¹Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. ²And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lᴏʀᴅ of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. ³So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. ⁴And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. ⁵Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lᴏʀᴅ on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. ⁶And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷Then the anger of the Lᴏʀᴅ was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸And David became angry because of the Lᴏʀᴅ’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day. ⁹David was afraid of the Lᴏʀᴅ that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ come to me?” ¹⁰So David would not move the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ¹¹The ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lᴏʀᴅ blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. ¹²Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lᴏʀᴅ has blessed the house 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 gladness. ¹³And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. ¹⁴Then David danced before the Lᴏʀᴅ with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶Now as the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lᴏʀᴅ; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷So they brought the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lᴏʀᴅ. ¹⁸And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts. ¹⁹Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house. ²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lᴏʀᴅ, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lᴏʀᴅ, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lᴏʀᴅ. ²²And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” ²³Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

¹Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ²On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. ³And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me. ⁵Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). ⁶And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. ⁹For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. ¹⁰Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. ¹¹Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren. ¹²Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time. ¹³Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. ¹⁴Let all that you do be done with love. ¹⁵I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints— ¹⁶that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. ¹⁷I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. ¹⁸For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men. ¹⁹The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. ²⁰All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. ²¹The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s. ²²If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! ²³The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

¹Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. ²And the word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to me, saying, ³“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? ⁴Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lᴏʀᴅ will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, ⁵that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ‘ ⁶“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. ⁷For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lᴏʀᴅ will answer him by Myself. ⁸I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ. ⁹And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the Lᴏʀᴅ have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. ¹⁰And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, ¹¹that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God.’ ” ¹²The word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came again to me, saying: ¹³“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. ¹⁴Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God. ¹⁵“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, ¹⁶even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate. ¹⁷“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it, ¹⁸even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered. ¹⁹“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, ²⁰even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” ²¹For thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? ²²Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. ²³And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God.

¹To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. ²Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, ³Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me. ⁴My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. ⁵Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. ⁶So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. ⁷Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah ⁸I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.” ⁹Destroy, O Lᴏʀᴅ, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. ¹⁰Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. ¹¹Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets. ¹²For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. ¹³But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. ¹⁴We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng. ¹⁵Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them. ¹⁶As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lᴏʀᴅ shall save me. ¹⁷Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. ¹⁸He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. ¹⁹God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God. ²⁰He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant. ²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords. ²²Cast your burden on the Lᴏʀᴅ, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. ²³But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You.