Chronological
11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar wood, and he also supplied carpenters and stonemasons who built a palace for David. 12 Then David had no doubt at all that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 David’s Family in Jerusalem. After he departed from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.[a] 14 These are the names of those children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 Rout of the Philistines.[b] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they all went forth in search of him. When David learned of this, he sought refuge in the stronghold. 18 After the Philistines arrived and deployed their forces in the valley of Rephaim, 19 David inquired of the Lord: “Shall I go forth and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my power?” The Lord replied to David: “Go forth and attack them! I shall deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 Therefore, David went forth to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. Then he said: “The Lord has broken through the battle lines of my enemies as though they had been breached by the flood waters of a river.” That is why that place is called Baal-perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.
22 However, the Philistines made another invasion and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Then David once again consulted the Lord, who said: “Do not attack them from the front. Rather, encircle them from the rear and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the top of the balsam trees, advance immediately, for then you will know that the Lord has gone forth ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
25 David followed the instructions of the Lord, and he routed the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.
Chapter 6
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem. 1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand in all. 2 Then he set forth with his entire force to Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.
3 They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it forth from the house of Abinadab, which stood on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. 4 Uzzah walked alongside the Ark of God, with Ahio walking in front. 5 David and the entire house of Israel danced joyfully before the Lord with all their might, singing to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the Ark of God and steadied it because the oxen were stumbling. 7 This aroused the Lord’s anger against Uzzah because of his irreverent act, and he died there beside the Ark of God. 8 David became greatly upset because the Lord had vented his anger against Uzzah, and to this very day that place is called Perez-uzzah.
9 David greatly feared the Lord that day, and he said: “How can the Ark of the Lord be placed in my care?” 10 Therefore, he decided not to take the Ark of the Lord to be in his care in the City of David. Instead he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.
12 When King David was informed that the Lord had blessed the family of Obed-edom and everything that belonged to him because of the Ark of God, David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David amid great rejoicing.
13 When the bearers of the Ark of the Lord had advanced six steps, David sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. 14 [c]Then, girded with a linen ephod, he danced before the Lord with all his might, 15 as he and all the Israelites brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of trumpets.
16 As the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, watched from a window. When she saw King David leaping and whirling around before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought in the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the name of the Lord of hosts. 18 When he had finished making these offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 Then he distributed food to all of the people, both men and women, giving to each person in the multitude a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake. Then all the people returned to their homes.
20 When David returned to bless his household, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said: “What an exhibition the king of Israel has made of himself today, exposing himself in the view of the slave girls of his followers like any vulgarian who chooses to shamelessly expose himself before them!”[d]
21 David replied to Michal: “I was dancing in gratitude for the Lord, not for them. The Lord chose me instead of your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over Israel, the people of the Lord. I shall continue to dance before the Lord in gratitude, 22 and I will demean myself even more. I will be lowly in your esteem, but I will be held in honor by those slave girls of whom you speak.”
23 Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day of her death.
Chapter 13
The Ark Is Returned to Jerusalem.[a] 1 After David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds and with all of the leaders, 2 he spoke to the assembly of Israel, saying, “If you feel that this is good, for the Lord, our God, has willed it, then let us send messengers to the rest of our brethren throughout the land of Israel, including the priests and the Levites who are in their cities and pastures, so that they can come and join us. 3 Let us bring the Ark of God to where we are, for they did not make inquiry at it during the reign of Saul.”
4 The whole assembly said that they would do this, for all of the people considered it to be the right thing to do. 5 David assembled all of Israel, from the Shihor[b] in Egypt up to Lebo-hamath, to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6 David and all of the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah, that is, Kiriath-jearim, to bring up from there the Ark of God, the Lord, who dwells between the cherubim where his name is proclaimed. 7 They carried the Ark of the Lord on a new cart to the house of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio drove the cart. 8 David and all of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, singing and playing on the harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to grab the Ark because the oxen had stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger blazed against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had touched the Ark.[c] He died there before the Lord. 11 David was disturbed because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, which is why that place is called Perez-uzzah up to the present day.
12 David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying, “How shall I bring the Ark of God to myself?” 13 He did not take the Ark with him into the City of David. He had it carried into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 The Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom, in his house, for three months. The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he owned.
Chapter 14
David in Jerusalem. 1 Now Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with cedar wood, masons, and carpenters to build him a palace. 2 David knew that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
3 In Jerusalem David married more wives, and he had more sons and daughters. 4 These were the names of the children who were born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
David’s Victory over the Philistines. 8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all of Israel, all of the Philistines went up to seek out David. David heard about it and went out to meet them. 9 The Philistines arrived and spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.
10 David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go out against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered them, “Go up, I will deliver them into your hands.”[d]
11 They went up to Baal-perazim, and there David defeated them. David said, “God has broken my enemies by my hand, just as when waters break forth.” This is why that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 They had left their gods there, and David gave an order that they be burned in the fire.
