Study Desk

And the ark of God remained with the household of O'bed-e'dom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the household of O'bed-e'dom and all that he had.

And David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand."

And he went up to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated them there; and David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Ba'al-pera'zim.

And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; go around and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.

And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines."

And David did as God commanded him, and they smote the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him for ever."

and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke forth upon us, because we did not care for it in the way that is ordained."

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

And the Levites carried the ark of God upon their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

Shebani'ah, Josh'aphat, Nethan'el, Ama'sai, Zechari'ah, Benai'ah, and Elie'zer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. O'bed-e'dom and Jehi'ah also were to be gatekeepers for the ark.

And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

And they brought the ark of God, and set it inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

Moreover he appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.

and Benai'ah and Jaha'ziel the priests were to blow trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

Say also: "Deliver us, O God of our salvation, and gather and save us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said "Amen!" and praised the LORD.