David

David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?” The LORD said to him, “Go up; for I will deliver them into your hand.”

So they came up to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

They left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire.

David inquired again of God; and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them over against the mulberry trees.

David did as God commanded him: and they struck the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

The fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him on all nations.

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, “No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever.”

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the LORD’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of music, stringed instruments and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.

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

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: and David had on him an ephod of linen.

As the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

They brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the LORD’s name.

Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to the LORD, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.

All the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.

When David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under curtains.”

Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you.”

“Go and tell David my servant, ‘Thus says the LORD, “You shall not build me a house to dwell in;

“Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of Hosts, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

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

Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said, “Who am I, LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?