Bringing Back The Box of the Agreement

13 David talked with all the officers of his army. ²Then David called the people of Israel together. He said to them: “If you think it is a good idea, and if it is what the Lord wants, let us send a message to our brothers in all the areas of Israel. Let’s also send the message to the priests and Levites* that live with our brothers in their towns and the fields near those towns. Let the message tell them to come and join us. ³Let’s bring the Box of the Agreement* back to us in Jerusalem. We did not take care of the Box of the Agreement while Saul was king.” ⁴So all the people of Israel agreed with David. They all thought it was the right thing to do. ⁵So David gathered all the people of Israel from the Shihor River in Egypt to the town of Lebo Hamath. They came together to bring the Box of the Agreement* back from the town of Kiriath Jearim. ⁶David and all the people of Israel with him went to Baalah of Judah. (Baalah is another name for Kiriath Jearim.) They went there to bring out the Box of the Agreement. That Box of the Agreement is the Box of God the Lord. He sits above the Cherub angels.* It is the Box that is called by the Lord’s Name. ⁷The people moved the Box of the Agreement* from Abinadab’s house. They put it on a new wagon. Uzzah and Ahio were driving the wagon. ⁸David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before God. They were praising God and singing songs. They were playing harps,* lyres,* drums, cymbals,* and trumpets. ⁹They came to Kidon’s threshing floor.* The bulls pulling the wagon stumbled. And the Box of the Agreement* almost fell. Uzzah reached out with his hand to catch the Box. ¹⁰The Lord became very angry at Uzzah. The Lord killed Uzzah because he touched the Box. So Uzzah died there in front of God. ¹¹God showed his anger at Uzzah. And this made David angry. Since that time until now that place has been called “Perez Uzzah.”* ¹²David was afraid of God that day. David said, “I can’t bring the Box of the Agreement* here to me!” ¹³So David did not take the Box of the Agreement with him to the City of David.* He left the Box of the Agreement at Obed Edom’s house. Obed Edom was from the city of Gath. ¹⁴The Box of the Agreement stayed with Obed Edom’s family in his house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed Edom’s family and everything Obed Edom owned.

Levites People from the tribe of Levi. The Levites helped the priests in the temple and also worked for the civil government. Box of the Agreement Also called “The Ark of the Covenant,” the box containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them and the other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai Desert. Cherub angels Special angels from God. Statues of these angels were on top of the Box of the Agreement. harps Musical instruments with several strings. lyres An instrument with several strings, like a harp. cymbals Brass plates that were hit together to make a ringing noise. threshing floor A place where grain is beaten or walked on to remove the hulls from the grain. Perez Uzzah This means “the outburst at Uzzah.” City of David The southeastern and oldest part of the city of Jerusalem.

David’s Kingdom Grows

14 Hiram was king of the city of Tyre. Hiram sent messengers to David. Hiram also sent logs from cedar trees, stonecutters,* and carpenters* to David. Hiram sent them to build a house for David. ²Then David could see that the Lord had really made him king of Israel. The Lord made David’s kingdom very large and powerful. God did this because he loved David and the people of Israel. ³David married more women in the city of Jerusalem. And he had more sons and daughters. ⁴These are the names of David’s children born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

⁸The Philistine people heard David had been chosen to be the king of Israel. So, all the Philistine people went to look for David. David heard about it. Then he went out to fight the Philistine people. ⁹The Philistines attacked the people living in the Valley of Rephaim and stole their things. ¹⁰David asked God, “Should I go and fight the Philistine people? Will you let me defeat them?” The Lord answered David, “Go. I will let you defeat the Philistine people.” ¹¹Then David and his men went up to the town of Baal Perazim. There David and his men defeated the Philistine people. David said, “Waters break out from a broken dam. In the same way, God has broken through my enemies! God has done this through me.” That is why that place is named Baal Perazim.* ¹²The Philistine people had left their idols at Baal Perazim. David ordered his men to burn those idols.

Another Victory Over the Philistine people

¹³The Philistines attacked the people living in the Valley of Rephaim again. ¹⁴David prayed to God again. God answered David’s prayer. God said, “David, don’t follow the Philistines up {the hill} when you attack. Instead, go around them and hide on the other side of the balsam trees. ¹⁵{Tell a watchman to climb up into} the top of the trees. As soon as he hears the sounds of marching, attack the Philistines. I (God) will go out in front of you and defeat the Philistine army!” ¹⁶David did what God told him to do. So David and his men defeated the Philistine army. They killed Philistine soldiers all the way from the town of Gibeon to the town of Gezer. ¹⁷So David became famous in all the countries. The Lord made all nations afraid of David.

stonecutters Men that cut stones and build things with them. carpenters Men that build things with wood. Baal Perazim This name means, “the Lord breaks through.”

