1 Then David took counsel with the tribunes, and the centurions, and all the leaders.
2 And he said to the entire assembly of Israel: “If it pleases you, and if the words that I speak come from the Lord our God, let us send to the remainder of our brothers, in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who live in the suburbs of the cities, so that they may gather to us.
3 And let us bring back the ark of our God to us. For we did not seek it during the days of Saul.”
4 And the entire multitude responded that it should be done. For the word had pleased all the people.
5 Therefore, David gathered all of Israel, from Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, so as to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
6 And David ascended with all the men of Israel to the hill of Kiriath-jearim, which is in Judah, so that he might bring from there the ark of the Lord God, sitting upon the Cherubim, where his name is invoked.
7 And they placed the ark of God upon a new cart from the house of Abinadab. Then Uzzah and his brother drove the cart.
8 Now David and all of Israel were playing before God, with all of their ability, in songs, and with harps, and psalteries, and timbrels, and cymbals, and trumpets.
9 And when they had arrived at the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out his hand, so that he might support the ark. For indeed, the ox being wanton had caused it to incline a little.
10 And so the Lord became angry against Uzzah. And he struck him down because he had touched the ark. And he died there before the Lord.
11 And David was greatly saddened because the Lord had divided Uzzah. And he called that place ‘the Division of Uzzah,’ even to the present day.
12 And then he feared God, at that time, saying: “How will I be able to bring in the ark of God to myself?”
13 And for this reason, he did not bring it to himself, that is, into the City of David. Instead, he turned aside to the house of Obededom, the Gittite.
14 Therefore, the ark of God dwelt in the house of Obededom for three months. And the Lord blessed his house and all that he had.
1 Also, Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar wood, and artisans of walls and of wood, so that they might build a house for him.
2 And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom had been lifted up over his people Israel.
3 Also, David took other wives in Jerusalem. And he conceived sons and daughters.
4 And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab, Nathan and Solomon,
5 Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet,
6 as well as Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
7 Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8 Then, hearing that David had been anointed as king over all of Israel, all the Philistines ascended so that they might seek him. But when David had heard of it, he went out to meet them.
9 Now the Philistines, arriving, spread out in the Valley of the Rephaim.
10 And so David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to the Philistines, and will you deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend, and I will deliver them into your hand.”
11 And when they had ascended to Baal-perazim, David struck them there, and he said: “God has divided my enemies by my hand, just as waters are divided.” And therefore the name of that place was called Baal-perazim.
12 And they left behind their gods in that place, and so David ordered them to be burned.
13 And then, at another time, the Philistines invaded, and they spread out in the valley.
14 And again, David consulted God. And God said to him: “You shall not ascend after them. Draw away from them. And you shall come against them opposite the balsam trees.
15 And when you hear a sound approaching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go forth to war. For God has gone forth before you, so that he may strike down the army of the Philistines.”
16 Therefore, David did just as God had instructed him. And he struck down the army of the Philistines, from Gibeon as far as Gazera.
17 And the name of David became well-known in all the regions. And the Lord placed the fear of him over all the nations.
1 Also, he made houses for himself in the City of David. And built a place for the ark of God, and he set up a tent for it.
2 Then David said: “It is illicit for anyone to carry the ark of God except the Levites, whom the Lord chose to carry it and to minister to himself, even unto eternity.”
3 And he gathered all of Israel in Jerusalem, so that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 Certainly, there were both the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
5 From the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twenty.
6 From the sons of Merari: Asaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred twenty.
7 From the sons of Gershom: Joel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred thirty.
8 From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred.
9 From the sons of Hebron: Eliel was the leader, and his brothers were eighty.
10 From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twelve.
11 And David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 And he said to them: “You who are the leaders of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brothers, and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that has been prepared for it.
13 Otherwise, as it was before, when the Lord struck us because you were not present, so also it might be now, if we do what is illicit.”
14 Therefore, the priests and the Levites were sanctified, so that they might carry the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
15 And the sons of Levi took the ark of God, just as Moses had instructed, in accord with the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders by the bars.
16 And David spoke to the leaders of the Levites, so that they might appoint, from their brothers, singers with musical instruments, specifically, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, so that a joyful noise might resound on high.
17 And they appointed from the Levites: Heman, the son of Joel; and from his brothers, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and truly, from their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan, the son of Kushaiah.
18 And with them were their brothers in the second rank: Zechariah, and Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jahiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, who were gatekeepers.
19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass.
20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah were singing mysteries with the psalteries.
21 Then Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obededom, and Jeiel and Azaziah were singing a song of victory with the harps, for the octave.
22 Now Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was foremost over the prophecies, in order to mark out in advance the melodies. For indeed, he was very skillful.
23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.
24 And the priests, Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, were sounding the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obededom and Jehiah were porters of the ark.
25 Therefore, David, and all those greater by birth of Israel, and the tribunes, went to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obededom with rejoicing.
26 And when God had assisted the Levites, who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they immolated seven bulls and seven rams.
27 Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the prophecy among the singers. But David was also clothed with a linen ephod.
28 And all of Israel were leading back the ark of the covenant of the Lord with jubilation, sounding out with the noise of horns, and trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.
29 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord had arrived in the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, gazing through a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
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1 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace.
2 I saw a dream that terrified me, and my thoughts on my bed and the visions in my head disturbed me.
3 And so a decree was established by me, that all of the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should reveal to me the answer to the dream.
4 Then the seers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers entered, and I explained about the dream in their presence, but they did not reveal its answer to me.
