to his own city. But he remembered the death of Uzzah, who had disobeyed the word of God and touched the ark; therefore he assembled the priests, and the chief of the Levites, and he commanded them to sanctify themselves, that they might bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place which he had prepared for it. And he said, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark." And because they had not done this at first, but had brought up the ark in a way which the Lord had not commanded, therefore they had displeased the Lord, and Uzzah was slain.

"So the priests and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel." And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem; and the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the Lord.

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the chief captains, brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with joy. And all Israel followed" with shouting, and

with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps." And David himself danced before the ark of the Lord, and played, clothed in a robe of fine linen, and a linen ephod. And when they had brought the ark into the city of David, they placed it within the tabernacle which David had prepared for it; and they offered there burntofferings and peace-offerings before the Lord.

And when they had offered the burnt-offerings, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord. And he gave to every man and woman of the whole multitude of Israel, a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. Then all the people departed, every one to his own home.

But when David returned to bless his household, Michal his wife, the daughter of Saul, reproached him because he had laid aside his royal state, and had danced and played before the ark of God. Then David answered, "It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the

people of the Lord; therefore will I play before the Lord and I will be base in my own sight."

Therefore, Michal, the daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death; because she had a proud heart, and despised David when he humbled himself to do honour to the Lord his God.

And after the ark had been placed within the tent or tabernacle which David had prepared for it, he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord continually, as every day's work required; and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel with psalms and instruments of music. And Asaph was the chief of those who praised the Lord with cymbals.

But Zadok the high-priest, with his brethren, ministered before the Lord at Gibeon, in the land of Benjamin. For the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses had made in the wilderness, with the altar of burnt-offerings, was at this time at Gibeon. And there Zadok, and his brethren the priests, offered burnt-offerings upon the altar continually, every morning and every evening, and did accord

ing to all which is written in the law of the Lord.

And on that day David wrote a Psalm, to thank the Lord for His goodness to His people Israel; and he gave it to Asaph, the chief of the musicians, that he and his brethren might sing it before the Lord with instruments of music.

2 Samuel vi.; 1 Chronicles xiii. xv. xvi. ; Psalm cv.

Chapter CXXEEE.

THE PROMISES OF GOD TO DAVID AND HIS SEED AFTER HIM.

AFTER David had brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, the Lord gave rest to him and to his kingdom from all his enemies round about. And he dwelt in peace in his palace on the hill of Sion, which Hiram the king of Tyre had built for him.

Then David said to Nathan, a prophet of the Lord who was with him, "See now I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the Lord dwelleth within curtains." And Nathan answered, "Go do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee."

But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan the prophet, and the Lord said that David should not build a house for His name, because he had been a man of war, and had shed blood. God said that He would subdue all the enemies of David, and make his family great in Israel; and that when his days should be fulfilled, and he should sleep with his fathers, He would raise up his son after him, and would establish his kingdom in peace; and that he should build a house for his name. And the Lord gave David a promise or covenant by the mouth of his prophet, saying, "Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever."

And when David had heard the words which the Lord had spoken by Nathan, he went up to the tabernacle to worship the Lord. And he prayed and gave thanks before God for all the great things which He had done for him, and for the blessings which He had promised to him and to his seed after him. And he said, "Now, Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, be established for ever; and do as thou hast said, that