1 Chronicles 13–15
1 So David conferred with the captains of the thousands and of the hundreds and with every leader. 2 Then he said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and to the Lord our God, let us send word to the rest of our brothers throughout all the land of Israel along with the priests and the Levites in their cities, that they might join us here. 3 Then let us bring the ark of the Lord our God back to us, for we did not seek it during the days of Saul.” 4 Then all the assembly agreed to do it because the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So David assembled all Israel, from Shihor in Egypt as far as the entrance to Hamath, in order to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 And he went up with all Israel to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath Jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up the ark of God, the Lord who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is called.
7 They transported the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab with Uzzah and Ahio driving the cart 8 while David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, performing songs on lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 When they had come as far as the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah stretched out his hand to take hold of the ark because the oxen had stumbled on the path. 10 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and He struck him because he reached his hand out to touch the ark. Thus, Uzzah died there before God.
11 Now David was angry because the Lord struck out against Uzzah, so he called that place Perez Uzzah, as it is to this day.
12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to myself?” 13 So David stopped moving the ark of God to himself in the City of David and diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, 14 and while the ark of God stayed in his house three months, the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all he had.
Chapter 14
1 Then Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar wood, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2 So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel because his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
3 Now David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8 Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David, but David heard and went out to them. 9 So the Philistines came and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 10 Then David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?”
The Lord answered, “Go up against them, and I will give them into your hand.”
11 And they went up to Baal Perazim, and David struck them down there. Then David said, “God broke through my enemies by my hand as the breaking through of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal Perazim. 12 They abandoned their gods there, and David said that they should be burned with fire.
13 Now the Philistines raided the valley once more. 14 And David again inquired of God, and God answered him: “Do not go up after them, but turn around behind them and come to them in front of the balsam trees. 15 Whenever you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, you will advance the battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 16 David did just as God commanded him, and they struck the camp of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.
17 So the fame of David went out in all the lands, and the Lord put the dread of him on all the nations.
Chapter 15
1 So 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 may carry the ark of God except the Levites since the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before Him always.”
3 David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem in order to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. 4 And David gathered representatives of the sons of Aaron and the Levites, as follows:
5 from the sons of Kohath,
Uriel the leader and one hundred and twenty of his brothers;
6 from the sons of Merari,
Asaiah the leader and two hundred and twenty of his brothers;
7 from the sons of Gershom,
Joel the leader and one hundred and thirty of his brothers;
8 from the sons of Elizaphan,
Shemaiah the leader and two hundred of his brothers;
9 from the sons of Hebron,
Eliel the leader and eighty of his brothers;
10 from the sons of Uzziel,
Amminadab the leader and one hundred and twelve of his brothers.
11 Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests and for the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the captains of the fathers’ houses for the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it 13 because on the first attempt without you the Lord struck out against us since we did not seek Him properly.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The sons of the Levites lifted up the ark of God just as Moses commanded, with the poles on their shoulders, according to the word of the Lord.
16 Then David told the leaders of the Levites to position their brothers the singers with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals to resound with joyful songs.
17 So the Levites placed Heman the son of Joel, and from his brothers, Asaph the son of Berekiah, and from their brothers the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, 18 and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.
19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were directed to sound cymbals of brass. 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to accompany with harps on Alamoth. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres on the Sheminith. 22 Kenaniah, leader of the Levites, was to conduct the music because he was skillful.
23 Berekiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were assigned to sound trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the leaders of the thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with rejoicing. 26 Since God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 Now David was clothed in a fine linen robe, as were the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the conductor of singing and singers. David himself wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with a shout and with the sound of the ram’s horn and with trumpets and cymbals, making music on harps and lyres.
29 Now as the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal the daughter of Saul was looking down from the window, and when she saw King David dancing and spinning, she despised him in her heart.
John 7:1–27
1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee. He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You do. 4 For no one does anything in secret, while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, reveal Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always fitting. 7 The world cannot hate you. But it hates Me, because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not going up to this feast yet, because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 Having said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
10 However, after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly, but secretly. 11 Then the Jews looked for Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”
12 There was much complaining among the people concerning Him. For some said, “He is a good Man.”
Others said, “No, He deceives the people.” 13 Yet no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews marveled, saying, “How has this Man become educated, having never been taught?”
16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If any man desires to do His will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory. But He who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did Moses not give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a man on the Sabbath day (although it did not come from Moses, but from the Patriarchs). 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath day, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at Me because I completely healed a man on the Sabbath day? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but practice righteous judgment.”
25 Then some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 Look! He speaks publicly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers indeed know that this is really the Christ? 27 But we know where this Man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”