Through the Bible – Day 145

₁Some time later, David talked with his army commanders, _2-3and then announced to the people of Israel:

₄The people agreed this was the right thing to do.

₅David gathered everyone from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-Hamath in the north. ₆Then he led them to Baalah in Judah, which was also called Kiriath-Jearim. They went there to get the sacred chest and bring it to Jerusalem, because it belonged to the LORD God, whose throne is above the winged creatures on the lid of the chest.

₇The sacred chest was still at Abinadab's house, and when David and the crowd arrived there, they brought the chest outside and placed it on a new ox cart. Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart, ₈while David and the crowd danced and sang praises to the LORD with all their might. They played music on small harps and other stringed instruments, and on tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

₉But when they came to Chidon's threshing place, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the chest to stop it from falling. ₁₀The LORD God was very angry at Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah there beside the chest.

₁₁David then got angry with God for killing Uzzah. So he named that place “Attack on Uzzah”, and it's been called that ever since.

₁₂David was afraid of what the LORD might do to him, and he asked himself, “Should I really be the one to take care of the sacred chest?” ₁₃So instead of taking it to Jerusalem, David decided to take it to the home of Obed-Edom, who lived in the town of Gath.

₁₄The chest stayed there for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom, his family, and everything he owned.

₁King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. They brought along carpenters and stone workers, and enough cedar logs to build David a palace. ₂David now knew that the LORD had made him a powerful king of Israel for the good of his people.

₃After David moved to Jerusalem, he married more women and had more sons and daughters. _4-7His children born there were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

₈When the Philistines heard that David had become king of Israel, they came to capture him. But David heard about their plan and marched out to meet them in battle. ₉The Philistines had already camped in Rephaim Valley and were raiding the nearby villages.

₁₀David asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help me win?”

The LORD told David, “Yes, attack them! I will give you victory.”

₁₁David and his army marched to Baal-Perazim, where they attacked and defeated the Philistines. He said, “I defeated my enemies because God broke through them like a mighty flood.” So he named the place “The Lord Broke Through”. ₁₂Then David ordered his troops to burn the idols that the Philistines had left behind.

₁₃Some time later, the Philistines came back into the hill country and camped in Rephaim Valley. ₁₄David asked God what he should do, and God answered, “Don't attack them from the front. Circle around behind them where the balsam trees are. ₁₅Wait there until you hear the treetops making the sound of marching troops. That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army. So you must then attack quickly!”

₁₆David obeyed God and he defeated the Philistines. He even chased them all the way from Gibeon to the entrance to Gezer.

₁₇From then on, David became even more famous, and the LORD made all the nations afraid of him.

₁David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept. ₂He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the LORD has chosen them to do that work and to serve him for ever.”

₃Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it. ₄He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites who came were: ₅Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and one hundred and twenty of his relatives; ₆Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and two hundred and twenty of his relatives; ₇Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and one hundred and thirty of his relatives; ₈Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and two hundred of his relatives; ₉Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and eighty of his relatives; and ₁₀Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with one hundred and twelve of his relatives.

₁₁David called together these six Levites and the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar. ₁₂He said to them, “You are the leaders of the clans in the Levi tribe. You and your relatives must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean and acceptable to the LORD. Then you may carry the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD God of Israel and bring it to the place I have prepared for it. ₁₃The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the LORD what he wanted us to do. He was angry with us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest.”

₁₄The priests and the Levites made themselves clean. They were now ready to carry the sacred chest ₁₅on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the LORD had told Moses to do.

₁₆David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed instruments, and cymbals. _17-21The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.

₂₂Chenaniah was chosen to be the music director, because he was a skilled musician.

_23-24Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah.

Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer.

₂₅David, the leaders of Israel, and the army commanders were very happy as they went to Obed-Edom's house to get the sacred chest. ₂₆God gave the Levites the strength they needed to carry the chest, and so they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

₂₇David, the Levites, Chenaniah the music director, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes, and David was also wearing a linen cloth. ₂₈While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.

₂₉Saul's daughter Michal looked out of her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honour of the LORD, she was disgusted.

₁They put the sacred chest inside the tent that David had set up for it, then they offered sacrifices to please the LORD and sacrifices to ask his blessing. ₂After David had finished, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD ₃and gave every person in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins.

₄David appointed some of the Levites to serve at the sacred chest; they were to play music and sing praises to the LORD God of Israel. ₅Asaph was their leader, and Zechariah was his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and another man named Jeiel were appointed to play small harps and stringed instruments. Asaph himself played the cymbals, ₆and the two priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets every day in front of the sacred chest.

₇That same day, David instructed Asaph and his relatives for the first time to sing these praises to the LORD:

₄₈The people told Jesus, “We were right to say that you are a Samaritan and that you have a demon in you!”

₄₉Jesus answered, “I don't have a demon in me. I honour my Father, and you refuse to honour me. ₅₀I don't want honour for myself. But there is one who wants me to be honoured, and he is also the one who judges. ₅₁I tell you for certain that if you obey my words, you will never die.”

₅₂Then the people said, “Now we are sure that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. How can you say that no one who obeys your words will ever die? ₅₃Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

₅₄Jesus replied, “If I honoured myself, it would mean nothing. My Father is the one who honours me. You claim that he is your God, ₅₅even though you don't really know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you. But I know him, and I do what he says. ₅₆Your father Abraham was really glad to see me.”

₅₇“You are not even fifty years old!” they said. “How could you have seen Abraham?”

₅₈Jesus answered, “I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am.” ₅₉The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple.

₁As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind since birth. ₂Jesus' disciples asked, “Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he or his parents sinned?”

₃“No, it wasn't!” Jesus answered. “But because of his blindness, you will see God perform a miracle for him. ₄As long as it is day, we must do what the one who sent me wants me to do. When night comes, no one can work. ₅While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.”

₆After Jesus said this, he spat on the ground. He made some mud and smeared it on the man's eyes. ₇Then he said, “Go and wash off the mud in Siloam Pool.” The man went and washed in Siloam, which means “One who is sent”. When he had washed off the mud, he could see.

₈The man's neighbours and the people who had seen him begging wondered if he really could be the same man. ₉Some of them said he was the same beggar, while others said he only looked like him. But he told them, “I am that man.”

₁₀“Then how can you see?” they asked.

₁₁He answered, “Someone named Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. He told me to go and wash it off in Siloam Pool. When I did, I could see.”

₁₂“Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don't know,” he answered.