Study Desk

Then the spirit clothed Amasai, who was chief of the captains: Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse; peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

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

And David said unto all the assembly of Israel: 'If it seem good unto you, and if it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad everywhere unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites that are in their cities that have open land about them, that they may gather themselves unto us;

and let us bring back the ark of our God to us; for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul.'

So David assembled all Israel together, from Shihor the brook of Egypt even unto the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, the LORD that sitteth upon the cherubim, whereon is called the Name.

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, [and brought it] out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

And David and all Israel played before God with all their might; even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God.

And David was afraid of God that day, saying: 'How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?'

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

And David inquired of God, saying: 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt Thou deliver them into my hand?' And the LORD said unto him: 'Go up; for I will deliver them into thy hand.'

So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and David said: 'God hath broken mine enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters.' Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him: 'Thou shalt not go up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God is gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.'

And David did as God commanded him; and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

And [David] made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said: 'None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of the LORD, and to minister unto Him for ever.'

and said unto them: 'Ye are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, unto the place that I have prepared for it.

For because ye [bore it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not according to the ordinance.'