13 Still another time the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley. 14 David inquired of God again, and God said to him, “Do not attack them directly, but circle around them and attack them from behind the balsam trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, go forth into battle, for God has gone forth before you to strike down the Philistines.”
16 David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. 17 David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord caused all of the nations to fear him.
Chapter 15
Carrying the Ark to Jerusalem. 1 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the Ark of God, pitching a tent for it.
2 David then said, “No one can carry the Ark of God except the Levites. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of God and to minister to him forever.”
3 David assembled all of Israel in Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place that he had prepared for it. 4 David assembled the descendants of Aaron and the Levites.
5 From the descendants of Kohath, there were Uriel, their leader, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren. 6 From the descendants of Merari, there were Asaiah, their leader, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren. 7 From the descendants of Gershon, there were Joel, their leader, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren. 8 From the descendants of Elizaphan, there were Shemaiah, their leader, and two hundred of his brethren. 9 From the descendants of Hebron, there were Eliel, their leader, and eighty of his brethren. 10 From the descendants of Uzziel, there were Amminadab, their leader, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.
11 David summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the leaders of the ancestral clans of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brethren so that you might bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 [e]It is because you did not bring it up the first time that the Lord burst forth against us, for we did not inquire of him about the proper order.”
14 The priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The descendants of the Levites carried the Ark of God by its poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Lord.
16 David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren as singers, lifting their voices up with joy, and accompanied by music played on the lyres, harps, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel, and one of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah, and from among the brethren of the Merarites, Ethan, the son of Kushaiah.
18 With them, there were their brethren of second rank: Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemira-moth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.
19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to play upon bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to Alamoth. 21 Matthithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play upon harps according to the Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites dedicated to music, directed the music, for he was skillful at it.
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were the gatekeepers for the Ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jeiel were also gatekeepers for the Ark.
25 The Ark Comes to Jerusalem. David, the elders of Israel, and the captains of the thousands went to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord up from out of the house of Obed-edom with joy. 26 God helped the Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was dressed in a robe made from fine linen, as were the Levites who were carrying the Ark, the singers, and Chenaniah, the director of the music. David also wore a linen ephod.[f] 28 All of Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, the trumpets, and the cymbal, and playing upon the harps and the lyres.
29 As the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, was watching out the window. She saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
Chapter 16
1 They brought the Ark of God and placed it inside of the tent that David had pitched for it. They offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 He gave each man and each woman in Israel one loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
The Levite Ministers. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 They were Asaph, the leader, Zechariah, the next in charge, and Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-edom. They were to play upon the lyres and the harps while Asaph was to play upon the cymbals. 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel were the priests who normally blew the trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.[g]
7 On that day David first gave Asaph and his brethren this psalm of thanks to the Lord:
8 [h]Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name;
make his deeds known among the nations.
9 Sing to him, praise him with song;
speak of all his wondrous deeds.
10 Glory in his holy name,
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength,
seek his face continually.
12 Remember the marvels he has done,
his wondrous deeds and the judgments of his mouth.
13 O descendants of Israel, his servant,
O children of Jacob, his chosen one.
14 He is the Lord, our God,
his judgments extend to all the earth.
15 He always remembers his covenant,
the word he has commanded for a thousand generations,
16 which he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an eternal covenant,
18 saying, “I will give you the land of Canaan;
it will be your allotted inheritance.”
19 When there were only a few of them,
few indeed, with foreigners among them,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people.
21 He did not let anyone oppress them,
for their sake he rebuked kings,
22 “Do not touch my anointed;
do no harm to my prophets.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth,
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
among all nations, his marvelous deeds.
25 For great is the Lord, greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all the other gods.
26 All the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Glory and honor are before him,
strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28 Give to the Lord, O families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Give to the Lord the glory due his name.
Bring an offering and come before him;
worship the Lord in holy attire.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth;
the world is firmly established, not to be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and whatever fills it;
let the fields rejoice, and all that is in them.
33 The trees of the forest will sing out before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures forever.
35 Shout forth, “Save us, O Lord, our savior;
gather us in and deliver us from the nations.
Then we will give thanks to your holy name,
we will glory in your praise.”
36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
forever and ever.
All the people said, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”
37 He left Asaph and his brethren there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to minister before the Ark and to do each day’s required work. 38 He also left Obed-edom and sixty-eight of his brethren with them. Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were the gatekeepers.
39 He also left Zadok, the priest, and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon. 40 He was to offer the regular burnt offerings upon the altar of burnt offerings, each morning and each evening, just as it is written in the law of the Lord which he gave to Israel. 41 With him there were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who had been chosen, who had been designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for playing the trumpets and the cymbals as well as the other sacred musical instruments. The sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.
43 Then all the people departed, each returning home. David, too, went home to bless his household.
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