Old/New Testament

Ark Comes Into Jerusalem

6 Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. ² Then David and all the people who were with him arose and set out from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name^[a], the very Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot who is enthroned between the cheruvim. ³ So they loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, drove the new cart ⁴ as they brought it from the house of Abinadab (which was on the hill) with the ark of God, and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

⁵ Meanwhile David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before Adonai with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, lyres, tambourines, three-stringed instruments and cymbals^[b]. ⁶ But when they reached the threshing floor of Nahon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Uzzah. God struck him down there for his irreverence, so that he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ David was upset because of Adonai’s outburst against Uzzah. That place is called Perez-uzzah^[c] to this day.

⁹ So David was frightened of Adonai that day. Then he said, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” ¹⁰ David was unwilling to move the ark of Adonai to him, to the City of David; instead, David diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ So the ark of Adonai remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; meanwhile Adonai blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

¹² Then it was reported to King David saying, “Adonai has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. ¹³ Now when the bearers of the ark of Adonai had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ Meanwhile, David was dancing before Adonai with all his might while he was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and with the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ But as the ark of Adonai entered the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Adonai, so she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of Adonai and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people—to the whole multitude of Israel, men and women alike—to everyone a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his home.

²⁰ David returned to bless his own household. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today, when he uncovered himself today in the eyes of the slave girls of his subjects, as any vulgar fellow would shamelessly uncover himself!”

²¹ “It was before Adonai,” David said to Michal, “who chose me instead of your father and all his household, appointing me ruler over the people of Adonai, over Israel! So I danced Before Adonai, ²² and will dishonor myself even more than this, and will be low in my own eyes. Yet in the eyes of the slave girls whom you mentioned, I will be honored.” ²³ So Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day of her death.

Adonai’s Promise to David

7 Now it came about when the king lived in his palace and Adonai had granted him rest from all his enemies around him, ² that the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, yet the ark of God remains within curtains.”

³ “Go, do all that is in your heart,” Nathan said to the king, “for Adonai is with you.”

⁴ But it came to pass the same night that the word of Adonai came to Nathan saying: ⁵ “Go, tell My servant David: Thus says Adonai: Are you to build Me a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ Since the day that I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt to this day I have not dwelt in a house, but have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all My journeying among all the children of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ⁸ So now, thus you shall say to My servant David: Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name as great as the greatest on earth. ¹⁰ I will also set up a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again. Nor will the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as in the past, ¹¹ since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed, who will come forth from you after you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ^{[d] 14} I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^[e] If he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the strokes from sons of men. ¹⁵ Yet My lovingkindness will not be withdrawn from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ So your house and your kingship will be secure forever before you; your throne will be established forever.” ^{[f] 17} Just so Nathan spoke all these words and all this vision to David.

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai and said, “Who am I, my Lord Adonai, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, my Lord Adonai—for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for the distant future. This is a revelation^[g] for humanity, my Lord Adonai. ²⁰ What more can David add in speaking to You? For You already know Your servant, my Lord Adonai. ²¹ For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have done everything great, revealing this to Your servant. ²² Therefore You are great, my Lord Adonai! For there is none like You, and there is no other God besides You, as we all have heard with our ears. ²³ What one nation on earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a Name, to do for You a great thing and awesome deeds for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt—driving out nations and their gods? ²⁴ So You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your very own people forever, and You, Adonai, have become their God.

²⁵ “So now, my Lord Adonai, confirm the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house forever, and do as You have promised. ²⁶ Let Your Name be magnified forever by saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot is God over Israel!’ May the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ So now, my Lord Adonai, You alone are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised Your servant this good thing. ²⁹ So now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, to continue forever before You. For You, my Lord Adonai, have spoken, and with Your blessing Your servant’s house will be blessed forever.”

David’s Kingdom Expands

8 Now afterward David attacked the Philistines and subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah^[h] from the hand of the Philistines. ² He also defeated Moab. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them with a cord. Every two measures of them were put to death, and the third measure was kept alive. So the Moabites became vassals to David, bringing tribute.

³ David also defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah, as he went to restore his dominion along the River^[i]. ⁴ David captured from him 1700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, while reserving 100 of them for chariots. ⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Aramean men. ⁶ Then David stationed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became vassals to David, bringing tribute. So Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went ⁷ David also took the golden shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Betah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a vast amount of bronze.

⁹ Now when King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer—for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold and bronze. ¹¹ These too King David consecrated to Adonai, along with the silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations that he had subdued: ¹² from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ Then David made a name for himself when he returned from striking 18,000 down from Edom in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ Then he stationed garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom he stationed garrisons, so that all the Edomites became vassals to David. So Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went.

¹⁵ David reigned over all Israel, and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁷ Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were kohanim; Seraiah was scribe; ¹⁸ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief ministers.

15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. ² The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³ So He told this parable to them, saying, ⁴ “Which man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found my sheep that was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

⁸ “Or which woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin,^[a] does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? ⁹ When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found the coin I had lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”