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David's Palace in Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 5.11-16)

14 King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. They brought along carpenters and stone workers, and enough cedar logs to build David a palace. David now knew that the Lord had made him a powerful king of Israel for the good of his people.

After David moved to Jerusalem, he married more women and had more sons and daughters. 4-7 His children born there were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada,[a] and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

(2 Samuel 5.17-25)

When the Philistines heard that David had become king of Israel, they came to capture him. But David heard about their plan and marched out to meet them in battle. The Philistines had already camped in Rephaim Valley and were raiding the nearby villages.

10 David asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help me win?”

The Lord told David, “Yes, attack them! I will give you victory.”

11 David and his army marched to Baal-Perazim, where they attacked and defeated the Philistines. He said, “I defeated my enemies because God broke through them like a mighty flood.” So he named the place “The Lord Broke Through.”[b] 12 Then David ordered his troops to burn the idols that the Philistines had left behind.

13 Some time later, the Philistines came back into the hill country and camped in Rephaim Valley. 14 David asked God what he should do, and God answered, “Don't attack them from the front. Circle around behind them where the balsam[c] trees are. 15 Wait there until you hear the treetops making the sound of marching troops. That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army. So you must then attack quickly!”

16 David obeyed God and he defeated the Philistines. He even chased them all the way from Gibeon to the entrance to Gezer.

17 From then on, David became even more famous, and the Lord made all the nations afraid of him.

David Gets Ready To Bring the Sacred Chest to Jerusalem

15 David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept. (A) He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever.”

Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it. He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites that came were: Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and 120 of his relatives; Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and 220 of his relatives; Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and 130 of his relatives; Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and 200 of his relatives; Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and 80 of his relatives; and 10 Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with 112 of his relatives.

11 David called together these six Levites and the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar. 12 He said to them, “You are the leaders of the clans in the Levi tribe. You and your relatives must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean and acceptable to the Lord. Then you may carry the sacred chest that belongs to the Lord God of Israel and bring it to the place I have prepared for it. 13 The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the Lord what he wanted us to do. He was angry with us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest.”

14 The priests and the Levites made themselves clean. They were now ready to carry the sacred chest 15 (B) on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the Lord had told Moses to do.

16 David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed instruments, and cymbals. 17-21 The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.

22 Chenaniah was chosen to be the music director, because he was a skilled musician.

23-24 Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah.

Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer.

The Sacred Chest Is Brought to Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 6.12-22)

25 David, the leaders of Israel, and the army commanders were very happy as they went to Obed-Edom's house to get the sacred chest. 26 God gave the Levites the strength they needed to carry the chest, and so they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 David, the Levites, Chenaniah the music director, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes, and David was also wearing a linen cloth.[d] 28 While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.

29 Saul's daughter Michal[e] looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honor of the Lord, she was disgusted.

16 They put the sacred chest inside the tent that David had set up for it, then they offered sacrifices to please the Lord[f] and sacrifices to ask his blessing.[g] After David had finished, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave every person in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins.

David appointed some of the Levites to serve at the sacred chest; they were to play music and sing praises to the Lord God of Israel. Asaph was their leader, and Zechariah was his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and another man named Jeiel were appointed to play small harps and stringed instruments. Asaph himself played the cymbals, and the two priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets every day in front of the sacred chest.

David's Song of Praise

(Psalms 105.1-15; 96.1-13; 106.1,47,48)

That same day, David instructed Asaph and his relatives for the first time to sing these praises to the Lord:

Praise the Lord
    and pray in his name!
Tell everyone
    what he has done.
Sing praises to the Lord!
    Tell about his miracles.
10 Celebrate and worship
his holy name
    with all your heart.

11 Trust the Lord
and his mighty power.
    Worship him always.
12 Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
    and his fair decisions.
13 You belong to the family
    of Israel, his servant;
you are his chosen ones,
    the descendants of Jacob.

14 The Lord is our God,
bringing justice
    everywhere on earth.
15 We must never forget
his agreement and his promises,
    not in thousands of years.
* 16 (C) God made an eternal promise
17     to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
18 when he said, “I'll give you
    the land of Canaan.”

19 At the time there were
only a few of us,
    and we were homeless.
20 We wandered from nation
to nation, from one country
    to another.
21 (D) God did not let anyone
    mistreat our people.
Instead he protected us
    by punishing rulers
22 and telling them,
“Don't touch my chosen leaders
    or harm my prophets!”

23 Everyone on this earth,
    sing praises to the Lord.
Day after day announce,
    “The Lord has saved us!”
24 Tell every nation on earth,
“The Lord is wonderful
    and does marvelous things!
25 The Lord is great and deserves
    our greatest praise!
He is the only God
    worthy of our worship.
26 Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
    the heavens.
27 Give honor and praise
    to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
    fill his holy temple.”

28 Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
    of the Lord.
29 He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
    into his temple.
Worship the Lord,
    majestic and holy.
30 Everyone on earth, now tremble!”

The world stands firm,
    never to be shaken.
31 Tell the heavens and the earth
    to be glad and celebrate!
And announce to the nations,
    “The Lord is King!”
32 Command the ocean to roar
    with all of its creatures
and the fields to rejoice
    with all of their crops.
33 Then every tree in the forest
will sing joyful songs
    to the Lord.
He is coming to judge
    all people on earth.

34 (E) Praise the Lord
because he is good to us,
    and his love never fails.
35 Say to him, “Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
    from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
    in praise of your holy name.
36 Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
    forever and ever.”

After David finished, the people shouted, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

David Appoints Worship Leaders at Jerusalem and Gibeon

37 David chose Asaph and the Levites in his clan to be in charge of the daily worship at the place where the sacred chest was kept. 38 Obed-Edom and 68 of his relatives were their assistants, and Hosah and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun were the guards.

39 David also chose Zadok the priest and his relatives who were priests to serve at the Lord's sacred tent at Gibeon. 40 They were to offer sacrifices on the altar every morning and evening, just as the Lord had commanded in the Law he gave Israel. 41 (F) Heman and Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to praise the Lord for his never-ending love. 42 Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.

43 (G) After that, everyone went home, and David went home to his family.

Footnotes

  1. 14.4-7 Beeliada: Or “Eliada” (see 3.6-8).
  2. 14.11 The Lord Broke Through: Or “Baal-Perazim.”
  3. 14.14 balsam: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 15.27 a linen cloth: The Hebrew word is “ephod,” which can mean either a piece of clothing like a skirt that went from the waist to the knee or a garment like a vest or jacket that only the priests wore.
  5. 15.29 Michal: One of David's wives.
  6. 16.1 sacrifices to please the Lord: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “whole burnt offerings” because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the Lord with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called “sacrifices to please the Lord.”
  7. 16.1 sacrifices to ask his blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “peace offerings” or “offerings of well-being.” A main purpose was to ask for the Lord's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called “sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.”

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