Bible Reading Plan

2 Samuel 6

Chapter 6

David Moves the Ark

¹ David again assembled all the choice men in Israel,^(a) 30,000. ² He and all his troops set out^(b) to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.^[a] The ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim.^{(c) 3} They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,^[b] sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart^{(d) 4} and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab's house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,^[c] lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^[d] and cymbals.^(e)

⁶ When they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord 's anger burned against Uzzah,^(f) and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,^(g) and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord 's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,^[e] as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?" ¹⁰ So he was not willing to move the ark of the Lord to the city of David;^(h) instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom⁽ⁱ⁾ and his whole family.

¹² It was reported to King David: "The Lord has blessed Obed-edom's family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God." So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom's house to the city of David with rejoicing.^{(j) 13} When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.^{(k) 14} David was dancing^[f] with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.^{(l) 15} He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram's horn. ¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,^(m) Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord , and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it.⁽ⁿ⁾ Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord 's presence. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Hosts. ¹⁹ Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women.^(o) Then all the people left, each to his own home.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,^(p) Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. "How the king of Israel honored himself today!" she said. "He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself."

²¹ David replied to Michal, "I was dancing^[g] before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord 's people Israel.^(q) I will celebrate before the Lord , ²² and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself.^[h][i] I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about." ²³ And Saul's daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

Daniel 3

Chapter 3

Nebuchadnezzar's Gold Statue

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue,^(a) 90 feet high and nine feet wide.^[a] He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.^{(b) 2} King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers^(c) of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue the king had set up. Then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁴ A herald loudly proclaimed, "People of every nation and language, you are commanded: ⁵ When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,^[b] lyre,^[c] harp, drum,^[d] and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship^(d) the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire."^(e)

⁷ Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

The Furnace of Blazing Fire

⁸ Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse^[e](f) the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May the king live forever. ¹⁰ You as king have issued a decree^(g) that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. ¹¹ Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. ¹² There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.^(h) These men have ignored you,⁽ⁱ⁾ the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

¹³ Then in a furious rage^(j) Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar asked them, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don't serve my gods or worship the gold statue^(k) I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you're ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don't worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"^(l)

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to give you an answer to this question. ¹⁷ If the God we serve exists,^[f] then He can rescue^(m) us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. ¹⁸ But even if He does not rescue us,^[g] we want you as king to know that we will not serve⁽ⁿ⁾ your gods^(o) or worship the gold statue you set up."

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage,^(p) and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary, ²⁰ and he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹ So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings,^[h] and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. ²² Since the king's command was so urgent^[i](q) and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames^[j] killed those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego up. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.

Delivered from the Fire

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm.^(r) He said to his advisers, "Didn't we throw three men, bound, into the fire?"

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," they replied to the king.

²⁵ He exclaimed, "Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed;^(s) and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."^[k](t)

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.^{(u) 27} When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king's advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect^(v) on^[l] the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel^[m](w) and rescued His servants who trusted in Him.^(x) They violated the king's command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.^{(y) 29} Therefore I issue a decree^(z) that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump.^(aa) For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this." ³⁰ Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.^(ab)

Mark 3:1-19