1 Chronicles 14 - 16, 1 Peter 5, Proverbs 27

David Takes More Wives

14^aThen Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of walls and craftsmen of wood, to build a house for him. ²Thus David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was lifted up, for the sake of His people Israel.

³Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and David ¹became the father of more sons and daughters. ⁴^aThese are the names of the children ¹born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

David Strikes Down the Philistines

⁸Then the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, so all the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went out against them. ⁹Now the Philistines had come and ^amade a raid in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰Then David asked of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” And Yahweh said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.” ¹¹So they came up to ¹Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place ²Baal-perazim. ¹²And they forsook their gods there; so David said the word, and they were burned with fire.

¹³Then the Philistines ^ayet again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴So David again asked of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go directly up after them; circle around from ¹behind them and come at them in front of the ²balsam trees. ¹⁵“And it will be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ¹balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ¹⁶Then David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the camp of the Philistines from ¹Gibeon even as far as Gezer. ¹⁷Then the name of David went out into all the lands; and ^aYahweh brought the dread of him on all the nations.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

15Then David made houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and ^apitched a tent for it. ²And David said, “^aNo one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for Yahweh chose them to carry the ark of ¹God and to minister to Him forever.” ³Then ^aDavid assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh ^bto its place which he had prepared for it. ⁴And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and ^athe Levites:

⁵of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his ¹relatives; ⁶of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives; ⁷of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives; ⁸of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and 200 of his relatives; ⁹of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and 80 of his relatives; ¹⁰of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives.

¹¹Then David called for ^aZadok and ^bAbiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, ¹²and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; ^aset yourselves apart as holy, both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, ^bto the place that I have prepared for it. ¹³“^aBecause you did not carry it at the first, Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek Him according to the legal judgment.” ¹⁴^aSo the priests and the Levites set themselves apart as holy to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ¹⁵And the sons of ^athe Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of Yahweh.

¹⁶Then David said to the chiefs of the Levites ^ato appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise a sound of gladness. ¹⁷So ^athe Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, ¹⁸and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, ¹Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. ¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze; ²⁰and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with ¹harps set according to ^aalamoth; ²¹and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to lead with ¹lyres set according to ^athe sheminith. ²²Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the ¹singing; he gave instruction in singing because he had understanding. ²³Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. ²⁴Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, ^ablew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.

²⁵^aSo it was David, with the elders of Israel and the commanders over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from ^bthe house of Obed-edom with gladness. ²⁶Now this happened because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. And they sacrificed ^aseven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. ^aDavid also wore a linen ephod. ²⁸Thus all Israel was bringing up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, and with sound of the ¹horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres.

²⁹Now it happened as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, that ^aMichal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.

A Tent for the Ark

16And they brought in the ark of God and ^aplaced it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they brought burnt offerings and peace offerings near before God. ²Then David completed offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. And he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. ³And he apportioned to everyone of Israel, both men and women, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake.

⁴And he made some of the Levites ministers before the ark of Yahweh, even to bring remembrance and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel: ⁵Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then ¹Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, ⁶and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day David ^afirst assigned ¹Asaph and his ²relatives to give thanks to Yahweh.

Song of Thanksgiving

⁸^aOh give thanks to Yahweh, call upon His name;^bMake known His acts among the peoples.⁹Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;Muse on all His wondrous deeds.¹⁰Boast in His holy name;Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh be glad.¹¹^aInquire of Yahweh and His strength;Seek His face continually.¹²^aRemember His wondrous deeds which He has done,^bHis miraculous signs and the judgments uttered by His mouth,¹³O seed of Israel His servant,O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!¹⁴He is Yahweh our God;^aHis judgments are in all the earth.¹⁵Remember His covenant forever,The word which He commanded for a thousand generations,¹⁶^aWhich He cut with Abraham,And His oath to Isaac.¹⁷^aThen He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,To Israel as an everlasting covenant,¹⁸Saying, “^aTo you I will give the land of Canaan,As the portion of your inheritance,”¹⁹^aWhen you were only a few men in number,Of little account, and sojourners in it,²⁰And they wandered about from nation to nation,And from one kingdom to another people,²¹He permitted no man to oppress them,And ^aHe reproved kings for their sakes,²²“Do not touch My anointed ones,And ^aagainst My prophets do no evil.”²³^aSing to Yahweh, all the earth;Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.²⁴Recount His glory among the nations,His wondrous deeds among all the peoples.²⁵For ^agreat is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised;And He is ¹^,^bmore ²fearsome than all gods.²⁶For all the gods of the peoples are ¹^,^aidols,^bBut Yahweh made the heavens.²⁷Splendor and majesty are before Him,Strength and joy are in His place.²⁸Ascribe to Yahweh, O families of the peoples,Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.²⁹Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name;Lift up ¹an offering, and come before Him;^aWorship Yahweh in the splendor of holiness.³⁰Tremble before Him, all the earth;Indeed, the world is established, it will not be shaken.³¹^aLet the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;And let them say among the nations, “^bYahweh reigns.”³²^aLet the sea ¹roar, as well as its fullness;Let the field exult, and all that is in it.³³Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before Yahweh;For He is coming to judge the earth.³⁴^aOh give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good,For His lovingkindness endures forever.³⁵^aThen say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,And gather us and deliver us from among the nations,To give thanks to Your holy nameAnd revel in Your praise.”³⁶^aBlessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,From everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people ^bsaid, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh.

