The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore;

of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

and said unto them: 'Ye are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, unto the place that I have prepared for it.

For because ye bore it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not according to the ordinance.'

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the bars thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphalehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed, with cymbals of brass to sound aloud;

and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth;

and Mattithiah, and Eliphalehu, and Mikneiahu, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith, to lead.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song; he was master in the song, because he was skilful.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark.

And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the singers in the song; and David had upon him an ephod of linen.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with psalteries and harps.

And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and making merry; and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God.

And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a cake made in a pan, and a sweet cake.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD, the God of Israel:

Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

Then on that day did David first ordain to give thanks unto the LORD, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

O give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name; make known His doings among the peoples.

Sing unto Him, sing praises unto Him; speak ye of all His marvellous works.

Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Seek ye the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.

Remember His marvellous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth;

O ye seed of Israel His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones.

He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

Remember His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations;

The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac;

And He established it unto Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant;

Saying: 'Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.'

When ye were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and sojourners in it,

And when they went about from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people,

He suffered no man to do them wrong, yea, for their sake He reproved kings:

'Touch not Mine anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.'

Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are things of nought; but the LORD made the heavens.

Honour and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place.

Ascribe unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the peoples, ascribe unto the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Tremble before Him, all the earth; the world also is established that it cannot be moved.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations: 'The LORD reigneth.'

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; let the field exult, and all that is therein;

Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy, before the LORD, for He is come to judge the earth.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.

And say ye: 'Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks unto Thy holy name, that we may triumph in Thy praise.'

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And all the people said: 'Amen,' and praised the LORD.

So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required;

and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jedithun and Hosah to be door-keepers;

and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,

to offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the Law of the LORD, which He commanded unto Israel;

and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endureth for ever;

and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.

And all the people departed every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

And it came to pass, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet: 'Lo, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD dwelleth under curtains.'

And Nathan said unto David: 'Do all that is in thy heart; for God is with thee.'

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

'Go and tell David My servant: Thus saith the LORD: Thou shalt not build Me a house to dwell in;

for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

In all places wherein I have walked among all Israel, spoke I a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, saying: Why have ye not built Me a house of cedar?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto My servant David: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over My people Israel;

and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth.

And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first,

even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will subdue all thine enemies. Moreover I tell thee that the LORD will build thee a house.

And it shall come to pass, when thy days are fulfilled that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee;

but I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for ever.'

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said: 'Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me thus far?

And this was a small thing in Thine eyes, O God; but Thou hast spoken of Thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me after the manner of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

What can David say yet more unto Thee concerning the honour which is done to Thy servant? for Thou knowest Thy servant.

O LORD, for Thy servant's sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

O LORD, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And who is like Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth, whom God went to redeem unto Himself for a people, to make Thee a name by great and tremendous things, in driving out nations from before Thy people, whom Thou didst redeem out of Egypt.

For Thy people Israel didst Thou make Thine own people for ever; and Thou, LORD, becamest their God.

And now, O LORD, let the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as Thou hast spoken.

Yea, let it be established, and let Thy name be magnified for ever, that it may be said: The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Thy servant shall be established before Thee.

For Thou, O my God, hast revealed to Thy servant that Thou wilt build him a house; therefore hath Thy servant taken heart to pray before Thee.

And now, O LORD, Thou alone art God, and hast promised this good thing unto Thy servant;

and now it hath pleased Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee; for Thou, O LORD, hast blessed, and so let Thy servant be blessed for ever.'

And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.

And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah by Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion at the river Euphrates.

And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.

And when the Arameans of Damascus came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Arameans two and twenty thousand men.

Then David put garrisons in Aram Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, and brought presents. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah,