David's Soldiers in Hebron
23
The numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, according to the
Lord
's word, were as follows:
24
From the Judahites: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.
25
From the Simeonites: 7,100 brave warriors ready for war.
26
From the Levites: 4,600
27
in addition to Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men;
28
and Zadok, a young brave warrior, with 22 commanders from his own ancestral house.
29
From the Benjaminites, the relatives of Saul: 3,000 (up to that time the majority of the Benjaminites maintained their allegiance to the house of Saul).
30
From the Ephraimites: 20,800 brave warriors who were famous men in their ancestral houses.
31
From half the tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.
32
From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.
33
From Zebulun: 50,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, with one purpose to help David.
34
From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.
35
From the Danites: 28,600 trained for battle.
36
From Asher: 40,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle.
37
From across the Jordan — from the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: 120,000 men equipped with all the military weapons of war.
38
All these warriors, lined up in battle formation, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel was also of one mind to make David king.
39
They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.
40
In addition, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came and brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen — abundant provisions of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine and oil, oxen, and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.
1 Chronicles
David and the Ark
13
David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
2
Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the
Lord
our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.
3
Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in Saul's days.”
4
Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.
5
So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
6
David and all Israel went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take the ark of God from there, which is called by the name of the
Lord
who dwells between the
•cherubim
.
7
At Abinadab's house they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart.
8
David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9
When they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled.
10
Then the
Lord
's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God.
11
David was angry because of the
Lord
's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is still named today.
12
David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me? ”
13
So David did not move the ark of God home to the city of David; instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
14
The ark of God remained with Obed-edom's family in his house for three months, and the
Lord
blessed his family and all that he had.
1 Chronicles
God's Blessing on David
14
King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him.
2
Then David knew that the
Lord
had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
3
David took more wives in Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters.
4
These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
5
Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
6
Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
7
Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of David; when David heard of this, he went out to face them.
9
Now the Philistines had come and raided in the Valley of Rephaim,
10
so David inquired of God, “Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me? ”
The
Lord
replied, “Go, and I will hand them over to you.”
11
So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place the Lord Bursts Out.
12
The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.
13
Once again the Philistines raided in the valley.
14
So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, “Do not pursue them directly. Circle around them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.
15
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then march out to battle, for God will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines.”
16
So David did exactly as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.
17
Then David's fame spread throughout the lands, and the
Lord
caused all the nations to be terrified of him.
1 Chronicles
The Ark Comes to Jerusalem
15
David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
2
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the
Lord
has chosen them to carry the ark of the
Lord
and to minister before Him forever.”
3
David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the
Lord
to the place he had prepared for it.
4
Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5
From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives;
6
from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives;
7
from the Gershomites, Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives;
8
from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives;
9
from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives;
10
from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.
11
David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12
He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the
Lord
God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.
13
For the
Lord
our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn't inquire of Him about the proper procedures.”
14
So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the
Lord
God of Israel.
15
Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the
Lord
: on their shoulders with the poles.
16
Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments — harps, lyres, and cymbals.
17
So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah.
18
With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
19
The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;
20
Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to
Alamoth
;
21
and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the •
Sheminith
.
22
Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful.
23
Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
24
The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25
David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the
Lord
from the house of Obed-edom.
26
While the Levites were carrying the ark of the covenant of the
Lord
, with God's help, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27
Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen
•ephod
.
28
So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the
Lord
with shouts, the sound of the ram's horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres.
29
As the ark of the covenant of the
Lord
was entering the city of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.
1 Chronicles
16
They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered
•burnt
offerings and
•fellowship
offerings in God's presence.
2
When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of
•Yahweh
.
3
Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
4
David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the
Lord
, to celebrate the
Lord
God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to Him.
5
•Asaph
was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
6
and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
David's Psalm of Thanksgiving
7
On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the
Lord
by Asaph and his relatives:
8
Give thanks to Yahweh; call on His name;
proclaim His deeds among the peoples.
9
Sing to Him; sing praise to Him;
tell about all His wonderful works!
10
Honor His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
11
Search for the
Lord
and for His strength;
seek His face always.
12
Remember the wonderful works He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced,
13
you offspring of Israel His servant,
Jacob's descendants — His chosen ones.
14
He is the
Lord
our God;
His judgments govern the whole earth.
15
Remember His covenant forever —
the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,
16
the covenant He made with Abraham,
swore to Isaac,
17
and confirmed to Jacob as a decree,
and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18
“I will give the land of Canaan to you
as your inherited portion.”