39All these, fighting men, manning the battle line with whole heart, came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel was of one mind to make David king.
40They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had provided for them.
41And also, their relatives as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food by ass, camel, mule, and ox—provisions of flour, cakes of figs, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance, for there was joy in Israel.
13 Then David consulted with the officers of the thousands and the hundreds, with every chief officer. 2David said to the entire assembly of Israel, “If you approve, and if the LORD our God concurs,a let us send far and wide to our remaining kinsmen throughout the territories of Israel, including the priests and Levites in the towns where they have pasturelands, that they should gather together to us 3in order to transfer the Ark of our God to us, for throughout the days of Saul we paid no regard to it.” 4The entire assembly agreed to do so, for the proposal pleased all the people. 5David then assembled all Israel from Shihor of Egypt to Lebohamath, in order to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6bDavid and all Israel went up to Baalah, Kiriath-jearim of Judah, to bring up from there the Ark of God, the LORD, Enthroned on the Cherubim, to which the Name was attached. 7They transported the Ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzza and Ahio guided the cart, 8and David and all Israel danced before God with all their might—with songs, lyres, harps, timbrels, cymbals, and trumpets. 9But when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the Ark of God because the oxen had stumbled.a 10The LORD was incensed at Uzza, and struck him down, because he laid a hand on the Ark; and so he died there before God. 11David was distressed because the LORD c-had burst out-c against Uzza; and that place was named Perez-uzzah, as it is still called.
12David was afraid of God that day; he said, “How can I bring the Ark of God here?” 13So David did not remove the Ark to his place in the City of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14The Ark of God remained in the house of Obed-edom, in its own abode, three months, and the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom and all he had.
14 aKing Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2Thus David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingship was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
3David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. 4These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem:b Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon; 5Ibhar, Elishua, and Elpelet; 6Nogah, Nepheg, and Japhia; 7Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; but David heard of it, and he went out to them. 9The Philistines came and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 10David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hands?” And the LORD answered him, “Go up, and I will deliver them into your hands.” 11Thereupon David ascended Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. David said, “God c-burst out-c against my enemies by my hands as waters burst out.” That is why that place was named Baal-perazim. 12They abandoned their gods there, and David ordered these to be burned.
13Once again the Philistines raided the valley. 14David inquired of God once more, and God answered, “Do not go up after them, but circle around them and confront them at the bacad trees. 15And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go out to battle, for God will be going in front of you to attack the Philistine forces.” 16David did as God had commanded him; and they routed the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. 17David became famous throughout the lands, and the LORD put the fear of him in all the nations.
15 He had houses made for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David gave orders that none but the Levites were to carry the Ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever. 3David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4Then David gathered together the Aaronides and the Levites: 5the sons of Kohath: Uriel the officer and his kinsmen—120; 6the sons of Merari: Asaiah the officer and his kinsmen—220; 7the sons of Gershom: Joel the officer and his kinsmen—130; 8the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the officer and his kinsmen—200; 9the sons of Hebron: Eliel the officer and his kinsmen—80; 10the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the officer and his kinsmen—112.
11David sent for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12He said to them, “You are the heads of the clans of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your kinsmen, and bring up the Ark of the LORD God of Israel to [the place] I have prepared for it. 13a-Because you were not there the first time,-a the LORD our God burst out against us, for we did not show due regard for Him.”
14The priests and Levites sanctified themselves in order to bring up the Ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15The Levites carried the Ark of God by means of poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. 16David ordered the officers of the Levites to install their kinsmen, the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, joyfully making their voices heard. 17So the Levites installed Heman son of Joel and, of his kinsmen, Asaph son of Berechiah; and, of the sons of Merari their kinsmen, Ethan son of Kushaiah. 18Together with them were their kinsmen of second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphalehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers. 19Also the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan to sound the bronze cymbals, 20and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with harps a-on alamoth;-a 21also Mattithiah, Eliphalehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with lyres to lead a-on the sheminith;-a 22also Chenaniah, officer of the Levites in song;a he was in charge of the songa because he was a master. 23Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark. 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests sounded the trumpets before the Ark of God, and Obed-edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the Ark. 25bThen David and the elders of Israel and the officers of the thousands who were going to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom were joyful. 26Since God helped the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27Now David and all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, and the singers and Chenaniah, officer of song of the singers, a-were wrapped-a in robes of fine linen, and David wore a linen ephod. 28All Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD with shouts and with blasts of the horn, with trumpets and cymbals, playing on harps and lyres. 29As the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD arrived at the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing, and she despised him for it.
16 aThey brought in the Ark of God and set it up inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before God. 2When David finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3And he distributed to every person in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, b-a cake made in a pan, and a raisin cake.-b 4He appointed Levites to minister before the Ark of the LORD, to invoke, to praise, and to extol the LORD God of Israel: 5Asaph the chief, Zechariah second in rank, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres, and Asaph sounding the cymbals, 6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests, with trumpets, regularly before the Ark of the Covenant of God. 7Then, on that day, David first commissioned Asaph and his kinsmen to give praise to the LORD:
8c“Praise the LORD;
call on
