1 Chronicles 13; 1 Chronicles 14; 1 Chronicles 15

1 Chronicles 13

1 After consulting with the captains of the units of a thousand and a hundred, in fact with every leader,

2 David said to the entire Israelite assembly: "If you approve, and if the LORD our God agrees, let's spread the word to the rest of our relatives in all the regions of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands. Let's ask them to join us

3 so that we may bring the chest of our God back to us, because we didn't look for it in Saul's days."

4 The whole assembly agreed to do so, because all the people thought it was the right thing to do.

5 So David assembled all Israel, from the border of Egypt to Lebo-hamath in order to bring up God's chest from Kiriath-jearim.

6 Then David and all Israel went up toward Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the chest of God, the LORD, who sits enthroned on the winged creatures, where he is called by name.

7 They moved God's chest on a new cart from Abinadab's house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart,

8 while David and all Israel celebrated in God's presence with all their strength, accompanied by songs, zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9 When they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the chest and grabbed it because the oxen had stumbled.

10 But the LORD became angry with Uzzah and struck him because he had placed his hand on the chest. He died right there before God.

11 David was angry that the LORD lashed out at Uzzah; and so that place is still called Perez-uzzah today.

12 David was frightened by God that day. "How will I ever bring God's chest home to me?" he asked.

13 So David didn't take the chest away with him to David's City. Instead, he had it put in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

14 God's chest stayed with Obed-edom's household for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom's household and all that he had.

1 Chronicles 14

1 Tyre's King Hiram sent messengers to David with cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build David a palace.

2 Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingship was held in great honor for the sake of his people Israel.

3 David married more secondary wives in Jerusalem and fathered more sons and daughters.

4 The names of his children in Jerusalem were as follows: 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 marched up to find him. David heard this and went out to confront them.

9 The Philistines had invaded and were plundering the Rephaim Valley.

10 David asked God for advice: "Should I attack the Philistines, and will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered, "Attack them, and I'll definitely hand them over to you."

11 So they marched up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. "By my strength," David exclaimed, "God has burst out against my enemies, the way water bursts out." That's why the place is called Baal-perazim.

12 The Philistines left their divine images behind, and David ordered them burned.

13 When the Philistines plundered the valley a second time,

14 David again asked God's advice, but God answered, "Don't attack them directly. Circle around behind them and come at them from in front of the balsam trees.

15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, then attack, for God has attacked in front of you to defeat the Philistine army."

16 David followed God's orders exactly, and they defeated the Philistine army from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.

17 David's fame spread throughout all lands, and the LORD made all the nations fear him.

1 Chronicles 15

1 After he had built houses for himself in David's City, David prepared a place for God's chest and pitched a tent for it.

2 David said, "Only the Levites may carry God's chest, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the LORD's chest and to minister to him forever."

3 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the LORD's chest to the place he had prepared for it.

4 David also gathered Aaron's family and the Levites:

5 Uriel, the leader of Kohath's family, and 120 of his relatives;

6 Asaiah, the leader of Merari's family, and 220 of his relatives;

7 Joel, the leader of Gershom's family, and 130 of his relatives;

8 Shemaiah, the leader of Elizaphan's family, and 200 of his relatives;

9 Eliel, the leader of Hebron's family, and 80 of his relatives;

10 and Amminadab, the leader of Uzziel's family, and 112 of his relatives.

11 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 He said to them, "You are the household heads of the Levites. Make yourselves holy, you and your brothers, and then bring the chest of the LORD, Israel's God, to the place I've prepared for it.

13 When you weren't with us the first time, the LORD our God burst out against us because we didn't ask his advice properly."

14 So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy to bring up the chest of the LORD, Israel's God.

15 The Levites carried God's chest with poles on their shoulders, just as Moses had commanded according to the LORD's word.

16 Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as singers to raise their voices joyfully, accompanied by musical instruments, including harps, lyres, and cymbals.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman, Joel's son; and from his relatives, Asaph, Berechiah's son; and from their Merarite relatives, Ethan, Kushaiah's son;

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

19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to make music with bronze cymbals.

20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps tuned to the Alamoth.

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

22 Chenaniah was leader of the Levites who provided transportation, because he was skilled at it.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the chest.

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

25 Then David, along with Israel's elders and the captains of the thousands, went with rejoicing to bring up the chest containing the LORD's covenant from Obed-edom's house.

26 Since God had helped the Levites who were carrying the chest containing the LORD's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 David wore a fine-linen robe, as did the singers, all the Levites who were carrying the chest, and Chenaniah, the leader of transportation. David also wore a linen priestly vest.

28 So all Israel brought up the chest containing the LORD's covenant with shouts of joy, accompanied by the blast of the ram's horn, by trumpets and cymbals, and playing on harps and lyres.

29 As the chest containing the LORD's covenant entered David's City, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing, she lost all respect for him.