H) 13} So I gave you a land^(I) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’^(J)

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord^(K) and serve him with all faithfulness.^(L) Throw away the gods^(M) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,^(N) and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,^(O) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,^(P) we will serve the Lord.”^(Q)

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(A) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.