The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday July 14, 2021 (NIV)

³⁷ So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister regularly^(A) before the ark according to the daily requirements.^{(B) 38} He assigned Obed-edom^(C) and his^[a] sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah^(D) were to be gatekeepers. ³⁹ David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon^{(E) 40} to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep.^{(F) 41} With them were Heman,^(G) Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name^(H) to give thanks to the Lord—for his faithful love endures forever.^{(I) 42} Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God.^(J) Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

⁴³ Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.^(K)

The Lord’s Covenant with David

17 When David^(L) had settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under tent curtains.”^(M)

² So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”

³ But that night^(N) the word of God came to Nathan: ⁴ “Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in.^{(O) 5} From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another.^{[b](P) 6} In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’ ^(Q)

⁷ “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.^{(R) 8} I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth. ⁹ I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them,^(S) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done ¹⁰ ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. ¹¹ When your time comes to be with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He is the one who will build a house for me,^(T) and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be his father, and he will be my son.^(U) I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you.^{(V) 14} I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”^(W)

¹⁵ Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

¹⁶ Then^(X) King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said,

Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ This was a little thing to you,^[c] God, for you have spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. You regard me as a man of distinction,^[d] Lord God. ¹⁸ What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant. ¹⁹ Lord, you have done this whole great thing, making known all these great promises for the sake of your servant and according to your will.^{(Y) 20} Lord, there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms. ²¹ And who is like your people Israel? God, you came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for yourself, to make a name for yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before your people you redeemed from Egypt.^{(Z) 22} You made your people Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.^(AA)

²³ Now, Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house be confirmed forever, and do as you have promised. ²⁴ Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you. ²⁵ Since you, my God, have revealed to^[e](AB) your servant that you will build him a house, your servant has found courage to pray in your presence. ²⁶ Lord, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. ²⁷ So now, you have been pleased to bless your servant’s house that it may continue before you forever. For you, Lord, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.

David’s Military Campaigns

18 After this,^(AC) David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its surrounding villages from Philistine control. ² He also defeated the Moabites, and they became David’s subjects and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath when he went to establish his control at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, hamstrung all the horses, and kept a hundred chariots.^[f]

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah,^(AD) David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men. ⁶ Then he placed garrisons^[g](AE) in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze basin,^[h] the pillars, and the bronze articles.^(AF)

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations—from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites.

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. ¹³ He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel,^(AG) administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore, every one of you^[a](A) who judges is without excuse.^(B) For when you judge another,^(C) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³ Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of his kindness,^(D) restraint,^(E) and patience,^(F) not recognizing^[b] that God’s kindness^(G) is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵ Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath^(H) for yourself in the day of wrath,^(I) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶ He will repay each one according to his works:^{[c](J) 7} eternal life^(K) to those who by persistence in doing good^(L) seek glory, honor,^(M) and immortality;^{(N) 8} but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking^(O) and disobey the truth^(P) while obeying unrighteousness. ⁹ There will be affliction and distress^(Q) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^{(R) 10} but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no favoritism with God.^(S)

¹² For all who sin without the law^(T) will also perish without the law, and all who sin under^[d] the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For the hearers of the law^(U) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.^{[e] 14} So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law,^(V) do^[f] what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law^[g] is written on their hearts.^(W) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them^{[h] 16} on the day when God judges^(X) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^(Y)

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷ Now if^[i] you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law,^(Z) and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know his will, and approve the things that are superior,^(AA) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth^(AB) in the law— ²¹ you then, who teach another,^(AC) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?^{(AD) 23} You who boast in the law,^(AE) do you dishonor God by breaking the law?^{[j] 24} For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^[k](AF)