5 And then their colleague came in before me, Daniel, (whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god,) who has the spirit of the holy gods within his very self, and I told the dream directly to him.
6 Belteshazzar, leader of the seers, since I know that you have in you the spirit of the holy gods, and that no mystery is unreachable to you, explain to me the visions of my dreams, which I saw, and the solution to them.
7 This was the vision of my head on my bed. I looked, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was exceedingly great.
8 The tree was great and strong, and its height reached up to heaven. It could be seen all the way to the ends of the entire earth.
9 Its leaves were very beautiful, and its fruit was very abundant, and in it was food for the whole world. Under it, animals and beasts were dwelling, and in its branches, the birds of the sky were sheltered, and from it, all flesh was fed.
10 I saw in the vision of my head upon my blanket, and behold, a watcher and a holy one descended from heaven.
11 He cried out loudly, and he said this: “Cut down the tree and prune its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruits; let flee the beasts, which are under it, and the birds from its branches.
12 Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be bound with a band of iron and brass among the plants, which are close by, and let it be touched by the dew of heaven, and let its place be with the wild animals among the plants of the earth.
13 Let his heart be changed from being human, and let the heart of a wild animal be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him.
14 This is the decree from the judgment of the watchers, and the decision and proclamation of the holy ones, until the living shall know that the Supreme One is ruler in the kingdom of men, and that he will give it to whomever he wills, and he will appoint the lowest man over it.”
15 I, king Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. And so you, Belteshazzar, must quickly explain to me the interpretation because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare the meaning of it to me. But you are able because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
16 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. But the king responded, saying, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its interpretation disturb you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, the dream is for those who hate you, and its interpretation may be for your enemies.
17 The tree that you saw was lofty and strong; its height reached toward heaven, and it could be seen throughout the whole world.
18 And its branches were very beautiful, and its fruit very abundant, and in it was food for all. Under it, dwelt the beasts of the field, and in its branches, the birds of the air stayed.
19 It is you, O king, who has been greatly esteemed, and you have grown strong. And you have increased your power, and it reaches towards heaven, and your rule is to the ends of the whole earth.
20 Yet the king also saw a watcher and a holy one descend from heaven and say: ‘Cut down the tree and scatter it; however, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and brass, among the surrounding plants, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, until seven periods of time pass over him.’
21 This is the interpretation of the judgment of the Most High, which has reached my lord, the king.
22 They will expel you from among men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts and the wild animals, and you will eat hay like an ox, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Likewise, seven periods of time will pass over you, until you know that the Supreme One rules over the kingdom of men, and he gives it to whomever he wills.
23 But, since he commanded that the stump of its roots, that is, of the tree, should be left behind, your kingdom will be left for you, after you have realized that power is from divinity.
24 Because of this, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you. And redeem your sins with alms, and your iniquities with mercy towards the poor. Perhaps he will forgive your offenses.”
25 All these things came upon king Nebuchadnezzar.
26 After the end of twelve months, he was taking a walk in the palace of Babylon.
27 And the king spoke out loud, saying, “Isn’t this the great Babylon, which I have built, as the home of the kingdom, by the strength of my power and in the glory of my excellence?”
28 And while the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice rushed down from heaven, “To you, O king Nebuchadnezzar, it is said: ‘Your kingdom will be taken away from you,
29 and they will expel you from among men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts and the wild animals. You will eat hay like an ox, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Supreme One rules in the kingdom of men, and he gives it to whomever he wills.’?
30 The same hour, the sentence was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven away from among men, and he ate hay like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair increased like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like those of birds.
31 Therefore, at the end of these days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my mind was restored to me. And I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified him who lives forever. For his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.
32 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him. For he acts according to his own will, with the inhabitants of the earth just as with the holy inhabitants of heaven. And there is no one who can resist his hand, or say to him, “Why have you done this?”
33 At the same time, my mind returned to me, and I arrived at the honor and glory of my kingdom. And my appearance was given back to me. And my nobles and my magistrates needed me. And I was restored to my kingdom, and even greater majesty was added to me.
34 Therefore I, Nebuchadnezzar, now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven, because all his works and the judgments of his way are true, and those who go forth in arrogance, he is able to bring low.
11 But my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn: and my old age in plentiful mercy.
12 My eye also hath looked down upon my enemies: and my ear shall hear of the downfall of the malignant that rise up against me.
13 The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.
14 They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
15 They shall still increase in a fruitful old age: and shall be well treated,
16 That they may shew, That the Lord our God is righteous, and there is no iniquity in him.
1 So then, what more is the Jew, or what is the usefulness of circumcision?
2 Much in every way: First of all, certainly, because the eloquence of God was entrusted to them.
3 But what if some of them have not believed? Shall their unbelief nullify the faith of God? Let it not be so!
4 For God is truthful, but every man is deceitful; just as it was written: “Therefore, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment.”
5 But if even our injustice points to the justice of God, what shall we say? Could God be unfair for inflicting wrath?
6 (I am speaking in human terms.) Let it not be so! Otherwise, how would God judge this world?
7 For if the truth of God has abounded, through my falseness, unto his glory, why should I still be judged as such a sinner?
8 And should we not do evil, so that good may result? For so we have been slandered, and so some have claimed we said; their condemnation is just.
9 What is next? Should we try to excel ahead of them? By no means! For we have accused all Jews and Greeks to be under sin,
10 just as it was written: “There is no one who is just.
11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God.
12 All have gone astray; together they have become useless. There is no one who does good; there is not even one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues, they have been acting deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
