1 Chronicles 13:2

Verse

And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us.

American Standard Version (1901)

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;

Bible in Basic English

And David said to all the men of Israel who had come together there, If it seems good to you and if it is the purpose of the Lord our God, let us send to all the rest of our brothers, everywhere in the land of Israel, and to the priests and the Levites in their towns and the country round them, and get them to come together here to us;

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he said to all the assembly of Israel: If it please you; and if the words which I speak come from the Lord our God, let us send to the rest of our brethren into all the countries of Israel, and to the priests, and the Levites, that dwell in the suburbs of the cities, to gather themselves to us,

Free Bible Version

Then he addressed the whole assembly of Israel, saying, “If you agree, and if God approves, let us send an invitation to every Israelite in the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pastures, to come and join us.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Dauid said to all the Congregation of Israel, If it seeme good to you, and that it proceedeth of the Lord our God, we will sende to and from vnto our brethren, that are left in all the lande of Israel (for with them are the Priests and the Leuites in the cities and their suburbes) that they may assemble them selues vnto vs.

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Translation for Translators

Then he summoned the other Israeli leaders and said to all of them, “If it seems to you to be a good thing for us to do, and if it is what Yahweh our God wants, let’s send a message to our fellow Israelis in all the areas of our country, including the priests and other descendants of Levi who are living among them in their towns and in the nearby pasturelands, to come and join us,

Unlocked Literal Bible

David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this comes from Yahweh our God, let us send messengers everywhere to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are in their cities. Let them be told to join us.

Noah Webster Bible

And David said to all the congregation of Israel, If it seemeth good to you, and that it is of the LORD our God, let us send abroad to our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and suburbs, that they may assemble to us:

World English Bible

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.

Young's Literal Translation

and David saith to all the assembly of Israel, 'If unto you it be good, and from Jehovah our God it hath broken forth — we send unto our brethren, those left in all the lands of Israel, and with them the priests and the Levites, in the cities of their suburbs, and they are gathered unto us,

Context

David Fetches the Ark

¹Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.²And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us. ³Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in the days of Saul.”

Summary

This verse recounts David's desire to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, reflecting his heart for God and the spiritual significance of the ark. David's intention was to seek the presence and favor of God by honoring His commandments and seeking His guidance. The ark symbolized God's covenant and presence among His people, signifying the importance of worship and obedience. David's actions demonstrate the importance of seeking God's will and honoring Him in all endeavors, setting an example for believers to prioritize God's presence in their lives.

Commentary

Keil-Delitzsch
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

And David said unto all the congregation of Israel,.... To the above persons, as representatives of it: if it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God; if it could be thought by them a good and useful thing, and agreeable to the will of God, and would make for his glory: let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere that are left in all the land of Israel; that were not then present with them, even all the common people; whom David, though king, owns as his brethren; nor is his antitype ashamed to own this relation between him and his people, Heb 2:11. and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs: given to them in the several tribes to dwell in, see Ch1 6:54, that they may gather themselves unto us; at a certain time and place appointed.