Daily Text and Bible Reading: Wednesday, April 8 [Press play below]

6.1 David again gathered all the best troops in Israel, 30,000 men.
6.2 Then David and all the men with him set out for Baale-judah to bring up from there the Ark of the true God, before which people call on the name of Jehovah of armies, who sits enthroned above the cherubs.
6.3 However, they placed the Ark of the true God on a new wagon to transport it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new wagon.
6.4 So they transported the Ark of the true God from Abinadab’s house on the hill, and Ahio was walking ahead of the Ark.
6.5 David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before Jehovah with all sorts of juniper-wood instruments, harps, other stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
6.6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah thrust his hand out to the Ark of the true God and grabbed hold of it, for the cattle nearly upset it.
6.7 At that Jehovah’s anger blazed against Uzzah, and the true God struck him down there for his irreverent act, and he died there beside the Ark of the true God.
6.8 But David became angry because Jehovah’s wrath had broken through against Uzzah; and that place has been called Perez-uzzah down to this day.
6.9 So David became fearful of Jehovah on that day and said: “How can the Ark of Jehovah come to me?”
6.10 David was not willing to bring the Ark of Jehovah to where he was in the City of David. Instead, David had it taken to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
6.11 The Ark of Jehovah remained at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and Jehovah kept blessing Obed-edom and all his household.
6.12 The report was made to King David: “Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the Ark of the true God.” So David went to bring the Ark of the true God from the house of Obed-edom up to the City of David with rejoicing.
6.13 When the carriers of the Ark of Jehovah had marched six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened animal.
6.14 David was dancing around before Jehovah with all his might; all the while David wore a linen ephod.
6.15 David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the Ark of Jehovah with joyful shouting and with the sound of the horn.
6.16 But when the Ark of Jehovah came into the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing around before Jehovah; and she began to despise him in her heart.
6.17 So they brought the Ark of Jehovah in and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered up burnt offerings and communion sacrifices before Jehovah.
6.18 When David finished offering up the burnt offerings and the communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of armies.
6.19 Further, he distributed to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, to each man and woman, a ring-shaped loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake, and then all the people left, each to his own house.
6.20 When David returned to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said: “How glorious the king of Israel made himself when he uncovered himself today before the eyes of the slave girls of his servants, just as an empty-headed man openly uncovers himself!”
6.21 At this David said to Michal: “My celebration was before Jehovah, who chose me rather than your father and all his household and who appointed me as leader over Jehovah’s people, Israel. Therefore, I will celebrate before Jehovah,
6.22 and I will humble myself even more than this and become low even in my own eyes. But by the slave girls whom you mentioned, I will be glorified.”
6.23 So Saul’s daughter Michal had no children down to the day of her death.

7.1 When the king was settled in his own house and Jehovah had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
7.2 the king said to Nathan the prophet: “Here I am living in a house of cedars while the Ark of the true God sits in the midst of tent cloths.”
7.3 Nathan replied to the king: “Go and do whatever is in your heart, for Jehovah is with you.”
7.4 On that very night, the word of Jehovah came to Nathan, saying:
7.5 “Go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “Should you build me a house to dwell in?
7.6 For I have not dwelled in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7.7 During all the time that I went with all the Israelites, did I ever say one word to any of the tribal leaders of Israel whom I appointed to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build a house of cedars for me?’”’
7.8 Now say this to my servant David, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “I took you from the pastures, from following the flock, to become a leader over my people Israel.
7.9 And I will be with you wherever you go, and I will do away with all your enemies from before you; and I will make a great name for you like the name of the great men of the earth.
7.10 I will appoint a place for my people Israel and settle them, and they will live there and not be disturbed anymore; and wicked men will not oppress them again as they did in the past,
7.11 from the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘“Also, Jehovah has told you that Jehovah will make a house for you.
7.12 When your days come to an end and you are laid to rest with your forefathers, then I will raise up your offspring after you, your own son, and I will firmly establish his kingdom.
7.13 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will firmly establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
7.14 I will become his father, and he will become my son. When he does wrong, I will reprove him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of men.
7.15 My loyal love will not be taken away from him the way I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
7.16 Your house and your kingdom will be secure forever before you; your throne will be firmly established forever.”’”
7.17 Nathan told David all these words and this entire vision.
7.18 At that King David came in and sat down before Jehovah and said: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah? And what is my house that you have brought me this far?
7.19 As if this were not enough, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, you also speak about the house of your servant down to a distant future time; and this is instruction for all mankind, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah.
7.20 What more can your servant David say to you when you know me so well, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah?
7.21 For the sake of your word and in agreement with your heart you have done all these great things and have revealed them to your servant.
7.22 That is why you are truly great, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah. There is no one like you, and there is no God except you; everything we have heard with our ears confirms this.
7.23 And what other nation on earth is like your people Israel? God went and redeemed them as his people, making a name for himself by doing great and awe-inspiring things for them. You drove out the nations and their gods in behalf of your people, whom you redeemed to yourself from Egypt.
7.24 You established your people Israel as your own people for all time; and you, O Jehovah, have become their God.
7.25 “Now, O Jehovah God, carry out the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house for all time, and may you do just as you have promised.
7.26 May your name be exalted forever, so that people may say, ‘Jehovah of armies is God over Israel,’ and may the house of your servant David be firmly established before you.
7.27 For you, Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to your servant by saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That is why your servant has the courage to pray this prayer to you.
7.28 And now, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, you are the true God, and your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
7.29 So may it please you to bless the house of your servant, and may it continue forever before you; for you, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, have promised, and with your blessing may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

8.1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hands of the Philistines.
8.2 He defeated the Moabites and made them lie down on the ground and measured them with a line. He measured out two lines to be put to death, and one full line to be kept alive. And the Moabites became David’s servants and brought tribute.
8.3 David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob the king of Zobah as he was on his way to restore his authority at the Euphrates River.
8.4 David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. Then David hamstrung all but 100 of the chariot horses.
8.5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 of the Syrians.
8.6 David then established garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became David’s servants and brought tribute. Jehovah gave David victory wherever he went.
8.7 Moreover, David took the circular shields of gold from the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8.8 From Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of copper.
8.9 Now King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer.
8.10 So Toi sent his son Joram to King David to ask about his welfare and to congratulate him because he had fought and defeated Hadadezer (for Hadadezer had often fought against Toi), and he brought articles of silver, gold, and copper.
8.11 King David sanctified these to Jehovah, along with the silver and the gold that he had sanctified from all the nations that he had subdued:
8.12 from Syria and Moab, from the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob the king of Zobah.
8.13 David also made a name for himself when he came back from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
8.14 He established garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he established garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Jehovah gave David victory wherever he went.
8.15 David kept reigning over all Israel, and David was administering justice and righteousness for all his people.
8.16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
8.17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary.
8.18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons became chief ministers.