1 Chronicles 13; 1 Chronicles 14; 1 Chronicles 15; John 7:1-27

1 David consulted with every officer who commanded a regiment or battalion.

2 Then he told the whole assembly of Israel, "If you approve and if the LORD our God has consented, we will send [an invitation] to the rest of our relatives in every region of Israel and to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands so that they may join us.

3 Then we'll bring back our God's ark, which we ignored while Saul was king."

4 The whole assembly agreed to this because the people considered it the right thing to do.

5 So David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River near Egypt to the border of Hamath in order to bring God's ark from Kiriath Jearim.

6 David and all Israel went to Baalah in Kiriath Jearim, which is in Judah, to bring God's ark [to Jerusalem]. (The LORD is enthroned over the angels [on the ark] where his name is used.)

7 David and his men put God's ark on a new cart from Abinadab's home. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart.

8 David and all Israel were celebrating in God's presence with all their might, with songs, with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9 But when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to grab the ark.

10 The LORD became angry with Uzzah and killed him for reaching for the ark. He died in God's presence.

11 David was angry because the LORD had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah [The Striking of Uzzah] today.)

12 David was afraid of God that day. "How can I bring God's ark to my [city]?" he asked.

13 So he didn't bring God's ark to his [home], the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath.

14 God's ark stayed at the home of Obed Edom with his family for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom's family and everything he owned.

1 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, masons, and carpenters to build a palace for David.

2 So David realized that the LORD had established him as king of Israel and that his kingdom was made famous for the sake of Israel, the LORD's people.

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

4 These are the names of the children who were 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 of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went out to meet them.

9 The Philistines had come and raided the valley of Rephaim.

10 David asked God, "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Attack! I will hand them over to you."

11 So David [and his men] attacked and defeated the Philistines at Baal Perazim. David said, "Using my power like an overwhelming flood, God has overwhelmed my enemies." That is why they call that place Baal Perazim [The Lord Overwhelms].

12 The Philistines left their gods there, so David ordered that the gods be burned.

13 The Philistines again raided the valley.

14 Once more David asked God. God answered him, "Don't go after them. Circle around, and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

15 As you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out and fight because God has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army."

16 David did as God ordered him, and his men defeated the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

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

1 After David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for God's ark and set up a tent for it.

2 Then David insisted that only the Levites carry God's ark because the LORD had chosen them to carry his ark and to serve him forever.

3 David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the LORD's ark to the place he had prepared for it.

4 David also called together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

5 Leading Kohath's descendants was Uriel, who came with 120 of his relatives.

6 Leading Merari's descendants was Asaiah, who came with 220 of his relatives.

7 Leading Gershom's descendants was Joel, who came with 130 of his relatives.

8 Leading Elizaphan's descendants was Shemaiah, who came with 200 of his relatives.

9 Leading Hebron's descendants was Eliel, who came with 80 of his relatives.

10 Leading Uzziel's descendants was Amminadab, who came with 112 of his relatives.

11 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for 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 perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I prepared for it.

13 Because you weren't there the first time, the LORD our God struck us. We hadn't dedicated our lives to serving him in the way [he] designated."

14 So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

15 The Levites carried God's ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to the LORD's instructions.

16 David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their relatives to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph, Berechiah's son. From their own relatives, Merari's descendants, they appointed Ethan, son of Kushaiah.

18 In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers.

19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals.

20 Zechariah, Jaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were appointed to play harps according to alamoth.

21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the sheminith.

22 Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God's ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the army's commanders joyfully went to get the ark of the LORD's promise from Obed Edom's house.

26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the LORD's promise, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the [Levites who were] singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians' prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.

28 All Israel brought the ark of the LORD's promise with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres.

29 When the ark of the LORD's promise came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.

1 Jesus later traveled throughout Galilee. He didn't want to travel in Judea because Jews there wanted to kill him.

2 The time for the Jewish Festival of Booths was near.

3 So Jesus' brothers told him, "Leave this place, and go to Judea so that your disciples can see the things that you're doing.

4 No one does things secretly when he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, you should let the world see you."

5 Even his brothers didn't believe in him.

6 Jesus told them, "Now is not the right time for me to go. Any time is right for you.

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I say that what everyone does is evil.

8 Go to the festival. I'm not going to this festival right now. Now is not the right time for me to go."

9 After saying this, Jesus stayed in Galilee.

10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, Jesus went. He didn't go publicly but secretly.

11 The Jews were looking for Jesus in the crowd at the festival. They kept asking, "Where is that man?"

12 The crowds argued about Jesus. Some people said, "He's a good man," while others said, "No he isn't. He deceives the people."

13 Yet, no one would talk openly about him because they were afraid of the Jews.

14 When the festival was half over, Jesus went to the temple courtyard and began to teach.

15 The Jews were surprised and asked, "How can this man be so educated when he hasn't gone to school?"

16 Jesus responded to them, "What I teach doesn't come from me but from the one who sent me.

17 Those who want to follow the will of God will know if what I teach is from God or if I teach my own thoughts.

18 Those who speak their own thoughts are looking for their own glory. But the man who wants to bring glory to the one who sent him is a true teacher and doesn't have dishonest motives.

19 Didn't Moses give you his teachings? Yet, none of you does what Moses taught you. So why do you want to kill me?"

20 The crowd answered, "You're possessed by a demon! Who wants to kill you?"

21 Jesus answered them, "I performed one miracle, and all of you are surprised by it.

22 Moses gave you the teaching about circumcision (although it didn't come from Moses but from our ancestors). So you circumcise a male on a day of worship.

23 If you circumcise a male on the day of worship to follow Moses' Teachings, why are you angry with me because I made a man entirely well on the day of worship?

24 Stop judging by outward appearance! Instead, judge correctly."

25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem said, "Isn't this the man they want to kill?

26 But look at this! He's speaking in public, and no one is saying anything to him! Can it be that the rulers really know that this man is the Messiah?

27 However, we know where this man comes from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."