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Once more David called together the best soldiers in Israel, a total of thirty thousand men,
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and led them to Baalah in Judah, in order to bring from there God's Covenant Box, bearing the name of the LORD Almighty, whose throne is above the winged creatures.
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They took it from Abinadab's home on the hill and placed it on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart,
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with Ahio walking in front.
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David and all the Israelites were dancing and singing with all their might to honor the LORD. They were playing harps, lyres, drums, rattles, and cymbals.
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As they came to the threshing place of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Covenant Box.
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At once the LORD God became angry with Uzzah and killed him because of his irreverence. Uzzah died there beside the Covenant Box,
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and so that place has been called Perez Uzzah ever since. David was furious because the LORD had punished Uzzah in anger.
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Then David was afraid of the LORD and said, "How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?"
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So he decided not to take it with him to Jerusalem; instead, he turned off the road and took it to the house of Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath.
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It stayed there three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his family.
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King David heard that because of the Covenant Box the LORD had blessed Obed Edom's family and all that he had; so he got the Covenant Box from Obed's house to take it to Jerusalem with a great celebration.
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After the men carrying the Covenant Box had gone six steps, David had them stop while he offered the LORD a sacrifice of a bull and a fattened calf.
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David, wearing only a linen cloth around his waist, danced with all his might to honor the LORD.
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And so he and all the Israelites took the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.
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As the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and jumping around in the sacred dance, and she was disgusted with him.
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They brought the Box and put it in its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to the LORD.
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When he had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty
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and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat, and some raisins. Then everyone went home.
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Afterward, when David went home to greet his family, Michal came out to meet him. "The king of Israel made a big name for himself today!" she said. "He exposed himself like a fool in the sight of the servant women of his officials!"
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David answered, "I was dancing to honor the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and his family to make me the leader of his people Israel. And I will go on dancing to honor the LORD,
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and will disgrace myself even more. You may think I am nothing, but those women will think highly of me!"
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Michal, Saul's daughter, never had any children.
1
King David consulted with all the officers in command of units of a thousand men and units of a hundred men.
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Then he announced to all the people of Israel, "If you give your approval and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messengers to the rest of our people and to the priests and Levites in their towns, and tell them to assemble here with us.
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Then we will go and get God's Covenant Box, which was ignored while Saul was king."
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The people were pleased with the suggestion and agreed to it.
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So David assembled the people of Israel from all over the country, from the Egyptian border in the south to Hamath Pass in the north, in order to bring the Covenant Box from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem.
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David and the people went to the city of Baalah, that is, to Kiriath Jearim, in the territory of Judah, to get the Covenant Box of God, which bears the name of the LORD enthroned above the winged creatures.
7
At Abinadab's house they brought out the Covenant Box and put it on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart,
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while David and all the people danced with all their might to honor God. They sang and played musical instruments---harps, drums, cymbals, and trumpets.
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As they came to the threshing place of Chidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Covenant Box.
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At once the LORD became angry with Uzzah and killed him for touching the Box. He died there in God's presence,
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and so that place has been called Perez Uzzah ever since. David was furious because the LORD had punished Uzzah in anger.
12
Then David was afraid of God and said, "How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?"
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So David did not take it with him to Jerusalem. Instead, he left it at the house of a man named Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath.
14
It stayed there three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom's family and everything that belonged to him.
1
God rises up and scatters his enemies. Those who hate him run away in defeat.
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As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off; as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God's presence.
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But the righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy.
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Sing to God, sing praises to his name; prepare a way for him who rides on the clouds. His name is the LORD ---be glad in his presence!
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God, who lives in his sacred Temple, cares for orphans and protects widows.
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He gives the lonely a home to live in and leads prisoners out into happy freedom, but rebels will have to live in a desolate land.
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O God, when you led your people, when you marched across the desert,
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the earth shook, and the sky poured down rain, because of the coming of the God of Sinai, the coming of the God of Israel.
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You caused abundant rain to fall and restored your worn-out land;
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your people made their home there; in your goodness you provided for the poor.
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The Lord gave the command, and many women carried the news:
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"Kings and their armies are running away!" The women at home divided what was captured:
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figures of doves covered with silver, whose wings glittered with fine gold. (Why did some of you stay among the sheep pens on the day of battle?)
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When Almighty God scattered the kings on Mount Zalmon, he caused snow to fall there.
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What a mighty mountain is Bashan, a mountain of many peaks!
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Why from your mighty peaks do you look with scorn on the mountain on which God chose to live? The LORD will live there forever!
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With his many thousands of mighty chariots the Lord comes from Sinai into the holy place.
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He goes up to the heights, taking many captives with him; he receives gifts from rebellious people. The LORD God will live there.
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Praise the Lord, who carries our burdens day after day; he is the God who saves us.
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Our God is a God who saves; he is the LORD, our Lord, who rescues us from death.
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God will surely break the heads of his enemies, of those who persist in their sinful ways.
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The Lord has said, "I will bring your enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean,
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so that you may wade in their blood, and your dogs may lap up as much as they want."
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O God, your march of triumph is seen by all, the procession of God, my king, into his sanctuary.
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The singers are in front, the musicians are behind, in between are the young women beating the tambourines.
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"Praise God in the meeting of his people; praise the LORD, all you descendants of Jacob!"
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First comes Benjamin, the smallest tribe, then the leaders of Judah with their group, followed by the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
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Show your power, O God, the power you have used on our behalf
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from your Temple in Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.
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Rebuke Egypt, that wild animal in the reeds; rebuke the nations, that herd of bulls with their calves, until they all bow down and offer you their silver. Scatter those people who love to make war!
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Ambassadors will come from Egypt; the Ethiopians will raise their hands in prayer to God.
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Sing to God, kingdoms of the world, sing praise to the Lord,
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to him who rides in the sky, the ancient sky. Listen to him shout with a mighty roar.
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Proclaim God's power; his majesty is over Israel, his might is in the skies.
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How awesome is God as he comes from his sanctuary--- the God of Israel! He gives strength and power to his people. Praise God!
1
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone.
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As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white.
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Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.
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So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, "Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
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While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased---listen to him!"
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When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground.
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Jesus came to them and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid!"
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So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus.
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As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death."
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Then the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"
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"Elijah is indeed coming first," answered Jesus, "and he will get everything ready.
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But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. In the same way they will also mistreat the Son of Man."
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Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
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When they returned to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him,
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and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son! He is an epileptic and has such terrible attacks that he often falls in the fire or into water.
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I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
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Jesus answered, "How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!"
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Jesus gave a command to the demon, and it went out of the boy, and at that very moment he was healed.
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Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, "Why couldn't we drive the demon out?"
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"It was because you do not have enough faith," answered Jesus. "I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, 'Go from here to there!' and it will go. You could do anything!"
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When the disciples all came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be handed over to those
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who will kill him; but three days later he will be raised to life." The disciples became very sad.
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When Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay the Temple tax?"
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"Of course," Peter answered. When Peter went into the house, Jesus spoke up first, "Simon, what is your opinion? Who pays duties or taxes to the kings of this world? The citizens of the country or the foreigners?"
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"The foreigners," answered Peter. "Well, then," replied Jesus, "that means that the citizens don't have to pay.
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But we don't want to offend these people. So go to the lake and drop in a line. Pull up the first fish you hook, and in its mouth you will find a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours. Take it and pay them our taxes."
