And as they led Him away, they laid hold of  ¹Simon, a certain Cyrenian, coming from the country, and they placed the cross upon him to carry it behind Jesus.

And a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him followed Him.

But Jesus turned to them and said,  ¹Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep over Me, but weep over yourselves and over your children.

For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs which have not borne, and the breasts which have not nourished.

Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover us!

For if they do these things with the  ¹tree full of sap, what will happen with the one that is dry?

And two others also, who were criminals, were led with Him to be executed.

And when they came to the place called The  ¹Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And dividing His garments, they cast lots.

And the people stood by, looking on. And the rulers also sneered, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!

And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him  ¹vinegar,

And saying, If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!

And there was also an inscription over  ¹Him: This Is The King Of The JEWS.

And one of the criminals who were hanged there blasphemed Him, saying, Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!

But the other, answering, rebuked him and said, Do you not even fear God, since you are in the same  ¹judgment?

And we justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we did, but this Man has done nothing  ¹amiss.

 ¹And he said, Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.

And He said to him,  ¹Truly I say to you, Today you shall be with Me in  ²Paradise.

And it was now about the  ¹sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,

 ¹The sun's light failing; and the  ²veil of the temple was split down the middle.

And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into Your hands  ¹I commit My spirit. And saying this, He expired.

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this man was righteous.

And all the crowds who came together at this spectacle, when they beheld the things that happened, returned, beating their breasts.

And all those who knew Him, and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, observing these things.

And behold, there was a man named  ¹Joseph, who was a member of the Council, and a good and righteous man

(This man had not consented to their counsel and action), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was expecting the kingdom of God.

This man came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

And he took it down and wrapped it in a fine linen cloth, and  ¹laid Him in a tomb hewn in the rock, where no one had ever lain.

And it was the day of  ¹preparation, and the Sabbath was  ²coming on.

And the women who had come together with Him out of Galilee followed after and beheld the tomb and how His body was laid.

And they returned and prepared spices and ointment. And on the Sabbath they  ¹rested according to the commandment.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron; and they spoke, saying, Here we are; we are your bone and your flesh.

Even previously, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And Jehovah said to you, You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel.

And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah, and they anointed David  ¹king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. And they spoke to David, saying, You shall not come in here: Even the blind and the lame will drive you back! (thinking, David cannot come in here.)

But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him go up to the watercourse and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul. Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

So David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the  ¹Millo and inward.

And David became greater and greater; and Jehovah the God of hosts was  ¹with him.

And Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David, as well as cedar timbers and carpenters and masons; and they built David a house.

And David perceived that Jehovah had established him as king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

And David took more  ¹concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon

And Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia

And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.

Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

And the Philistines came and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

Then David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said to David, Go up, for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand.

So David came to Baal-perazim, and David struck them there. And he said, Jehovah has broken forth upon my enemies before me like the breaking forth of a flood. Therefore he called the name of that place  ¹Baal-perazim.

And  ¹the Philistines left their images there, and David and his men carried them away.

And the Philistines came up again and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

And David inquired of Jehovah, and He said, You shall not go up; go around behind them and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.

And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act decisively; for then Jehovah will have gone forth before you to strike the army of the Philistines.

And David did as Jehovah had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from  ¹Gibeon until you come to Gezer.

And David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

And David rose up and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the  ¹Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of Jehovah of hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim.

And they set the Ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

And they brought it with the Ark of God out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio went before the Ark.

And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of instruments of cypress wood, with lyres and with harps and with tambourines and with sistrums and with cymbals.

And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out for the Ark of God and took hold of it; for the oxen had stumbled.

And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his  ¹error; and he  ²died there by the Ark of God.

And David was angry because Jehovah had broken forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; and that place has been called  ¹Perez-uzzah to this day.

And David was afraid of Jehovah that day; and he said, How shall the Ark of Jehovah come to me?

So David did not want to remove the Ark of Jehovah to himself in the  ¹city of David. But David carried it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

And the Ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

And it was told King David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he has because of the Ark of God. So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with rejoicing.

And when those who bore the Ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

And David danced with all his might before Jehovah; and David was girded with a linen  ¹ephod.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of Jehovah with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

And when the Ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the Ark of Jehovah and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah.

And when David finished offering up the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of hosts.

And he apportioned to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, to both men and women, to each one, a cake of bread and a  ¹portion of meat and a cake of raisins. And all the people went away, each to his own house.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul went forth to meet David; and she said, How the king of Israel has made himself honorable today, uncovering himself today in the sight of the maids of his servants as some worthless fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!

And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel; so I played before Jehovah.

And I will yet be more lightly esteemed than this, and I will be base in my own sight; but by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them will I be honored.

And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death.

And as the king dwelt in his house and Jehovah gave him rest all around from all his enemies,

The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God dwells within curtains.

And Nathan said to the king, All that is in your heart go and do, for Jehovah is with you.

And in that night the word of Jehovah came to Nathan, saying,

Go and say to My servant David, Thus says Jehovah, Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in?

For I have not dwelt in a house, since the day I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt to this day; but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle.

In all My going about among all the children of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?

And now thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says Jehovah of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you might be ruler over My people, over Israel;

And I have been with you in every place that you have gone and have cut off all your enemies before you; and I will make a great name for you, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them there, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more; and the sons of wickedness will ill-treat them no more as before,

Even since the time when I commanded that there be judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover Jehovah declares to you that Jehovah will make you a  ¹house.

When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your  ¹seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his  ²kingdom.

It is  ¹he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his Father, and he will be My  ¹son.  ²If he commits iniquity, I will strike him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men;

But My lovingkindness will not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I put away before you.

And your  ¹house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you; your  ¹throne will be established forever.

According to all these words and according to this whole vision did Nathan speak to David.

Then King David went and sat before Jehovah; and he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?

And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord Jehovah; but You have spoken also of the house of Your servant for a great while to come; and is this the custom for man, O Lord Jehovah?

And what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord Jehovah.

For Your word's sake and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to make Your servant know it.

Therefore You are great, O Lord Jehovah; for there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And who is like Your people Israel, a nation unique on the earth, whom God went to redeem to Himself as a people in order to make a name for Himself and to do for You what is great and awesome for Your land and before Your people, which You have redeemed to Yourself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

And You have established Your people Israel to be a people to You forever, and You, O Jehovah, became their God.

And now, O Jehovah God, confirm forever the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, and do as You have spoken.

And may Your name be magnified forever when men say, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of Your servant David will be established before You.

For You, O Jehovah of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to Your servant, saying, I will build you a house; therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

And now, O Lord Jehovah, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have spoken this good matter to Your servant;

Now therefore may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may be before You forever; for You, O Lord Jehovah, have spoken it. And with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.