CHAPTER 16

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 Obededom: 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 Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom 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 Syriadamascus; 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 of 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.