David said to the whole Israelite assembly, &#8220;If you so desire and the <sc>Lordsc> our God approves,<n id="1" /> let&#8217;s spread the word<n id="2" /> to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities,<n id="3" /> so they may join us.

Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say<n id="1" /> to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,<n id="2" /> &#8216;Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?&#8217;&#8221;&#8217;p>

The <sc>Lordsc> greatly magnified Solomon before all Israel and bestowed on him greater majesty than any king of Israel before him.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites:p> <p class="bodytext">Bela son of Beor; the name of his city was Dinhabah.p>

<p class="bodytext">From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command &#8211; they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.<n id="1" />p>

So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River<n id="1" /> in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,<n id="2" /> to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.

while David and all Israel were energetically<n id="1" /> celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments,<n id="2" /> tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem<n id="1" /> to bring the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> up to the place he had prepared for it.

He told them: &#8220;You are the leaders of the Levites&#8217; families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it.

<p class="bodytext">So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration.

All Israel brought up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments.

He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.

<p class="poetry">May the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel be praised,p> <p class="poetry">in the future and forevermore.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then all the people said, &#8220;We agree!<n id="2" /> Praise the <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the <sc>Lordsc> on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the <sc>Lordsc> which he charged Israel to observe.<n id="1" />

For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt<n id="1" /> to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.<n id="2" />

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle<n id="1" /> them there; they will live there and not be disturbed<n id="2" /> anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning<n id="3" />

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;&#8220;I declare to you that the <sc>Lordsc> will build a dynastic house<n id="1" /> for you!

You made Israel your very own nation for all time.<n id="1" /> You, O <sc>Lordsc>, became their God.

When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel&#8217;s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God&#8217;s temple.