Old/New Testament
The Attempt to Bring the Ark to Jerusalem
13 David consulted with the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader. 2 David said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and receives approval from the Lord our God, we should send word everywhere to our brothers who remain in the whole land of Israel and get together with them. We will also send word to the priests and to the Levites in their cities with their pasturelands that they should assemble with us. 3 We will bring the Ark of our God back to us, because we did not seek it during the days of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do it because it was the right thing to do in the view of all the people. 5 David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River in Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,[a] to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.
6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah in Judah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) to bring up the ark from there, the Ark of God the Lord, who is seated above the cherubim and who is called by the Name.[b] 7 They transported God’s ark on a new cart from the house of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio[c] were leading the cart. 8 David and all Israel were celebrating enthusiastically before God with songs, lyres, harps, hand drums, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon,[d] Uzzah reached out to grab the ark because the oxen stumbled. 10 The anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and the Lord struck him down because Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark. He died there in the presence of God. 11 David was angry because the Lord had burst out against Uzzah. That place is called Perez Uzzah[e] to this day. 12 David was afraid of God on that day. He said, “How can I bring the Ark of God to me?”
13 David did not take the ark along with him into the City of David. He set it aside in the house of Obed Edom the Gittite. 14 The Ark of God stayed in the house of Obed Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obed Edom and all that belonged to him.
Events of David’s Reign
14 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2 David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel because his kingdom had been lifted high for the sake of his people Israel.
3 David took wives in Jerusalem and fathered sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Be’eliada, and Eliphelet.
David Defeats the Philistines
8 The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel. So all the Philistines went up to search for David. David heard about it and went out to face them. 9 The Philistines came and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 David asked God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?”
The Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. David said, “By my hand God has broken through my enemies like a wall of water.” That is why they named that place Baal Perazim.[f] 12 The Philistines abandoned their gods there. David gave the order, and they were burned with fire.
13 The Philistines made another raid in the valley. 14 David again consulted God. God said to him, “Do not go directly at them. Go around them and come to them in the area of the balsam trees.[g] 15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, you are to go out in battle, because God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 16 David did what God had commanded him, and they struck the army of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.
17 David’s reputation spread into all the lands. The Lord caused all the nations to be terrified.
The Successful Move of the Ark to Jerusalem
15 David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. He established a place for the Ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
2 Then David said, “Nobody is to carry God’s ark except the Levites, because the Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever.” 3 David gathered all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Lord to the place that he had prepared for it.
4 David gathered the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 representing the sons of Kohath were Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives,[h]
6 representing the sons of Merari were Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives,
7 representing the sons of Gershom were Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives,
8 representing the sons of Elizaphan were Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives,
9 representing the sons of Hebron were Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives,
10 representing the sons of Uzziel were Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.
11 So David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the leading fathers of the descendants of Levi. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers. Bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place prepared for it, 13 because the first time, when you were not there, the Lord our God burst out against us, because we did not inquire about and follow the proper procedures.”
14 The priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The descendants of Levi carried the Ark of God with poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. 16 David told the leading officials of the Levites to appoint their brother Levites as singers with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to raise their voices for the people to hear with joy.
17 The Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from the Levites closely related to him they appointed Asaph son of Berekiah, and from their relatives who were the descendants of Merari they appointed Ethan son of Kushaiah.
18 Their brother Levites assigned to serve with them on the second level were Zechariah,[i] Ja’aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Ma’aseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.[j]
19 Also appointed were the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, to sound the bronze cymbals,
20 Zechariah, Aziel,[k] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Ma’aseiah, and Benaiah, to play the harps according to alamoth,
21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with lyres, to lead according to sheminith.[l]
22 Kenaniah was musical leader of the Levites, directing the music because he had the skill.
23 Berekiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark.
24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer were directed to blow trumpets before the Ark of God.
Obed Edom and Jehiah were also gatekeepers for the Ark.
25 David, the elders of Israel, and the leaders of the units of a thousand were going to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom. They were celebrating as they went, 26 because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. They sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a fine linen robe, as were all of the Levites who were carrying the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the choir director for the singers. David was wearing a special linen vest.[m]
28 All Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sound of the ram’s horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and with music on harps and lyres. 29 When the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked out through the window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.
Up to Jerusalem
7 After this, Jesus moved around in Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to find a way to kill him.
2 Now the Jewish Festival of Shelters[a] was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “You should leave here and go to Judea so your disciples there can also see the works you are doing. 4 Indeed, no one acts in secret who wants to be known in public. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 So Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not arrived yet, but any time is the right time for you. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the festival. I am not going up to this festival yet,[b] because the right time for me has not yet arrived.”
9 After he said this, he stayed in Galilee. 10 However, after his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but in a private way.
At the Festival of Shelters[c]
11 At the festival, the Jews kept looking for him. They asked, “Where is he?” 12 And there was widespread whispering about him in the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 Yet no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jews.
14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How does this man know what is written without being instructed?”
16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but it comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether my teaching is from God or if I speak on my own. 18 The one who speaks on his own is seeking his own glory. But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him—that is the one who is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you does what the law tells you. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You have a demon!” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you are all amazed. 22 Consider this: Because Moses has given you circumcision (not that it comes from Moses, but from the fathers), you circumcise a man even on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by outward appearance. Instead make a right judgment.”
25 Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet, look! He’s speaking openly, and they don’t say a thing to him. Certainly the rulers have not concluded that he is the Christ, have they? 27 But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.