Study Desk

David said to them, "You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for service to the Lord . Bring up the Ark of the Lord , the God of Israel, to the place I have made for it.

Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves for service to the Lord so they could carry the Ark of the Lord , the God of Israel.

Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the Ark of the Agreement.

The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets in front of the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the Ark.

They brought the Ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God.

Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help.

He is the Lord our God. His laws are for all the world.

He made it a law for the people of Jacob; he made it an agreement with Israel to last forever.

Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord . They will sing because he is coming to judge the world.

"Go and tell David my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in.

I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great people on the earth.

I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer hurt them as they have in the past

when I chose judges for my people Israel. I will defeat all your enemies. "‘I tell you that the Lord will make your descendants kings of Israel after you.

He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always.

But that was not enough for you, God. You have also made promises about my future family. Lord God, you have treated me like a very important person.

"What more can I say to you for honoring me, your servant? You know me so well.

Lord , you have done this wonderful thing for my sake and because you wanted to. You have made known all these great things.

There is no nation like your people Israel. They are the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made your name well known by the great and wonderful things you did for them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations out of the land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Cun, which had been cities under Hadadezer's control. Later, Solomon used this bronze to make things for the Temple: the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea, the pillars, and other bronze utensils.

So Toi sent his son Hadoram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Hadoram brought items made of gold, silver, and bronze.