14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of 15 the LORD God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD. 16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sound17 ing, by lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of 18 Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and 19 Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the porters. So the 1 singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of 20 brass; and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and 21 Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. 22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, 3 was for song: he instructed about 23 the song, because he was skilful. And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. 83 24 25 And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark. So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom 26 with joy. And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. 27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the 5 song with the 28 singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and 29 harps. And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart. 16 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before 2 God. And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and 3 the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. 4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the 5 LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries 6 and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. 8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, Make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, Talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 1 Ver. 18, Jaaziel. 2 Or, on the eighth to oversce. 3 Or, was for the carriage: he instructed about the carriage. 4 Heb. lifting up. 5 Or, carriage. 6 Heb. with instruments of psalleries and harps. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, Seek his face continually. 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. 15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; The word which he commanded to a thousand generations; 16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, And of his oath unto Isaac ; 17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, And to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, 1 The lot of your inheritance; 19 When ye were but 2 few, Even a few, and strangers in it. 20 And when they went from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people; 21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, And do my prophets no harm. 23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; Show forth from day to day his salvation. 24 Declare his glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations. 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the people are idols: But the LORD made the heavens. 27 Glory and honour are in his presence; Strength and gladness are in his place. 28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. 29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him : Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 30 Fear before him, all the earth: The world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: And let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. 32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: Let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. 33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out At the presence of the LORD, because he cometh To judge the earth. 34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; For his mercy endureth for ever. 35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, That we may give thanks to thy holy name, 36 And glory in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. 37 And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD. So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: 38 and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the 89 son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters: and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that 40 was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all 41 that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever; 42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of 43 Jeduthun were 2 porters. And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house. 17 NOW it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. 2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with 3 thee. And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to 4 Nathan, saying, Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou 5 shalt not build me an house to dwell in: for I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to 6 tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to 7 feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars? Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even 4 from following the sheep, that thou 8 shouldest be ruler over my people Israel: and I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the 9 earth. Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall 10 the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning, and since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build 11 thee an house. And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which 12 shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an 13 house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him 14 that was before thee: but I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever and his throne shall be established for evermore. 15 16 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O 17 LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according 18 to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What can David speak 19 more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done 20 all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we 21 have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, 22 whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? For thy people Israel didst thou 23 make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and 24 concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of 1 Heb. in the morning, and 2 Heb. for the gate. 4 Heb. from after. 3 Heb. have been. 5 Heb. greatnesses. B. C. cir. 1040-1037. 1 CHRONICLES XVIII, XIX. 25 David thy servant be established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told 18 2 3 NOW after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. And David smote 3 Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to 4 stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots. Then David put 5 And when the Syrians of 5 Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, 6 David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. And garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and 7 brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and 8 brought them to Jerusalem. Likewise from 6 Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass. 9 Now when 7 Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host 10 of Hadarezer king of Zobah; he sent 8 Hadoram his son to king David, 9 to inquire of his welfare, and10 to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer 11 had war with Tou;) and with 11 him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek. 12 Moreover 12 Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of 13 salt eighteen thousand. And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites. became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he 14 went. SO David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and 15 all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehosha16 phat the son of Ahilud, 13 recorder. 14 Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and 15 Shavsha was scribe; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief 16 about the king. 19 NOW it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. to me. And David said, I will show 2 kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, 3 to comfort him. 17 Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, Then there went certain, and told David how the 5 and sent them away. men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, ashamed. 4 and then return. 1 Heb. revealed the ear of thy 2 Or, it hath pleased thee. 4 2 Samuel viii. 4, seven hun- 5 Heb. Darmesek. 6 Called in the book of Samuel 13 Or, remembrancer. 7 Or, Toi, 2 Sam. viii. 9. 8 Or, Joram, 2 Sam. viii. 10. 10 Heb. to bless. 11 Heb. was the man of wars. 14 Called Ahimelech, 2 Sam. viii. 17. 15 Called Scraiah, 2 Sam. viii. 17; and Shisha, 1 Kings iv. 3, 16 Heb. at the hand of the king. 17 Heb. In thine eyes doth David, &c. 6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, 7 and out of Zobah. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty 9 men. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the 10 field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the 3 choice of Israel, and put them in array against the 11 Syrians. And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of 4 Abishai his 12 brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the 13 children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight. 14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto 15 the battle; and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and 17 6 Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the 18 battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the 19 host. And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more. 20 AND it came to pass, that 7 after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at 2 Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it 8 to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he 3 brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city. And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4 5 6 AND it came to pass after this, that there 9 10 arose war at 11 Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew 12 Sippai, that was of the children of 15 the giant: and they were subdued. And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of 14 Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam. And yet again there was war at Gath, where was 15 a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each 7 foot and he also was 16 the son of the giant. But when he 17 defied Israel, 8 Jonathan the son of 18 Shimea David's brother slew him. These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his : |