2 Samuel 5; 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; 1 Chronicles 14; 1 Chronicles 15; 1 Chronicles 16

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Here we are, your own flesh and blood.

2 Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out [to battle] and brought us back. The Lord also said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.' "

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the Lord's presence, and they anointed David king over Israel.

4 David was 30 years old when he began his reign; he reigned 40 years.

5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David: "You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you," thinking, "David can't get in here."

7 Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, the city of David.

8 He said that day, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David." For this reason it is said, "The blind and the lame will never enter the house."

9 David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward.

10 David became more and more powerful, and the Lord God of Hosts was with him.

11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David; [he also sent] cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

13 After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

14 These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of David, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

18 So the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

19 Then David inquired of the Lord: "Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord replied to David, "Go, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, "Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me." Therefore, he named that place the Lord Bursts Out.

21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

22 The Philistines came up again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

23 So David inquired of the Lord, and He answered, "Do not make a frontal assault. Circle around behind them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then the Lord will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines."

25 So David did exactly as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

1 David again assembled all the choice men in Israel, 30,000.

2 He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.The ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord of Hosts who dwells [between] the cherubim.

3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart

4 and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab's house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark.

5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all [kinds of] fir wood [instruments], lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6 When they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled.

7 Then the Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God.

8 David was angry because of the Lord's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is today.

9 David feared the Lord that day and said, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?"

10 So he was not willing to move the ark of the Lord to the city of David; instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11 The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.

12 It was reported to King David: "The Lord has blessed Obed-edom's family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God." So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom's house to the city of David with rejoicing.

13 When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

14 David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.

15 He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram's horn.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord's presence.

18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts.

19 Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one of the whole multitude of the people of Israel, both men and women. Then all the people left, each to his own home.

20 When David returned [home] to bless his household, Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. "How the king of Israel honored himself today!" she said. "He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself."

21 David replied to Michal, "I was dancing before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord's people Israel. I will celebrate before the Lord,

22 and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself.I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about."

23 And Saul's daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

1 David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.

2 Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.

3 Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in Saul's days."

4 Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

6 David and all Israel went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim), which belongs to Judah, to take from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who dwells [between] the cherubim.

7 At Abinadab's house, they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart.

8 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9 When they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to hold the ark, because the oxen had stumbled.

10 Then the Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God.

11 David was angry because of the Lord's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is [still named] today.

12 David feared God that day, and said, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?"

13 So David did not move the ark of God home to the city of David; instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

14 The ark of God remained with Obed-edom's family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

1 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him.

2 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

3 David took more wives in Jerusalem, and he became the father of more 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, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of David; when David heard of this, he went out to face them.

9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim,

10 so David inquired of God, "Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?" The Lord replied, "Go, and I will hand them over to you."

11 So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, "Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies." Therefore, they named that place the Lord Bursts Out.

12 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

13 Once again the Philistines made a raid in the valley.

14 So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, "Do not pursue them directly. Circle down away from them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then march out to battle, for God will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines."

16 So David did exactly as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

17 Then David's fame spread throughout the lands, and the Lord caused all the nations to be terrified of him.

1 David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

2 Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before Him forever."

3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.

4 Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives;

6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives;

7 from the Gershomites, Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives;

8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives;

9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives;

10 from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

11 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 heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to [the place] I have prepared for it.

13 For the Lord our God burst out [in anger] against us because you Levites were not [with] us the first time, for we didn't inquire of Him about the proper procedures."

14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

15 Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord: on their shoulders with the poles.

16 Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments-harps, lyres, and cymbals.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah.

18 With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth;

21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith.

22 Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.

24 The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.

25 David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of the thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom.

26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

28 So all Israel was bringing the ark of the covenant of the Lord up with shouts, the sound of the ram's horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres.

29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

1 They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God's presence.

2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

3 Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

4 David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to Him.

5 Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph [sounded] the cymbals

6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel [blew] the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives:

8 Give thanks to the Lord; call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples.

9 Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works!

10 Honor His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

11 Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.

12 Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced,

13 you offspring of Israel His servant, Jacob's descendants-His chosen ones.

14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments [govern] the whole earth.

15 Remember His covenant forever- the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,

16 [the covenant] He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac,

17 and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

18 "I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion."

19 When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan

20 wandering from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another,

21 He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf:

22 "Do not touch My anointed ones or harm My prophets."

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation from day to day.

24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples.

25 For the Lord is great and is highly praised; He is feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of [His] holiness;

30 tremble before Him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.

31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The Lord is King!"

32 Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult.

33 Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.

35 And say: "Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise.

36 May the Lord, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting." Then all the people said, "Amen" and "Praise the Lord."

37 So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord's covenant to minister regularly before the ark according to the daily requirements.

38 [He also left] Obed-edom and his 68 relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.

39 [David left] Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon

40 to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which He had commanded Israel to keep.

41 With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord-for His faithful love endures forever.

42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God. Jeduthun's sons were at the gate.

43 Then all the people left for their homes, and David returned [home] to bless his household.