Old/New Testament
16 The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in Elohim’s presence. 2 When David had finished sacrificing burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. 3 He also distributed to every person in Israel—both men and women—a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
The Levites Lead the Worship in Jerusalem(A)
4 David appointed some Levites to serve in front of Yahweh’s ark by offering prayers, thanks, and praise to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. 5 Asaph was the head; Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel with harps and lyres. Asaph played the cymbals. 6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played trumpets all the time in front of the ark of Elohim’s promise. 7 For the first time David entrusted Asaph and his relatives with the task of singing songs of thanks to Yahweh:
8 “Give thanks to Yahweh.
Call on his name.
Make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him.
Make music to praise him.
Meditate on all the miracles he has done.
10 Brag about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
11 Search for Yahweh and his strength.
Always seek his presence.
12 Remember the miracles he performed,
the amazing things he did and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you descendants of Israel, his servant,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 “He is Yahweh our Elohim.
His judgments are pronounced throughout the earth.
15 Remember his promise[a] forever,
the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
16 the promise that he made to Abraham,
and his sworn promise to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it as a law for Jacob,
as an everlasting promise to Israel,
18 by saying, ‘I will give you Canaan.
It is your share of the inheritance.’
19 “While they were few in number,
a small group of foreigners living in that land,
20 they wandered from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another.
21 He didn’t permit anyone to oppress them.
He warned kings about them:
22 ‘Do not touch my anointed ones
or harm my prophets.’
23 “Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Day after day announce that Yahweh saves his people.
24 Tell people about his glory.
Tell all the nations about his miracles.
25 “Yahweh is great!
He should be highly praised.
He should be feared more than all other gods
26 because all the gods of the nations are idols.
Yahweh made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are in his presence.
Strength and joy are where he is.
28 “Give to Yahweh, you families of the nations.
Give to Yahweh glory and power.
29 Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves.
Bring an offering, and come to him.
Worship Yahweh in his holy splendor.
30 Tremble in his presence, all the earth!
“The earth stands firm; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad.
Say to the nations, ‘Yahweh rules as king!’
32 Let the sea and everything in it roar like thunder.
Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
33 Then the trees in the forest will sing with joy
in the presence of Yahweh when he comes to judge the earth.
34 “Give thanks to Yahweh because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
35 Say, ‘Rescue us, O Elohim our Savior.
Gather us and save us from the nations
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and make your praise our glory.’
36 Thanks be to Yahweh Elohim of Israel
from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said amen and praised Yahweh.
37 David left Asaph and his relatives to serve continually in front of the ark of Yahweh’s promise, as the daily work required. 38 David also left Obed Edom and 68 of his relatives to serve there. Obed Edom (Jeduthun’s son) and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 David left Zadok and his priestly relatives to serve in Yahweh’s tent at the place of worship in Gibeon. 40 They were ordered to sacrifice burnt offerings to Yahweh. This happened on the altar of burnt offerings continually, morning and evening, as written in Yahweh’s Teachings that he gave Israel. 41 With Zadok and his relatives were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of the Levites who had been selected, chosen by name, to give thanks to Yahweh by singing, “His mercy endures forever.” 42 Also, Heman and Jeduthun played trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments that accompany sacred songs. Jeduthun’s sons were stationed at the gate.
43 Then all the people went home. David went back to bless his family.
David’s Wish to Build a House for God(B)
17 When David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan, “I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of Yahweh’s promise is inside a tent.”
2 Nathan told David, “Do everything you have in mind, because Elohim is with you.”
3 But that same night Elohim spoke his word to Nathan: 4 “Say to David, my servant, ‘This is what Yahweh says: You must not build this house for me to live in. 5 I haven’t lived in a house from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I’ve gone from tent site to tent site, moving the tent of meeting from one location to another. 6 In all the places I’ve moved with all Israel, did I ever ask any of the judges of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’
7 “Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name like the names of the greatest people on earth. 9 I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer frighten them as they used to do 10 ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. I will crush all your enemies. I even tell you that I, Yahweh, will build a house for you.
11 “‘When the time comes for you to go and be with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants. He will be one of your sons. I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his Ab, and he will be my Son. And I will never stop showing him my love as I did to your predecessor. 14 I will place him in my royal house forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”
15 Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.
