2 Samuel 6; 2 Samuel 7; 2 Samuel 8; Luke 15:1-10

1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel -- thirty thousand of them.

2 Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judahn to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord All-Powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings.

3 They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, led the new cart

4 which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it.

5 David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

6 When David's men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God.

7 The Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God.

8 David was angry because the Lord had killed Uzzah. Now that place is called the Punishment of Uzzah.

9 David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, "How can the Ark of the Lord come to me now?"

10 So David would not move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath.

11 The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom's house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

12 The people told David, "The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there." So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom's house to Jerusalem with joy.

13 When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.

14 Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen vest.

15 David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the trumpets as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

16 As the Ark of the Lord came into the city, Saul's daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David jumping and dancing in the presence of the Lord, she hated him.

17 David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.

18 When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful.

19 David gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to every Israelite, both men and women. Then all the people went home.

20 David went back to bless the people in his home, but Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "With what honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!"

21 Then David said to Michal, "I did it in the presence of the Lord. The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from Saul's family. The Lord appointed me to be over Israel. So I will celebrate in the presence of the Lord.

22 Maybe I will lose even more honor, and maybe I will be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will honor me!"

23 And Saul's daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.

1 King David was living in his palace, and the Lord had given him peace from all his enemies around him.

2 Then David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar wood, but the Ark of God is in a tent!"

3 Nathan said to the king, "Go and do what you really want to do, because the Lord is with you."

4 But that night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan,

5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord says: Will you build a house for me to live in?

6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until now I have not lived in a house. I have been moving around all this time with a tent as my home.

7 As I have moved with the Israelites, I have never said to the tribes, whom I commanded to take care of my people Israel, "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?"'

8 "You must tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: I took you from the pasture and from tending the sheep and made you leader of my people Israel.

9 I have been with you everywhere you have gone and have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great people on the earth.

10 Also I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer bother them as they have in the past

11 when I chose judges for my people Israel. But I will give you peace from all your enemies. I also tell you that I will make your descendants kings of Israel after you.

12 "'When you die and join your ancestors, I will make one of your sons the next king, and I will set up his kingdom.

13 He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always.

14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips.

15 I took away my love from Saul, whom I removed before you, but I will never stop loving your son.

16 But your family and your kingdom will continue always before me. Your throne will last forever.'"

17 Nathan told David everything God had said in this vision.

18 Then King David went in and sat in front of the Lord. David said, "Lord God, who am I? What is my family? Why did you bring me to this point?

19 But even this is not enough for you, Lord God. You have also made promises about my future family. This is not normal, Lord God.

20 "What more can I say to you, Lord God, since you know me, your servant, so well!

21 You have done this great thing because you said you would and because you wanted to, and you have let me know about it.

22 This is why you are great, Lord God! There is no one like you. There is no God except you. We have heard all this ourselves!

23 There is no nation like your people Israel. They are the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made your name well known. You did great and wonderful miracles for them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations and their gods out of the land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

24 You made the people of Israel your very own people forever, and, Lord, you are their God.

25 "Now, Lord God, keep the promise forever that you made about my family and me, your servant. Do what you have said.

26 Then you will be honored always, and people will say, 'The Lord All-Powerful is God over Israel!' And the family of your servant David will continue before you.

27 "Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, you have said to me, 'I will make your family great.' So I, your servant, am brave enough to pray to you.

28 Lord God, you are God, and your words are true. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant.

29 Please, bless my family. Let it continue before you always. Lord God, you have said so. With your blessing let my family always be blessed."

1 Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah.

2 He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.

3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to take control again at the Euphrates River.

4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5 Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

6 Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The Arameans became David's servants and gave him the payment he demanded. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

7 David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer's control.

9 Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer.

10 So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze.

11 King David gave them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had defeated.

12 These nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 David was famous after he returned from defeating eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

14 He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

15 David was king over all Israel, and he did what was fair and right for all his people.

16 Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.

17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal secretary.

18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

1 The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to Jesus.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: "Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them."

3 Then Jesus told them this story:

4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep but loses one of them. Then he will leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the open field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it.

5 And when he finds it, he happily puts it on his shoulders

6 and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, 'Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.'

7 In the same way, I tell you there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life, than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to change.

8 "Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but loses one. She will light a lamp, sweep the house, and look carefully for the coin until she finds it.

9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, 'Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost.'

10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner changes his heart and life."