Study Desk

So David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You hand them over to me?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will hand them over to you."

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

The Philistines abandoned their gods (idols) there; so David gave a command and they were burned in a fire [as the Law of Moses required].

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

So David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.

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

So the priests and the Levites consecrated (dedicated) themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud the bronze cymbals;

So David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy.

So 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.

So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as each day's work required;

"I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be moved again [nor tremble with fear]; and the wicked will not waste (persecute) them anymore, as formerly,

According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

So David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

David said, "I will be kind (gracious) to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father was kind to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning [the death of] his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun.

When David was told how the men were treated, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were very humiliated and ashamed [to return]. So the king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow [back], and then return."

So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and camped before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered together from their cities and came to battle.

So Joab and the people who were with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him.

When this was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. So when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him.