Old/New Testament
13 After David had consulted with all of his army officers, 2 he addressed the assembled men of Israel as follows:
“Since you think that I should be your king, and since the Lord our God has given his approval, let us send messages to our brothers throughout the land of Israel, including the priests and Levites, inviting them to come and join us. 3 And let us bring back the Ark of our God, for we have been neglecting it ever since Saul became king.”
4 There was unanimous consent, for everyone agreed with him. 5 So David summoned the people of Israel from all across the nation[a] so that they could be present when the Ark of God was brought from Kiriath-jearim.
6 Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (i.e., Kiriath-jearim) in Judah to bring back the Ark of the Lord God enthroned above the Guardian Angels.[b] 7 It was taken from the house of Abinadab on a new cart. Uzza and Ahio drove the oxen. 8 Then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 But as they arrived at the threshing floor of Chidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzza reached out his hand to steady the Ark. 10 Then the anger of the Lord blazed out against Uzza, and killed him because he had touched the Ark. And so he died there before God. 11 David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza and he named the place “The Outbreak Against Uzza.” And it is still called that today.
12 Now David was afraid of God and asked, “How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?”
13 Finally he decided to take it to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite instead of bringing it to the City of David. 14 The Ark remained there with the family of Obed-edom for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his family.
14 King Hiram of Tyre sent masons and carpenters to help build David’s palace and he supplied him with much cedar lumber. 2 David now realized why the Lord had made him king and why he had made his kingdom so great; it was for a special reason—to give joy to God’s people!
3 After David moved to Jerusalem, he married additional wives and became the father of many sons and daughters.
4-7 These are the names of the sons born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, Eliphelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David was Israel’s new king, they mobilized their forces to capture him. But David learned that they were on the way, so he called together his army. 9 The Philistines were raiding the valley of Rephaim, 10 and David asked the Lord, “If I go out and fight them, will you give me the victory?”
And the Lord replied, “Yes, I will.”
11 So he attacked them at Baal-perazim and wiped them out. He exulted, “God has used me to sweep away my enemies like water bursting through a dam!” That is why the place has been known as Baal-perazim ever since (meaning, “The Place of Breaking Through”).
12 After the battle the Israelis picked up many idols left by the Philistines, but David ordered them burned.
13 Later the Philistines raided the valley again, 14 and again David asked God what to do.
The Lord replied, “Go around by the mulberry trees and attack from there. 15 When you hear a sound like marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that is your signal to attack, for God will go before you and destroy the enemy.”
16 So David did as the Lord commanded him; and he cut down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear him.
15 David now built several palaces for himself in Jerusalem, and he also built a new Tabernacle to house the Ark of God, 2 and issued these instructions: “When we transfer the Ark to its new home,[c] no one except the Levites may carry it, for God has chosen them for this purpose; they are to minister to him forever.”
3 Then David summoned all Israel to Jerusalem to celebrate the bringing of the Ark into the new Tabernacle. 4-10 These were the priests and Levites present:
120 from the clan of Kohath; with Uriel as their leader;
220 from the clan of Merari; with Asaiah as their leader;
130 from the clan of Gershom; with Joel as their leader;
200 from the subclan of Elizaphan; with Shemaiah as their leader;
80 from the subclan of Hebron; with Eliel as their leader;
112 from the subclan of Uzziel; with Amminadab as their leader.
11 Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar, the High Priests, and for the Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 “You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites,” he told them. “Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly—you were not carrying it.”
14 So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. 15 Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
16 King David also ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and they played loudly and joyously upon psaltries, harps, and cymbals. 17 Heman (son of Joel), Asaph (son of Berechiah), and Ethan (son of Kushaiah) from the clan of Merari were the heads of the musicians.
18 The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.
19 Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah comprised an octet accompanied by harps.[d] 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were the harpists.[e] 22 The song leader was Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, who was selected for his skill. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the Ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—all of whom were priests—formed a bugle corps to march at the head of the procession. And Obed-edom and Jehiah guarded the Ark.
25 Then David and the elders of Israel and the high officers of the army went with great joy to the home of Obed-edom to take the Ark to Jerusalem. 26 And because God didn’t destroy the Levites who were carrying the Ark, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven lambs. 27 David, the Levites carrying the Ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the song leader were all dressed in linen robes. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers.
29 (But as the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, David’s wife Michal, the daughter of King Saul, felt a deep disgust for David as she watched from the window and saw him dancing like a madman.)
7 After this, Jesus went to Galilee, going from village to village, for he wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Tabernacle Ceremonies, one of the annual Jewish holidays, 3 and Jesus’ brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration.
“Go where more people can see your miracles!” they scoffed. 4 “You can’t be famous when you hide like this! If you’re so great, prove it to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
6 Jesus replied, “It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference, 7 for the world can’t hate you; but it does hate me, because I accuse it of sin and evil. 8 You go on, and I’ll come later[a] when it is the right time.” 9 So he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had left for the celebration, then he went too, though secretly, staying out of the public eye. 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the celebration and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of discussion about him among the crowds. Some said, “He’s a wonderful man,” while others said, “No, he’s duping the public.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak out for him in public for fear of reprisals from the Jewish leaders.
14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and preached openly. 15 The Jewish leaders were surprised when they heard him. “How can he know so much when he’s never been to our schools?” they asked.
16 So Jesus told them, “I’m not teaching you my own thoughts, but those of God who sent me. 17 If any of you really determines to do God’s will, then you will certainly know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Anyone presenting his own ideas is looking for praise for himself, but anyone seeking to honor the one who sent him is a good and true person. 19
20 The crowd replied, “You’re out of your mind! Who’s trying to kill you?”
21-23 Jesus replied, “I worked on the Sabbath by healing a man, and you were surprised. But you work on the Sabbath, too, whenever you obey Moses’ law of circumcision (actually, however, this tradition of circumcision is older than the Mosaic law); for if the correct time for circumcising your children falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it, as you should. So why should I be condemned for making a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Think this through and you will see that I am right.”
25 Some of the people who lived there in Jerusalem said among themselves, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 But here he is preaching in public, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that our leaders have learned, after all, that he really is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man was born; when Christ comes, he will just appear and no one will know where he comes from.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.