The Box of the Agreement in Jerusalem

15 David built houses for himself in the City of David.* Then he built a place to put the Box of the Agreement.* He set up a tent for it. ²Then David said, “Only the Levites* are permitted to carry the Box of the Agreement. The Lord chose them to carry the Box of the Agreement and to serve him forever.” ³David told all the people of Israel to meet together at Jerusalem {while the Levites carried} the Box of the Agreement* to the place he had made for it. ⁴David called together the descendants* of Aaron and the Levites. ⁵There were 120 people from Kohath’s family group. Uriel was their leader. ⁶There were 220 people from Merari’s family group. Asaiah was their leader. ⁷There were 130 people from Gershon’s family group. Joel was their leader. ⁸There were 200 people from Elizaphan’s family group. Shemaiah was their leader. ⁹There were 80 people from Hebron’s family group. Eliel was their leader. ¹⁰There were 112 people from Uzziel’s family group. Amminadab was their leader.

David Talks to the Priests and Levites

¹¹Then David asked the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to come to him. David also asked these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹²David said to them, “You are the leaders from the family group of Levi. You and the other Levites must make yourselves holy.* Then bring the Box of the Agreement* to the place I have made for it. ¹³The last time we did not ask the Lord how to carry the Box of the Agreement. You Levites did not carry it, and that is why the Lord punished us.” ¹⁴Then the priests and Levites* made themselves holy* so they could carry the Box of the Agreement* of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵The Levites used the special poles to carry the Box of the Agreement on their shoulders, the way Moses commanded. They carried the Box just like the Lord said.

The Singers

¹⁶David told the Levite leaders to get their brothers, the singers. The singers were to take their lyres,* harps*, and cymbals* and sing happy songs. ¹⁷Then the Levites got Heman and his brothers, Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. Ethan was Kushaiah’s son. These men were from the Merari family group. ¹⁸There was also a second group of Levites.* They were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel. These men were the Levite guards. ¹⁹The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals.* ²⁰Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the alamoth* lyres.* ²¹Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the sheminith* harps.* This was their job forever. ²²The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing. Kenaniah had this job because he was very skilled at singing. ²³Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the Box of the Agreement.* ²⁴The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets {as they walked} in front of the Box of the Agreement. Obed Edom and Jehiah were the other guards for the Box of the Agreement. ²⁵David, the elders (leaders) of Israel, and the generals* went to get the Box of the Agreement.* They brought it out from Obed Edom’s house. Everyone was very happy! ²⁶God helped the Levites* that carried the Box of the Agreement. They sacrificed* seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷All the Levites that carried the Box of the Agreement wore robes made from fine linen.* Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers had robes made from fine linen. David also wore a robe made from fine linen. And David also wore an ephod* made of fine linen. ²⁸So all the people of Israel brought up the Box of the Agreement.* They shouted, they blew rams’ horns and trumpets, and they played cymbals,* lyres,* and harps.* ²⁹When the Box of the Agreement* arrived at the City of David,* Michal looked through a window. Michal was Saul’s daughter. She saw King David dancing and playing around. And she lost her respect for David—{she thought he was being foolish}.

City of David The southeastern and oldest part of the city of Jerusalem. Box of the Agreement Also called “The Ark of the Covenant,” the box containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them and the other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai Desert. Levites People from the tribe of Levi. The Levites helped the priests in the temple and also worked for the civil government. descendants A person’s children and their future families. holy This means “prepared to serve the Lord. Levites People from the tribe of Levi. The Levites helped the priests in the temple and also worked for the civil government. made themselves holy This means “prepared themselves to serve the Lord.” Box of the Agreement Also called “The Ark of the Covenant,” the box containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them and the other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai Desert. lyres An instrument with several strings, like a harp. harps Musical instruments with several strings. cymbals Brass plates that were hit together to make a ringing noise. alamoth We don’t know the exact meaning of this word, but it probably means ��high pitched.” sheminith We don’t know the exact meaning of this word, but it probably means “low pitched.” generals Literally, “leaders over 1,000 men.” sacrifice(d) To offer a gift to God. Usually it was a special animal that was killed and burned on an altar. linen A type of cloth. ephod This was probably a special vest or coat like the High Priest of Israel wore (see Exodus 28). Or it may have been an idol. City of David The southeastern and oldest part of the city of Jerusalem.