May 15, 2023

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2 Samuel 6

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. ³ They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God, and Ahio went in front of the ark. ⁵ David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen lurched. ⁷ The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there, and he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah, so that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” ¹⁰ So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead, David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹² It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing, ¹³ and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted calf. ¹⁴ David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts ¹⁹ and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

²⁰ David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!” ²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—I will dance before the Lord. ²² I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be humbled in my own eyes, but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

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1 Chronicles 13

The Ark Brought from Kiriath-jearim

13 David consulted with the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader. ² David said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our kindred who remain in all the land of Israel, including the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may come together to us. ³ Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” ⁴ The whole assembly agreed to do so, for the thing pleased all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶ And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord, who is enthroned on the cherubim, which is called by his name. ⁷ They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. ⁸ David and all Israel were dancing before God with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen lurched. ¹⁰ The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. ¹¹ David was angry because the Lord had burst out against Uzzah, so that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ¹² David was afraid of God that day; he said, “How can I bring the ark of God into my care?” ¹³ So David did not take the ark into his care into the city of David; he took it instead to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ The ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.

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Psalm 60

Prayer for National Victory after Defeat

To the leader: according to the Lily of the Covenant. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹ O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
    you have been angry; now restore us!
² You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open;
    repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
³ You have made your people suffer hard things;
    you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.

⁴ You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
    to rally to it out of bowshot. Selah
⁵ Give victory with your right hand and answer us,
    so that those whom you love may be rescued.

⁶ God has promised in his sanctuary,
    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
    and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
⁷ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet;
    Judah is my scepter.
⁸ Moab is my washbasin;
    on Edom I hurl my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have you not rejected us, O God?
    You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
¹¹ O grant us help against the foe,
    for human help is worthless.
¹² With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

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Acts 23

23 While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, “Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.” ² Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. ³ At this Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’ ”

⁶ When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” ⁷ When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) ⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹ That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹² In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives.”

¹⁶ Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him.” ¹⁸ So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you.” ¹⁹ The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, “What is it that you have to report to me?” ²⁰ He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case. ²¹ But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent.” ²² So the tribune dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of this.”

Paul Sent to Felix the Governor

²³ Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Get ready to leave by nine o’clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. ²⁴ Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and take him safely to Felix the governor.” ²⁵ He wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. ²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman, I came with the guard and rescued him. ²⁸ Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council. ²⁹ I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

³¹ So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. ³³ When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. ³⁴ On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s headquarters.

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