Through the Bible – Day 146

After David finished, the people shouted, “Amen! Praise the LORD!”

₃₇David chose Asaph and the Levites in his clan to be in charge of the daily worship at the place where the sacred chest was kept. ₃₈Obed-Edom and sixty-eight of his relatives were their assistants, and Hosah and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun were the guards.

₃₉David also chose Zadok the priest and his relatives who were priests to serve at the LORD's sacred tent at Gibeon. ₄₀They were to offer sacrifices on the altar every morning and evening, just as the LORD had commanded in the Law he gave Israel. ₄₁Heman and Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to praise the LORD for his never-ending love. ₄₂Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.

₄₃After that, everyone went home, and David went home to his family.

₁Soon after David moved into his new palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest is kept in a tent.”

₂Nathan replied, “The LORD is with you—do what you want.”

₃That night, the LORD told Nathan ₄to go to David and tell him:

₁₅Nathan told David exactly what the LORD had said.

₁₆David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed:

₁Later, David attacked and defeated the Philistines. He captured their town of Gath and the nearby villages.

₂David also defeated the Moabites, and so they had to accept him as their ruler and pay taxes to him.

₃While King Hadadezer of Zobah was trying to gain control of the territory near the River Euphrates, David met him in battle at Hamath and defeated him. ₄David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand chariot drivers, and twenty thousand soldiers. And he crippled all but one hundred of the horses.

₅When troops from the Syrian kingdom of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them. ₆Then David stationed some of his troops in Damascus, and the people there had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him.

Everywhere David went, the LORD helped him win battles.

₇Hadadezer's officers had carried gold shields, but David took these shields and brought them back to Jerusalem. ₈He also took a lot of bronze from the cities of Tibhath and Cun, which had belonged to Hadadezer. Later, Solomon used this bronze to make the large bowl called the Sea, and to make the pillars and other furnishings for the temple.

_9-10King Tou of Hamath and King Hadadezer had been enemies. So when Tou heard that David had defeated Hadadezer's whole army, he sent his son Hadoram to congratulate David on his victory. Hadoram also brought him gifts made of gold, silver, and bronze. ₁₁David gave these gifts to the LORD, just as he had done with the silver and gold he had captured from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek.

₁₂Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeated the Edomite army in Salt Valley and killed eighteen thousand of their troops. ₁₃Then he stationed troops in Edom, and the people there had to accept David as their ruler.

Everywhere David went, the LORD gave him victory in war.

₁₄David ruled all Israel with fairness and justice.

₁₅Joab the son of Zeruiah was the commander in chief of the army.

Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept the government records.

₁₆Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests.

Shavsha was the secretary.

₁₇Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of David's bodyguard.

David's sons were his highest-ranking officials.

_13-14The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. ₁₅They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, “Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see.”

₁₆Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath.”

Others asked, “How could someone who is a sinner perform such a miracle?”

Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves, ₁₇they asked the man, “What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?”

“He is a prophet!” the man told them.

₁₈But the Jewish leaders would not believe that the man had once been blind. They sent for his parents ₁₉and asked them, “Is this the son that you said was born blind? How can he now see?”

₂₀The man's parents answered, “We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. ₂₁But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself.”

_22-23The man's parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah.

₂₄The leaders called the man back and said, “Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner.”

₂₅The man replied, “I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!”

₂₆“What did he do to you?” the Jewish leaders asked. “How did he heal your eyes?”

₂₇The man answered, “I have already told you once, and you refused to listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

₂₈The leaders insulted the man and said, “You are his follower! We are followers of Moses. ₂₉We are sure that God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where Jesus comes from.”

₃₀“How strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from. ₃₁We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners. ₃₂And this is the first time in history that anyone has ever given sight to someone born blind. ₃₃Jesus could not do anything unless he came from God.”

₃₄The leaders told the man, “You have been a sinner since the day you were born! Do you think you can teach us anything?” Then they said, “You can never come back into any of our meeting places!”

₃₅When Jesus heard what had happened, he went and found the man. Then Jesus asked, “Do you have faith in the Son of Man?”

₃₆He replied, “Sir, if you will tell me who he is, I will put my faith in him.”

₃₇“You have already seen him,” Jesus answered, “and right now he is talking with you.”

₃₈The man said, “Lord, I put my faith in you!” Then he worshipped Jesus.

₃₉Jesus told him, “I came to judge the people of this world. I am here to give sight to the blind and to make blind everyone who can see.”

₄₀When the Pharisees heard Jesus say this, they asked, “Are we blind?”

₄₁Jesus answered, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty. But now that you claim to see, you will keep on being guilty.”