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David Appoints Worship Leaders
37 David[a] left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,[b] 38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served[c] before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center[d] in Gibeon, 40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.[e] 41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)[f] 42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.[g]
43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.[h]
God Makes a Promise to David
17 When David had settled into his palace,[i] he[j] said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace[k] made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.”[l] 2 Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind,[m] for God is with you.”
3 That night God told Nathan,[n] 4 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live. 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt[o] to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.[p] 6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say[q] to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,[r] ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’
7 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[s] says: “I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd[t] to make you a leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated[u] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.[v] 9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle[w] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed[x] anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning[y] 10 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.
“‘“I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house[z] for you! 11 When the time comes for you to die,[aa] I will raise up your descendant,[ab] one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.[ac] 13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you.[ad] 14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.”’”[ae] 15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.[af]
David Praises God
16 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family,[ag] that you should have brought me to this point? 17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.[ah] You have revealed to me what men long to know,[ai] O Lord God. 18 What more can David say[aj] to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition.[ak] 19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,[al] you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.[am] 20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true![an] 21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation[ao] in the earth? Their God[ap] went to claim[aq] a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds[ar] when you drove out[as] nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.[at] 22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time.[au] You, O Lord, became their God. 23 So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality![av] Do as you promised,[aw] 24 so[ax] it may become a reality[ay] and you may gain lasting fame,[az] as people say,[ba] ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is the God of Israel.’[bb] The dynasty[bc] of your servant David will be established before you, 25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty[bd] for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.[be] 26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God;[bf] you have made this good promise to your servant.[bg] 27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty[bh] so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future.”[bi]
David Conquers the Neighboring Nations
18 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its surrounding towns[bj] away from the Philistines.[bk]
2 He defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.[bl]
3 David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, when he went to extend his authority[bm] to the Euphrates River.[bn] 4 David seized from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers,[bo] and 20,000 infantrymen . David cut the hamstrings of all but 100 of Hadadezer’s[bp] chariot horses.[bq] 5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus;[br] the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected[bs] David wherever he campaigned.[bt] 7 David took the golden shields which Hadadezer’s servants had carried[bu] and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tibhath[bv] and Kun,[bw] Hadadezer’s cities, David took a great deal of bronze. (Solomon used it to make the big bronze basin called “The Sea,”[bx] the pillars, and other bronze items.)
9 When King Tou[by] of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram[bz] to King David to extend his best wishes[ca] and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Tou had been at war with Hadadezer.[cb] He also sent various items made of gold, silver, and bronze.[cc] 11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord,[cd] along with the silver and gold which he had carried off from all the nations, including[ce] Edom,[cf] Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.
12 Abishai son of Zeruiah[cg] killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected[ch] David wherever he campaigned.[ci]
David’s Officials
14 David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.[cj] 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was commanding general of[ck] the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha[cl] was scribe; 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada supervised[cm] the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were the king’s leading officials.[cn]
The Condemnation of the Moralist
2 [a] Therefore[b] you are without excuse,[c] whoever you are,[d] when you judge someone else.[e] For on whatever grounds[f] you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth[g] against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think,[h] whoever you are, when you judge[i] those who practice such things and yet do them yourself,[j] that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know[k] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness[l] and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed![m] 6 He[n] will reward[o] each one according to his works:[p] 7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 8 but[q] wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition[r] and do not obey the truth but follow[s] unrighteousness. 9 There will be[t] affliction and distress on everyone[u] who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek,[v] 10 but[w] glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For all who have sinned apart from the law[x] will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous.[y] 14 For whenever the Gentiles,[z] who do not have the law, do by nature[aa] the things required by the law,[ab] these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 15 They[ac] show that the work of the law is written[ad] in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend[ae] them,[af] 16 on the day when God will judge[ag] the secrets of human hearts,[ah] according to my gospel[ai] through Christ Jesus.
The Condemnation of the Jew
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law[aj] and boast of your relationship to God[ak] 18 and know his will[al] and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law,[am] 19 and if you are convinced[an] that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth— 21 therefore[ao] you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor[ap] idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[aq]
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