Daily Text and Bible Reading: Monday, May 12 “Press play below]

13.1 David consulted with the chiefs of the thousands and of the hundreds and with every leader.
13.2 Then David said to all the congregation of Israel: “If it seems good to you and it is acceptable to Jehovah our God, let us send word to our remaining brothers in all regions of Israel and also to the priests and the Levites in their cities with pastures to come and join us.
13.3 And let us bring back the Ark of our God.” For they had not cared for it in the days of Saul.
13.4 All the congregation agreed to do that, for it seemed right to all the people.
13.5 So David congregated all Israel, from the river of Egypt as far as Lebo-hamath, to bring the Ark of the true God from Kiriath-jearim.
13.6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the Ark of the true God, Jehovah, who sits enthroned above the cherubs, where his name is called on.
13.7 However, they placed the Ark of the true God on a new wagon and brought it from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were leading the wagon.
13.8 David and all Israel were celebrating before the true God with all their might, accompanied by songs, harps, other stringed instruments, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
13.9 But when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah thrust his hand out and grabbed hold of the Ark, for the cattle nearly upset it.
13.10 At that Jehovah’s anger blazed against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had thrust his hand out to the Ark, and he died there before God.
13.11 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.
13.12 So David became fearful of the true God on that day and said: “How can I bring the Ark of the true God to me?”
13.13 David did not bring the Ark to where he was in the City of David, but he had it taken to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
13.14 The Ark of the true God was with the household of Obed-edom, remaining at his house for three months, and Jehovah kept blessing the household of Obed-edom and all he had.

14.1 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timbers, stonemasons, and woodworkers to build a house for him.
14.2 And David knew that Jehovah had firmly established him as king over Israel, for his kingship was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
14.3 David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David became father to more sons and daughters.
14.4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
14.5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
14.6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
14.7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
14.8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all Israel, all the Philistines came up to search for David. When David heard about it, he went out against them.
14.9 Then the Philistines came in and kept making raids in the Valley of Rephaim.
14.10 David inquired of God, saying: “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” At this Jehovah said to him: “Go up, and I will surely give them into your hand.”
14.11 So David went up to Baal-perazim, and he struck them down there. At that David said: “The true God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a breach made by waters.” That is why they named that place Baal-perazim.
14.12 The Philistines abandoned their gods there, and when David gave the order, these were burned in the fire.
14.13 Later the Philistines once again made a raid in the valley.
14.14 David again inquired of God, but the true God said to him: “Do not go directly up after them. Instead, go around behind them, and come against them in front of the baca bushes.
14.15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca bushes, launch your attack, for the true God will have gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
14.16 So David did just as the true God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.
14.17 And David’s fame spread into all the lands, and Jehovah put the dread of him upon all the nations.

15.1 And he continued building houses for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of the true God and pitched a tent for it.
15.2 It was then that David said: “No one is to carry the Ark of the true God except the Levites, for Jehovah has chosen them to carry the Ark of Jehovah and to minister to him always.”
15.3 Then David congregated all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the Ark of Jehovah up to the place that he had prepared for it.
15.4 David gathered the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
15.5 from the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his brothers;
15.6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his brothers;
15.7 from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his brothers;
15.8 from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his brothers;
15.9 from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the chief and 80 of his brothers;
15.10 from the descendants of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his brothers.
15.11 Furthermore, David called the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,
15.12 and he said to them: “You are the heads of the paternal houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, and bring the Ark of Jehovah the God of Israel up to the place that I have prepared for it.
15.13 Since you did not carry it the first time, the anger of Jehovah our God broke out against us, because we did not search out the proper procedure.”
15.14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of Jehovah the God of Israel.
15.15 Then the Levites carried the Ark of the true God on their shoulders with the poles, just as Moses had commanded by Jehovah’s word.
15.16 David then told the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers to sing out joyfully, accompanied by musical instruments: stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals.
15.17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel and, of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah and, of the Merarites their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah.
15.18 Together with them were their brothers of the second division, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers.
15.19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to play the copper cymbals;
15.20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played stringed instruments tuned to Alamoth;
15.21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played harps tuned to Sheminith, to act as directors.
15.22 Chenaniah the chief of the Levites supervised the transport, for he was an expert,
15.23 and Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark.
15.24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer loudly sounded the trumpets before the Ark of the true God, and Obed-edom and Jehiah also served as gatekeepers for the Ark.
15.25 Then David and the elders of Israel and the chiefs of the thousands were walking along to bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah up from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing.
15.26 When the true God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, they sacrificed seven young bulls and seven rams.
15.27 David was dressed in a sleeveless coat of fine fabric, as were all the Levites carrying the Ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the chief of the transport and the singers; David was also wearing a linen ephod.
15.28 All the Israelites were bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with joyful shouting, with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with cymbals, playing loudly on stringed instruments and harps.
15.29 But when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down through the window and saw King David skipping about and celebrating; and she began to despise him in her heart.