proclaim His deeds among the peoples.
9Sing praises unto Him;
speak of all His wondrous acts.
10Exult in His holy name;
let all who seek the LORD rejoice.
11Turn to the LORD, to His might;d
seek His presence constantly.
12Remember the wonders He has done;
His portents and the judgments He has pronounced,
13O offspring of Israel, His servant,
O descendants of Jacob, His chosen ones.
14He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are throughout the earth.
15Be ever mindful of His covenant,
the promise He gave for a thousand generations,
16that He made with Abraham,
swore to Isaac,
17and confirmed in a decree for Jacob,
for Israel, as an eternal covenant,
18saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your allotted heritage.’
19You were then few in number,
a handful, merely sojourning there,
20wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21He allowed no one to oppress them;
He reproved kings on their account,
22‘Do not touch My anointed ones;
do not harm My prophets.’
23e“Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
proclaim His victory day after day.
24Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wondrous deeds among all peoples.
25For the LORD is great and much acclaimed,
He is held in awe by all divine beings.
26All the gods of the peoples are mere idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
27Glory and majesty are before Him;
strength and joy are in His place.
28“Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
29Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name,
bring tribute and enter before Him,
bow down to the LORD majestic in holiness.
30Tremble in His presence, all the earth!
The world stands firm; it cannot be shaken.
31Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult;
let them declare among the nations, “The LORD is King!”
32Let the sea and all within it thunder,
the fields and everything in them exult;
33then shall all the trees of the forest shout for joy
at the presence of the LORD,
for He is coming to rule the earth.
34Praise the LORD for He is good;
His steadfast love is eternal.
35f-Declare:
Deliver us, O God, our deliverer,
and gather us and save us from the nations,
to acclaim Your holy name,
to glory in Your praise.
36Blessed is the LORD, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity.” And all the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”-f
37He left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD to minister before the Ark regularly as each day required, 38as well as Obed-edom with their kinsmen—68; also Obed-edom son of Jedithun and Hosah as gatekeepers; 39also Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the Tabernacle of the LORD at the shrine which was in Gibeon; 40to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with what was prescribed in the Teaching of the LORD with which He charged Israel. 41With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the other selected men designated by name to give praise to the LORD, “For His steadfast love is eternal.” 42Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to sound, and instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate. 43Then all the people went every one to his home, and David returned to greet his household.
17 aWhen David settled in his palace, David said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am dwelling in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD is under tent-cloths.” 2Nathan said to David, “Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you.”
3But that same night the word of God came to Nathan: 4“Go and say to My servant David: Thus said the LORD: You are not the one to build
a house for Me to dwell in. 5From the day that I brought out Israel to this day, I have not dwelt in a house, but have [gone] from tent to tent and from one Tabernacle [to another]. 6As I moved about wherever Israel went, did I ever reproach any of the judges of Israel whom I appointed to care for My people Israel: Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?
7“Further, say thus to My servant David: Thus said the LORD of Hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be ruler of My people Israel, 8and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut down all your enemies before you. Moreover, I will give you renown like that of the greatest men on earth. 9I will establish a home for My people Israel and will plant them firm, so that they shall dwell secure and shall tremble no more. Evil men shall not wear them down anymore as in the past, 10ever since I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.
And I declare to you: The LORD will build a houseb for you. 11When your days are done and you follow your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingship. 12He shall build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to Me, but I will never withdraw My favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor. 14I will install him in My house and in My kingship forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”
15Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all these words and all this prophecy. 16Then King David came and sat before the LORD, and he said, “What am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far? 17Yet even this, O God, has seemed too little to You; for You have spoken of Your servant’s house for the future. c-You regard me as a man of distinction,-c O LORD God. 18What more can David add regarding the honoring of Your servant? You know Your servant. 19O LORD, c-for Your servant’s sake, and of Your own accord,-c You have wrought this great thing, and made known all these great things. 20O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no other God but You, as we have always heard. 21And who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth, whom God went and redeemed as His people, winning renown for Yourself for great and marvelous deeds, driving out nations before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt. 22You have established Your people Israel as Your very own people forever; and You, O LORD, have become their God.
23“And now, O LORD, let Your promise concerning Your servant and his house be fulfilled forever; and do as You have promised. 24Let it be fulfilled that Your name be glorified forever, in that men will say, ‘The LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, is Israel’s God’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. 25Because You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him, Your servant has ventured to pray to You. 26And now, O LORD, You are God and You have made this gracious promise to Your servant. 27Now, it has pleased You to bless Your servant’s house, that it abide before You forever; for You, O LORD, have blessed and are blessed forever.”
18 aSometime afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; and David took Gath and its dependencies from the Philistines. 2He also defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became tributary vassals of David.
3David defeated Hadadezer, king of Zobah-hamath, who was on his way to set up his monument at the Euphrates River. 4David captured 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers of his force; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses except for 100, which he retained. 5And when the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of King Hadadezer of Zobah-hamath, David struck down 22,000 of the Arameans. 6David stationed [garrisons] in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became tributary vassals of David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 7David took the gold shieldsb carried by Hadadezer’s retinue and brought them to Jerusalem; 8and from Tibbath and Cun, towns of Hadadezer, David took a vast amount of copper, from which Solomon made the bronze tank, the columns, and the bronze vessels.
9When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him on his military victory over Hadadezer—for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou; [he brought with him] all manner of gold, silver, and copper objects. 11King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the other silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, and Ammon; from the Philistines and the Amalekites.
12Abshai son of Zeruiah struck down Edom in the Valley of Salt, 18,000 in all. 13He stationed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became vassals of David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
14David reigned over all Israel, and David executed true justice among all his people. 15Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 16Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was scribe; 17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were first ministers of the king.
19 aSometime afterward, Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2David said, “I will keep faith with Hanun son of Nahash, since his father kept faith with me.” David sent
