Study Desk

for the four chief gatekeepers who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God.

And they spent the night all around the house of God, because the watch was committed to them; and they were over opening it morning by morning.

Previously, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over My people Israel.'"

and he said, "Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

David went out before them, and he answered and said to them, "If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no violence in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and reprove."

And the Spirit clothed Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said,"We are yours, O David,And with you, O son of Jesse!Peace, peace to you,And peace to him who helps you;Indeed, your God helps you!"Then David received them and made them chiefs of the band.

For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great camp like the camp of God.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is from Yahweh our God, let us send everywhere to our relatives who remain in all the lands of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may gather with us;

and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul."

So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, Yahweh, who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called.

And they drove the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio were leading the cart.

Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their strength, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and with trumpets.

And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he reached out with his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

So David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God back to me?"

Thus the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months; and Yahweh blessed the household of Obed-edom with all that he had.

Then David asked of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up, for I will give them into your hand."

So they came up to Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters." Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim.

So David again asked of God, and God said to him, "You shall not go directly up after them; circle around from behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

And it will be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."