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Chapter 16
1They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offeringsTraditionally peace offerings; also in verse 2 before God.
2After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
3Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.
4He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel:
5Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals,
6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
David's Psalm of Thanks
7That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD:
8Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
11Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
12Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
13O descendants of Israel his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15He remembersSome Septuagint manuscripts (see also Psalm 105:8); Hebrew Remember his covenant forever,
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
19When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
20theyOne Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 105:12); most Hebrew manuscripts inherit, / 19 though you are but few in number, / few indeed, and strangers in it.” / 20 They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21He allowed no man to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22“Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
27Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,
29ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.
Bring an offering and come before him;
worship the LORD in the splendor of hisOr LORD with the splendor of holiness.
30Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
32Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33Then the trees of the forest will sing,
they will sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35Cry out, “Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
that we may glory in your praise.”
36Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”
37David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly, according to each day's requirements.
38He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were gatekeepers.
39David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon
40to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the LORD, which he had given Israel.
41With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, “for his love endures forever.”
42Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
43Then all the people left, each for his own home, and David returned home to bless his family.
Chapter 17
God's Promise to David
1After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”
2Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”
3That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
4“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in.
5I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another.
6Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leadersTraditionally judges; also in verse 10 whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
7“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.
8I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
9And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning
10and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“‘I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you:
11When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
12He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.
14I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”
15Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
David's Prayer
16Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:
“Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
17And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God.
18“What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant,
19O LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.
20“There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
21And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
22You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
23“And now, LORD, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised,
24so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘The LORD Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
25“You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you.
26O LORD, you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant.
27Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”
Chapter 18
David's Victories
1In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.
2David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought tribute.
3Moreover, David fought Hadadezer king of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when he went to establish his control along the Euphrates River.
4David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them.
6He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.
7David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8From TebahHebrew Tibhath, a variant of Tebah and Cun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.
9When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
10he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze.
11King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.
12Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
13He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.
David's Officials
14David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.
15Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
16Zadok son of Ahitub and AhimelechSome Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 8:17); most Hebrew manuscripts Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary;
17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were chief officials at the king's side.

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