He then said to the whole assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.

大卫对以色列全会众说：“你们若以为美，见这事是出于耶和华我们的神，我们就差遣人走遍以色列地，见我们未来的弟兄，又见住在有郊野之城的祭司利未人，使他们都到这里来聚集。

大卫对以色列全会众说：“你们若以为好，见这事是出于耶和华—我们的上帝，我们就派人到远近各处去见仍留在以色列各地我们的弟兄，以及住在有郊野之城的祭司和利未人，使他们都到我们这里来聚集。

大卫对以色列全会众说：“你们若以为好，见这事是出于耶和华—我们的神，我们就派人到远近各处去见仍留在以色列各地我们的弟兄，以及住在有郊野之城的祭司和利未人，使他们都到我们这里来聚集。

然后对以色列全体会众说：“如果你们赞成，而且这是我们上帝耶和华的旨意，我们就派人到以色列各地把其他同胞，包括住在城邑及草场的祭司和利未人召集来。

然后大卫对以色列全体会众说：“你们如果认为好，认为这事是出于耶和华我们的神，我们就差遣人走遍各地，去见留在以色列各地的兄弟，以及和他们在一起住在那些有草场的城的祭司和利未人，叫他们都聚集到我们这里来。

大衛對以色列全會眾說：「你們若以為美，見這事是出於耶和華－我們的神，我們就差遣人走遍以色列地，見我們未來的弟兄，又見住在有郊野之城的祭司利未人，使他們都到這裏來聚集。

大衛對以色列全會眾說：「你們若以為好，見這事是出於耶和華－我們的上帝，我們就派人到遠近各處去見仍留在以色列各地我們的弟兄，以及住在有郊野之城的祭司和利未人，使他們都到我們這裏來聚集。

大衛對以色列全會眾說：「你們若以為好，見這事是出於耶和華－我們的神，我們就派人到遠近各處去見仍留在以色列各地我們的弟兄，以及住在有郊野之城的祭司和利未人，使他們都到我們這裏來聚集。

然後對以色列全體會眾說：「如果你們贊成，而且這是我們上帝耶和華的旨意，我們就派人到以色列各地把其他同胞，包括住在城邑及草場的祭司和利未人召集來。

然後大衛對以色列全體會眾說：“你們如果認為好，認為這事是出於耶和華我們的神，我們就差遣人走遍各地，去見留在以色列各地的兄弟，以及和他們在一起住在那些有草場的城的祭司和利未人，叫他們都聚集到我們這裡來。

大衛對以色列全體大眾說：『你們若以為好，若以為是出於永恆主我們的上帝，那麼我們就發急令，差遣人去見我們的族弟兄、那些在以色列各地其餘之民、連同祭司和利未人、那些在有牧場之城的，叫他們集合到我們這裏來。

謂以色列會眾曰、爾曹若以為善、此事由於我上帝耶和華、則可遣人往以色列全地、請我儕其餘之昆弟、及居邑郊之祭司利未人、使之咸集於此、

告以色列族會眾、曰、如蒙我上帝耶和華祐、俾爾樂為、則遣人召以色列族地未至之同宗、及諸邑之祭司、利未人、群集於此、

謂以色列會眾曰、如爾以為善、且以為出乎主我之天主、則我儕遣人往以色列遍地、見所有未至之同族、又見祭司及利未人、即居於其邑與其郊者、使咸集於此、

David spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said,“ Let’s send word to the rest of our people no matter how far away they live. They live in all the territories of Israel. Let’s also send word to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and on their grasslands. Let’s invite everyone to come and join us. Let’s do it if it seems good to you and if that’s what the Lord our God wants.

And David said to all the assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us.

Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows:“ If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us.

Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you, and if this is from the LORD our God, let’s spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.

David said to all the assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send word everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they meet with us;

And David said to all the assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us;

And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad every where unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us;

Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.

And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If[ it seem] good unto you, and[ that it be] of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where,[ that are] left in all the land of Israel, and with them[ also] to the priests and Levites[ which are] in their cities[ and] suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:

David said to the whole Israelite assembly,“ If you so desire and the LORD our God approves, let’s spread the word to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities, so they may join us.

David said to all the assembly of Israel,“ If it seems good to you, and if it is of Yahweh our God, let’s send word everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have pasture lands, that they may gather themselves to us.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul— an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—

It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Then David said,“ No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:From the descendants of Kohath, Uriel the leader and 120 relatives;from the descendants of Merari, Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;from the descendants of Gershon, Joel the leader and 130 relatives;from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;from the descendants of Uzziel, Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites.He said to them,“ You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.

“ Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns.Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.“ The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall.Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.“ Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”Then the Lord said to Moses:

He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed his people Israel.Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps;and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered,“ Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done.Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah, a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank.Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts.Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records— all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions.And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions.They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

They replied,“ If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory( they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands.But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron( a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,Hilen, Debir,Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands.And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen.The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands.From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem( a city of refuge), and Gezer,Jokmeam, Beth Horon,Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands.And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half- tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath,Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon,Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands;and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.The Merarites( the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands;and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.

“ This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things.When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law.Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.“ Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it.They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the olive oil used to supply it.Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a carrying frame.“ Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put them on a carrying frame.“ They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.“ Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles.”The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,“ See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites.So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry.But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said,“ If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”

he said to Nathan the prophet,“ Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”Nathan replied to the king,“ Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:“ Go and tell my servant David,‘ This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.