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

1 Again David brought together the best soldiers in Israel. The total number was 30,000.

2 He and all of his men started out from Baalah in Judah. They wanted to bring the ark of God up to Jerusalem from there. The ark is named after the Lord. He is the LORD who rules over all. He sits on his throne between the cherubim that are on the ark.

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

4 The ark of God was on the cart. Ahio was walking in front of it.

5 David was celebrating with all his might in the sight of the Lord. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

6 They came to the threshing floor of Nacon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God.

7 Then the LORD's anger burned against Uzzah. That's because what Uzzah did showed that he didn't have any respect for the Lord. So God struck him down. He died there beside the ark of God.

8 David was angry because the LORD's burning anger had broken out against Uzzah. That's why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this very day.

9 David was afraid of the LORD that day. He asked, "How can the ark of the LORD ever be brought to me?"

10 He didn't want to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath.

11 The ark of the LORD remained in Obed-Edom's house for three months. And the LORD blessed him and his whole family.

12 King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the family of Obed-Edom. He has also blessed everything that belongs to him. That's because the ark of God is in Obed-Edom's house." So David went down there and brought up the ark. With great joy he brought it up from the house of Obed-Edom. He took it to the City of David.

13 Those who were carrying the ark of the LORD took six steps forward. Then David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.

14 David was wearing a sacred linen apron. He danced in the sight of the LORD with all his might.

15 He did it while he was bringing up the ark of the Lord. The whole community of Israel helped him bring it up. They shouted. They blew trumpets.

16 The ark of the LORD was brought into the City of David. Saul's daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David leaping and dancing in the sight of the Lord. That made her hate him in her heart.

17 The ark of the LORD was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in its place in the tent David had set up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.

18 After he finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD who rules over all.

19 He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake. Then all of the people went home.

20 David returned home to bless his family. Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "You are the king of Israel. You have really brought honor to yourself today, haven't you? You have taken off your royal robe right in front of the female slaves of your officials. You acted like someone who is very foolish!"

21 David said to Michal, "I did it to honor the Lord. He chose me instead of your father or anyone else in Saul's family. He appointed me ruler over his people Israel. I will celebrate in honor of the Lord.

22 And that's not all. I will bring even less honor to myself. I will bring even more shame on myself. But those female slaves you spoke about will honor me."

23 Saul's daughter Michal didn't have any children as long as she lived.

1 The king settled down in his palace. The LORD had given him peace and rest from all of his enemies who were around him.

2 Then the king spoke to the prophet Nathan. He said, "Here I am, living in a palace that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of God remains in a tent."

3 Nathan replied to the king, "Go ahead and do what you want to. The LORD is with you."

4 That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan. The LORD said,

5 "Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, 'The LORD says, "Are you the one to build me a house to live in?

6 I have not lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt until now. I have been moving from place to place. I have been living in a tent.

7 I have moved from place to place with all of the people of Israel. I commanded their rulers to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those rulers, 'Why haven't you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?' " '

8 "So tell my servant David, 'The LORD who rules over all says, "I took you away from the grasslands. That's where you were taking care of your father's sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel.

9 I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I cut off all of your enemies when you were attacking them. " ' "Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth.

10 I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will no longer crush them, as they did at first.

11 That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them. " ' "I tell you that I myself will set up a royal house for you.

12 Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure.

13 He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. " ' "I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever.

14 I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips.

15 I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son.

16 " ' "Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever." ' "

17 Nathan reported to David all of the words that the LORD had spoken to him.

18 Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said, "LORD and King, who am I? My family isn't important. So why have you brought me this far?

19 I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, LORD and King, you have also spoken about what is going to happen to my royal house in days to come. LORD and King, is this your usual way of dealing with people?

20 "What more can I say to you? LORD and King, you know all about me.

21 You have done a wonderful thing. You have made it known to me. You have done it because that's what you said you would do. It's exactly what you wanted to do for me.

22 "LORD and King, how great you are! There isn't anyone like you. There isn't any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears.

23 "Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven out nations and their gods to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt.

24 You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God.

25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made to me and my royal house. Do exactly as you promised.

26 Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, 'The LORD rules over all. He is God over Israel.' My royal house will be made secure in your sight.

27 "LORD who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here's what you have shown me. You told me, 'I will build you a royal house.' So I can boldly offer this prayer to you.

28 LORD and King, you are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me.

29 "Now please bless my royal house. Then it will continue forever in your sight. LORD and King, you have spoken. Because you have given my royal house your blessing, it will be blessed forever."

1 While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them.

2 David also won the battle over the people of Moab. He made them lie down on the ground. Then he measured them off with a piece of rope. He put two-thirds of them to death. He let the other third remain alive. So the Moabites were brought under David's rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him.

3 David fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to take back control of the land along the Euphrates River.

4 David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer's chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses.

5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them.

6 He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The LORD helped David win his battles everywhere he went.

7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem.

8 He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer.

9 Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer.

10 So Tou sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted David. He praised him because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Joram brought with him articles that were made out of silver, gold and bronze.

11 King David set those articles apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had brought under his control.

12 Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. He also set apart for the LORD what he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah.

13 David returned after he had struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He became famous for doing it.

14 He stationed some soldiers all through Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under his rule. The LORD helped David win his battles everywhere he went.

15 David ruled over the whole nation of Israel. He did what was fair and right for all of his people.

16 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records.

17 Zadok, the son of Ahitub, was a priest. Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, was also a priest. Seraiah was the secretary.

18 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David's sons were royal advisers.

1 The tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3 Then Jesus told them a story.

4 He said, "Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won't he leave the 99 in the open country? Won't he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it?

5 When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders

6 and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.'

7 "I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins.

8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She will light a lamp and sweep the house. She will search carefully until she finds the coin.

9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.'

10 "I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin."