Old/New Testament

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(A)(B)

6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. ² He and all his men went to Baalah^[a](C) in Judah to bring up from there the ark^(D) of God, which is called by the Name,^[b](E) the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned^(F) between the cherubim^(G) on the ark. ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart^(H) and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.^(I) Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God on it,^[c] and Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all Israel were celebrating^(J) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,^[d] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.^(K)

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of^(L) the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. ⁷ The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;^(M) therefore God struck him down,^(N) and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath^(O) had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.^[e](P)

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How^(Q) can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰ He was not willing 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^(R) the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.^(S)

¹² Now King David^(T) was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed^(U) a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ Wearing a linen ephod,^(V) David was dancing^(W) before the Lord with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts^(X) and the sound of trumpets.^(Y)

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David,^(Z) Michal^(AA) daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it,^(AB) and David sacrificed burnt offerings^(AC) and fellowship offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing^(AD) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(AE) the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins^(AF) to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.^(AG) And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked^(AH) in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed^(AI) me ruler^(AJ) over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

God’s Promise to David^(AK)

7 After the king was settled in his palace^(AL) and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies^(AM) around him,^{(AN) 2} he said to Nathan^(AO) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(AP) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(AQ)

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,^(AR) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

¹⁷ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer^(CE)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

David’s Victories^(DA)

8 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines^(DB) and subdued^(DC) them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

² David also defeated the Moabites.^(DD) He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.^(DE)

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer^(DF) son of Rehob, king of Zobah,^(DG) when he went to restore his monument at^[j] the Euphrates^(DH) River. ⁴ David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers^[k] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(DI) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(DJ) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons^(DK) in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject^(DL) to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.^(DM)

⁷ David took the gold shields^(DN) that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[l] and Berothai,^(DO) towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

⁹ When Tou^[m] king of Hamath^(DP) heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,^{(DQ) 10} he sent his son Joram^[n] to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated^(DR) these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: ¹² Edom^[o](DS) and Moab,^(DT) the Ammonites^(DU) and the Philistines,^(DV) and Amalek.^(DW) He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ And David became famous^(DX) after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites^[p] in the Valley of Salt.^(DY)

¹⁴ He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites^(DZ) became subject to David.^(EA) The Lord gave David victory^(EB) wherever he went.^(EC)

David’s Officials^(ED)

¹⁵ David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right^(EE) for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab^(EF) son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat^(EG) son of Ahilud was recorder;^{(EH) 17} Zadok^(EI) son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar^(EJ) were priests; Seraiah was secretary;^{(EK) 18} Benaiah^(EL) son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites^(EM) and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.^[q]

The Parable of the Lost Sheep^(A)

15 Now the tax collectors^(B) and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”^(C)

³ Then Jesus told them this parable:^{(D) 4} “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?^{(E) 5} And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’^{(F) 7} I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.^(G)

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’^{(H) 10} In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”^(I)