Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He is coming to judge the earth.
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise.”
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.
So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required;
and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah as gatekeepers.
He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon,
to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel.
With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His lovingkindness is everlasting.
And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.
Then all the people departed each to his house, and David returned to bless his household.
And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under curtains.”
It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
“Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the LORD, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;
for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another.
In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?’”’
Now, therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.
I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again; and the wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly,
even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you.
Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?
This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O LORD God.
What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant.
And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?
“Now, O LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken.
Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.’
And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines.
He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his rule to the Euphrates River.
David took from him 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.
When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 men of the Arameans.
Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went.
David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
Also from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils.
Now when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
King David also dedicated these to the LORD with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and from Amalek.
Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped David wherever he went.
Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary;
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were chiefs at the king’s side.
Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place.
Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him.
But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.
Then certain persons went and told David about the men. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”
When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and from Zobah.
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