David

David consulted God, asking, "Should I attack the P'lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?"ADONAI answered David, "Attack; I will hand them over to you."

So they went up to Ba'al-P'ratzim, and David defeated them there. David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my power like a river breaking through its banks."This is why they called the place Ba'al-P'ratzim [Lord of breaking through].

The P'lishtim had left their gods there, so David gave an order, and they were burned up completely.

David consulted God again, but God told him, "Don't attack them! Turn away from them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees.

David did as God had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the army of the P'lishtim from Giv'on to Gezer.

So David's reputation spread to all countries, and ADONAI brought the fear of him on all nations.

David erected buildings for himself in the City of David, prepared a place for the ark of God, and set up a tent for it.

Then David said, "No one but the L'vi'im should carry the ark of God, because ADONAI chose them to carry the ark of ADONAI and to serve him forever."

David assembled all Isra'el in Yerushalayim to bring the ark of ADONAI up to its place, which he had prepared for it.

David gathered together the descendants of Aharon and the L'vi'im:

David called for Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim and for the L'vi'im - Uri'el, 'Asayah, Yo'el, Sh'ma'yah, Eli'el and 'Amminadav -

David spoke to the chief of the L'vi'im to appoint their kinsmen to be singers making use of musical instruments - lutes, lyres and cymbals - to play loudly and raise sounds of joy.

So David, the leaders of Isra'el and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out from the house of 'Oved-Edom with joy.

David, all the L'vi'im bearing the ark, the singers and K'nanyah the music leader for the singers were all wearing linen cloaks; and David was also wearing a linen ritual vest.

As the ark for the covenant of ADONAI entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, watching from the window, saw King David dancing and celebrating; and she was filled with contempt for him.

They brought the ark of God in and put it in the tent that David had set up for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of ADONAI.

It was on that same day that David first ordered that thanks be given to ADONAI through Asaf and his kinsmen:

Then the people all left for their homes, and David returned to bless his household.

After David had been living in his palace awhile, he said to Natan the prophet, "Here, I'm living in a cedar-wood palace; but the ark for the covenant of ADONAI is kept under a tent!"

Natan said to David, "Go, do everything that is in your heart, for God is with you."

"Go, and tell David my servant that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are not to build me a house to live in,

"Therefore say to my servant David that this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people Isra'el.

Natan told David all of these words and described this entire vision.

Then David went in, sat before ADONAI and said, "Who am I, ADONAI, God, and what is my family, that has caused you to bring me this far?