1 So they brought
the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David
had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace
offerings before God.
2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings
and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of
the LORD.
3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to
every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a
flagon of wine.
4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before
the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise
the LORD God of Israel:
5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth,
and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom:
and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound
with cymbals;
6 Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually
before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank
the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known
his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous
works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice
that seek the LORD.
11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders,
and the judgments of his mouth;
13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his
chosen ones.
14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded
to a thousand generations;
16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his
oath unto Isaac;
17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel
for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot
of your inheritance;
19 When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
20 And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom
to another people;
21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings
for their sakes,
22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to
day his salvation.
24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works
among all nations.
25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also
is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made
the heavens.
27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness
are in his place.
28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto
the LORD glory and strength.
29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an
offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty
of holiness.
30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable,
that it be not moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let
men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields
rejoice, and all that is therein.
33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence
of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever.
35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us
together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give
thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And
all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.
37 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:
38 And Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight;
Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:
39 And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before
the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,
40 To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of
the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do
according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which
he commanded Israel;
41 And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were
chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD,
because his mercy endureth for ever;
42 And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals
for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments
of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.
43 And all the people departed every man to his house: and David
returned to bless his house.
Chapter 17
1 Now it came to
pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the
prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the
covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.
2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart;
for God is with thee.
3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came
to Nathan, saying,
4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt
not build me an house to dwell in:
5 For I have not dwelt in an 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.
6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word
to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my
people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?
7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus
saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even
from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over
my people Israel:
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked,
and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have
made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in
the earth.
9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will
plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be
moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste
them any more, as at the beginning,
10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my
people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore
I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that
thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy
seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish
his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne
for ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will
not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that
was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for
ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision,
so did Nathan speak unto David.
16 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said,
Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast
brought me hitherto?
17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for
thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while
to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man
of high degree, O LORD God.
18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant?
for thou knowest thy servant.
19 O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own
heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all
these great things.
20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God
beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel,
whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a
name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from
before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?
22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for
ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.
23 Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken
concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established
for ever, and do as thou hast said.
24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified
for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even
a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established
before thee.
25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt
build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his
heart to pray before thee.
26 And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness
unto thy servant:
27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy
servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest,
O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.
Chapter 18
1 Now after this
it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued
them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants,
and brought gifts.
3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he
went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand
horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all
the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king
of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand
men.
6 Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians
became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved
David whithersoever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants
of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer,
brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen
sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.
9 Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all
the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;
10 He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his
welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against
Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;)
and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
11 Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver
and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom,
and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the
Philistines, and from Amalek.
12 Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites
in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.
13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became
David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever
he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and
justice among all his people.
15 And Joab the son Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat
the son of Ahilud, recorder.
16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar,
were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;
17 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites
and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the
king.
Chapter 19
1 Now it came to
pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon
died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of
Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David
sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the
servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon
to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest
thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters
unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search,
and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and
cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks,
and sent them away.
5 Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served.
And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed.
And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown,
and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves
odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand
talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of
Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king
of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba.
And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from
their cities, and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host
of the mighty men.
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in
array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come
were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before
and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put
them in array against the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of
Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against
the children of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou
shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for
thee, then I will help thee.
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly
for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD
do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before
the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were
fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered
into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse
before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians
that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the
host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed
over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array
against them. So when David had put the battle in array against
the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the
Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty
thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put
to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and
became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children
of Ammon any more.
Chapter 20
1 And it came to
pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings
go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and
wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged
Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah,
and destroyed it.
2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head,
and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious
stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought
also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them
with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so
dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And
David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer
with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite
slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they
were subdued.
5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan
the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite,
whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great
stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on
each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of
the giant.
7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's
brother slew him.
8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the
hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. |