16 Then King David went into the tent and sat in front of Yahweh. “Who am I, Yahweh Elohim,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? 17 And this you consider to be a small act, Elohim. You’ve spoken about the distant future of my house. Yahweh Elohim, you’ve shown me the generation of the great man.[b]
18 “What more can I do for you in light of the honor you have given to me and since you know me so well! 19 Yahweh, you’ve done this great thing for my sake and your own desire. You made this great thing known to me.
20 “Yahweh, there is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. 21 Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that Elohim came to free in order to make its people his own, to make your name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced the nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt. 22 You made the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Yahweh, became their Elohim.
23 “Now, Yahweh, faithfully keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. 24 Your name will endure and be respected forever when people say, ‘Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of Israel, is Israel’s Elohim.’ And the house of David, your servant, will be established in your presence. 25 You, my Elohim, have revealed especially to me that you will build me a house. That is why I have found the courage to pray to you.
26 “Yahweh, you are Elohim. You promised me this good thing. 27 Now, you were pleased to bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Yahweh, have blessed it. It will be blessed forever.”
David’s Successes(C)
18 After this, David defeated and crushed the Philistines. He took Gath and its surrounding villages from them.
2 He also defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes to him.
3 When David went to establish his control over the territory along the Euphrates River, he defeated King Hadadezer at Hamath. 4 David took 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. David also disabled all but 100 of their horses so that they couldn’t pull chariots.
5 When the Arameans from Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. 6 David put troops in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became his subjects and paid taxes to him. Everywhere David went, Yahweh gave him victories.
7 David took the gold shields that Hadadezer’s servants carried, and he brought them to Jerusalem. 8 David also took a large quantity of bronze from Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities. (Later Solomon used it to make the pool, pillars, and utensils for the temple.)
9 When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Zobah’s King Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer. (There had often been war between Hadadezer and Tou.) 11 King David dedicated all the articles of gold, silver, and bronze to Yahweh, along with the silver and gold he had taken from other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.
12 Zeruiah’s son Abishai killed 18,000 Edomites in the Dead Sea region. 13 He put troops in Edom, and all its people became David’s subjects. Everywhere David went, Yahweh gave him victories.
14 So David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people. 15 Zeruiah’s son Joab was in charge of the army. Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the royal historian. 16 Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Abimelech[c] were priests. Shavsha was the royal scribe. 17 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons were his main officials.
28 Then, while Yeshua was teaching in the temple courtyard, he said loudly, “You know me, and you know where I come from. I didn’t decide to come on my own. The one who sent me is true. He’s the one you don’t know. 29 I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 The Jews tried to arrest him but couldn’t because his time had not yet come.
31 However, many people in the crowd believed in him. They asked, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more miracles than this man has?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd saying things like this about him. So the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest Yeshua.
33 Yeshua said, “I will still be with you for a little while. Then I’ll go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you won’t find me. You can’t go where I’m going.”
35 The Jews said among themselves, “Where does this man intend to go so that we won’t find him? Does he mean that he’ll live with the Jews who are scattered among the Greeks and that he’ll teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘You can’t go where I’m going’?”
37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Yeshua was standing in the temple courtyard. He said loudly, “Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink. 38 As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’” 39 Yeshua said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Yeshua had been glorified.
40 After some of the crowd heard Yeshua say these words, they said, “This man is certainly the prophet.” 41 Other people said, “This man is the Messiah.” Still other people asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah will come from the descendants of David and from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?” 43 So the people were divided because of Yeshua. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but they couldn’t.
45 When the temple guards returned, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Yeshua?”
46 The temple guards answered, “No human has ever spoken like this man.”
47 The Pharisees asked the temple guards, “Have you been deceived too? 48 Has any ruler or any Pharisee believed in him? 49 This crowd is cursed because it doesn’t know Moses’ Teachings.”
50 One of those Pharisees was Nicodemus, who had previously visited Yeshua. Nicodemus asked them, 51 “Do Moses’ Teachings enable us to judge a person without first hearing that person’s side of the story? We can’t judge a person without finding out what that person has done.”
52 They asked Nicodemus, “Are you saying this because you’re from Galilee? Study the Scriptures, and you’ll see that no prophet comes from Galilee.”[a]
53 Then each of them went home.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.