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Worship before the Ark
37 So he left Asaph and his relatives there (A)before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to minister before the ark continually, (B)as every day’s work required, 38 and (C)Obed-edom with [a]his sixty-eight relatives; Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and (D)Hosah as gatekeepers. 39 He left (E)Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests (F)before the [b]tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, (G)even according to everything that is written in the Law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel. 41 With them were (H)Heman and Jeduthun, and (I)the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to (J)give thanks to the Lord, because His [c]kindness is everlasting. 42 And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to play them, and with instruments for (K)the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.
43 (L)Then all the people departed, each to his house; and David returned to bless his household.
God’s Covenant with David
17 (M)And it came about, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living 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 whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 But it happened that same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell David My servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(N)You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, (O)but I have [d]gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. 6 In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word (P)with 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, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them there, so that they may live in their own place and not tremble with anxiety again; and the [e]wicked will not make them waste away anymore as they did previously, 10 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.
Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. 11 When your days are fulfilled that you must [f]go to be with your fathers, then I will set up one of your [g]descendants after you, who will be from your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 (Q)I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My favor away from him, (R)as I took it from him who was before you. 14 But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.”’” 15 According to all these words and according to all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer in Response
16 Then King David came in and sat before the Lord, and said, “(S)Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? 17 This was a small thing in Your eyes, God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have viewed me according to the standard of a person of high degree, Lord God. 18 What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant. 19 Lord, (T)for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished all this greatness, to make known all these great things. 20 Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears. 21 And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for You a name by great and awesome things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? 22 (U)For You have made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Lord, became their God.
23 “Now, Lord, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do just as You have spoken. 24 Let Your name be established and be great forever, saying, ‘The Lord of armies is the God of Israel, a God to Israel; and the house of Your servant David is established before You.’ 25 For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You. 26 Now, Lord, You are God, and have [h]promised this good thing to Your servant. 27 And now You have decided to bless the house of Your servant, that it may [i]continue forever before You; for You, Lord, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
David’s Kingdom Strengthened
18 Now after this (V)it came about that David [j]defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his [k]rule to the river Euphrates. 4 David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.
5 When the Arameans of [l]Damascus came to help Hadadezer king (W)of Zobah, David [m]killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. 6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of [n]Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold which were [o]carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [p]Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which (X)Solomon made the bronze [q]Sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils.
9 Now when [r]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had [s]defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10 he sent [t]Hadoram his son to King David to [u]greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had [v]defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and from Amalek.
12 Moreover, Abishai the son of Zeruiah [w]defeated eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel; and he [x]administered justice and righteousness for all his people. 15 (Y)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary; 16 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were chiefs at the king’s side.
The Impartiality of God
2 Therefore you have (A)no excuse, [a]you foolish person, (B)everyone of you who passes judgment; for [b]in that matter in which (C)you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God [c]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, [d](D)you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of (E)the riches of His (F)kindness and [e](G)restraint and (H)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But [f]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart (I)you are storing up wrath for yourself (J)on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 (K)who will repay each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by (L)perseverance in doing good seek (M)glory, honor, and (N)immortality, He will give (O)eternal life; 8 but to those who are (P)self-serving and (Q)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. 9 There will be (R)tribulation and distress [g]for every soul of mankind who does evil, [h]for the Jew (S)first and also [i]for the Greek, 10 but (T)glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew (U)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (V)there is no partiality with God.
12 For all who have sinned [j](W)without the Law will also perish [k]without the Law, and all who have sinned [l]under the Law will be judged [m]by the Law; 13 for it is (X)not the hearers [n]of the Law who are [o]righteous before God, but the doers [p]of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have [q]the Law [r](Y)instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having [s]the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show (Z)the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, (AA)according to my gospel, (AB)God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.
The Jews under the Law
17 But if you call yourself a [t]Jew and (AC)rely [u]upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and [v](AD)distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 a [w]corrector of the foolish, a teacher of [x]the immature, possessing in the Law (AE)the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth— 21 you, therefore, (AF)who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who [y]preach that one is not to steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you (AG)rob temples? 23 You who (AH)boast [z]in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “(AI)the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (AJ)because of you,” just as it is written.
16 The Lord is (A)King forever and ever;
(B)Nations have perished from His land.
17 Lord, You have heard the (C)desire of the humble;
You will (D)strengthen their heart, (E)You will make Your ear attentive
18 To [a]vindicate the (F)orphan and the (G)oppressed,
So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause (H)terror.
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