Ministering Before the Ark

³⁷So he left behind Asaph and his ¹relatives there ^abefore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to minister before the ark continually, ^bas every day’s work required; ³⁸and ^aObed-edom with ¹his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and ^bHosah as gatekeepers. ³⁹Now he left behind ^aZadok the priest and his ¹relatives the priests ^bbefore the ²tabernacle of Yahweh in the high place, which was at Gibeon, ⁴⁰to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, ^aeven according to all that is written in the law of Yahweh, which He commanded Israel. ⁴¹And with them were ^aHeman and Jeduthun, and ^bthe rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to ^cgive thanks to Yahweh, because His lovingkindness endures forever. ⁴²And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for ^athe songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

⁴³^aThen all the people went each to his house, and David returned to bless his household.

Shepherd the Flock of God

5^aTherefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your ^bfellow elder and ^cwitness of the sufferings of Christ, and a ^dpartaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, ²shepherd ^athe flock of God among you, overseeing ^bnot under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and ^cnot for dishonest gain, but with eagerness; ³nor yet as ^alording it over ¹those allotted to you, but being ^bexamples to the flock. ⁴And when the Chief ^aShepherd appears, you will receive the ^bunfading ¹^,^ccrown of glory. ⁵^aYou younger men, likewise, ^bbe subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with ^chumility toward one another, for ^dGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

⁶Therefore ^ahumble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷^acasting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ⁸^aBe of sober spirit, ^bbe watchful. Your adversary, ^cthe devil, prowls around like a roaring ^dlion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹¹^,^aBut resist him, ^bfirm in the faith, knowing that ^cthe same experiences of suffering are being accomplished among your ²brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰And after you have suffered ^afor a little while, the ^bGod of all grace, who ^ccalled you to His ^deternal glory in Christ, will Himself ^erestore, ^fstrengthen, confirm, and ground you. ¹¹^aTo Him be might forever and ever. Amen.

¹²Through ^aSilvanus, our faithful brother as I regard him, ^bI have written to you briefly, exhorting and bearing witness that this is ^cthe true grace of God. ^dStand firm in it! ¹³She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, ^aMark. ¹⁴^aGreet one another with a kiss of love. ^bPeace be to you all who are in Christ.

Instructions and Warnings

27^aDo not boast about tomorrow,For you ^bdo not know what a day may bring forth.²Let a ^astranger praise you, and not your own mouth;A foreigner, and not your own lips.³A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,But the provocation of an ignorant fool is heavier than both of them.⁴Wrath is cruelty and anger is a flood,But ^awho can stand before jealousy?⁵Better is reproof that is ^arevealedThan love that is hidden.⁶Faithful are the ^awounds of a friend,But ¹deceitful are the ^bkisses of an enemy.⁷A satisfied soul tramples the honeycomb,But to a hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.⁸Like a ^abird that wanders from her nest,So is a man who ^bwanders from his place.⁹^aOil and incense make the heart glad,So counsel from the ¹soul is sweet to his friend.¹⁰Do not forsake your ^afriend or ^byour father’s friend,And do not come to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;Better is one who dwells near than a brother far away.¹¹^aBe wise, my son, and make my heart glad,That I may ^brespond with a word to him who reproaches me.¹²A prudent man sees evil and hides,The simple pass on and are punished.¹³^aTake his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;And for ¹a foreign woman seize it as a pledge.¹⁴^aHe who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,It will be counted as a curse to him.¹⁵A ^aconstant dripping on a day of steady rainAnd a contentious woman are alike;¹⁶He who would ¹restrain her ²restrains the wind,And ³grasps oil with his right hand.¹⁷Iron sharpens iron,So one man sharpens another.¹⁸He who guards the ^afig tree will eat its fruit,And he who ^bkeeps watch for his master will be honored.¹⁹As in water face reflects face,So the heart of man reflects man.²⁰^aSheol and Abaddon are ^bnever satisfied,So the ^ceyes of man are never satisfied.²¹The ^arefining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,And each ^bis tested by the mouth that praises him.²²Though you ^apound an ignorant fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of crushed grain,His ¹folly will not turn aside from him.²³^aKnow well the ¹condition of your flocks,And pay attention to your herds;²⁴For wealth is not forever,Neither is a ^acrown from generation to generation.²⁵When the grass disappears and the vegetation appears,And the herbs of the mountains are ^agathered in,²⁶The lambs will be for your clothing,And the goats will bring the price of a field,²⁷And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,For the food of your household,And sustenance for your maidens.