Ministering Before the Ark(A)(B)(C)

16 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched(D) for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed(E) the people in the name of the Lord. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins(F) to each Israelite man and woman.

He appointed some of the Levites to minister(G) before the ark of the Lord, to extol,[a] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel,[b] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise(H) to the Lord in this manner:

Give praise(I) to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations(J) what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise(K) to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;(L)
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek(M) his face always.

12 Remember(N) the wonders(O) he has done,
    his miracles,(P) and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
14 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments(Q) are in all the earth.

15 He remembers[c](R) his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant(S) he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob(T) as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18 “To you I will give the land of Canaan(U)
    as the portion you will inherit.”

19 When they were but few in number,(V)
    few indeed, and strangers in it,
20 they[d] wandered(W) from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
21 He allowed no one to oppress them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:(X)
22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
    do my prophets(Y) no harm.”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory(Z) among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(AA)
    he is to be feared(AB) above all gods.(AC)
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.(AD)
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.(AE)
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;(AF)
    bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[e] holiness.(AG)
30     Tremble(AH) before him, all the earth!
    The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.(AI)

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;(AJ)
    let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!(AK)
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;(AL)
    let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Let the trees(AM) of the forest sing,
    let them sing for joy before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge(AN) the earth.

34 Give thanks(AO) to the Lord, for he is good;(AP)
    his love endures forever.(AQ)
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;(AR)
    gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
    and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AS)
    from everlasting to everlasting.

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

37 David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister there regularly, according to each day’s requirements.(AT) 38 He also left Obed-Edom(AU) and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah,(AV) were gatekeepers.

39 David left Zadok(AW) the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon(AX) 40 to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law(AY) of the Lord, which he had given Israel. 41 With them were Heman(AZ) and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” 42 Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song.(BA) The sons of Jeduthun(BB) were stationed at the gate.

43 Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:4 Or petition; or invoke
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:5 See 15:18,20; Hebrew Jeiel, possibly another name for Jaaziel.
  3. 1 Chronicles 16:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Psalm 105:8); Hebrew Remember
  4. 1 Chronicles 16:20 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 105:12); most Hebrew manuscripts inherit, / 19 though you are but few in number, / few indeed, and strangers in it.” / 20 They
  5. 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or Lord with the splendor of

16 They brought the Ark of God and placed it inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he gave to every man and woman in all Israel a loaf of bread, a cake of dates,[a] and a cake of raisins.

David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the Lord—to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph, the leader of this group, sounded the cymbals. Second to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played the harps and lyres. The priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, played the trumpets regularly before the Ark of God’s Covenant.

David’s Song of Praise

On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the Lord:

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
10 Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
11 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
12 Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
13 you children of his servant Israel,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the Lord our God.
    His justice is seen throughout the land.
15 Remember his covenant forever—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
16 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
18 “I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.”

19 He said this when you were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
20 They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
22 “Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.”

23 Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
25 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    He is to be feared above all gods.
26 The gods of other nations are mere idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens!
27 Honor and majesty surround him;
    strength and joy fill his dwelling.

28 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
    recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
29 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
30     Let all the earth tremble before him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.”

36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Worship at Jerusalem and Gibeon

37 David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to serve regularly before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, doing whatever needed to be done each day. 38 This group included Obed-edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-eight other Levites as gatekeepers.

39 Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. 40 They sacrificed the regular burnt offerings to the Lord each morning and evening on the altar set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the Law of the Lord, as he had commanded Israel. 41 David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord, for “his faithful love endures forever.” 42 They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God.[b] And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers.

43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David turned and went home to bless his own family.

Footnotes

  1. 16:3 Or a portion of meat. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 16:42 Or to accompany the sacred music; or to accompany singing to God.

16 They put the sacred chest inside the tent that David had set up for it, then they offered sacrifices to please the Lord[a] and sacrifices to ask his blessing.[b] After David had finished, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave every person in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins.

David appointed some of the Levites to serve at the sacred chest; they were to play music and sing praises to the Lord God of Israel. Asaph was their leader, and Zechariah was his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and another man named Jeiel were appointed to play small harps and stringed instruments. Asaph himself played the cymbals, and the two priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets every day in front of the sacred chest.

David's Song of Praise

(Psalms 105.1-15; 96.1-13; 106.1,47,48)

That same day, David instructed Asaph and his relatives for the first time to sing these praises to the Lord:

Praise the Lord
    and pray in his name!
Tell everyone
    what he has done.
Sing praises to the Lord!
    Tell about his miracles.
10 Celebrate and worship
his holy name
    with all your heart.

11 Trust the Lord
and his mighty power.
    Worship him always.
12 Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
    and his fair decisions.
13 You belong to the family
    of Israel, his servant;
you are his chosen ones,
    the descendants of Jacob.

14 The Lord is our God,
bringing justice
    everywhere on earth.
15 We must never forget
his agreement and his promises,
    not in thousands of years.
* 16 (A) God made an eternal promise
17     to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
18 when he said, “I'll give you
    the land of Canaan.”

19 At the time there were
only a few of us,
    and we were homeless.
20 We wandered from nation
to nation, from one country
    to another.
21 (B) God did not let anyone
    mistreat our people.
Instead he protected us
    by punishing rulers
22 and telling them,
“Don't touch my chosen leaders
    or harm my prophets!”

23 Everyone on this earth,
    sing praises to the Lord.
Day after day announce,
    “The Lord has saved us!”
24 Tell every nation on earth,
“The Lord is wonderful
    and does marvelous things!
25 The Lord is great and deserves
    our greatest praise!
He is the only God
    worthy of our worship.
26 Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
    the heavens.
27 Give honor and praise
    to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
    fill his holy temple.”

28 Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
    of the Lord.
29 He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
    into his temple.
Worship the Lord,
    majestic and holy.
30 Everyone on earth, now tremble!”

The world stands firm,
    never to be shaken.
31 Tell the heavens and the earth
    to be glad and celebrate!
And announce to the nations,
    “The Lord is King!”
32 Command the ocean to roar
    with all of its creatures
and the fields to rejoice
    with all of their crops.
33 Then every tree in the forest
will sing joyful songs
    to the Lord.
He is coming to judge
    all people on earth.

34 (C) Praise the Lord
because he is good to us,
    and his love never fails.
35 Say to him, “Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
    from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
    in praise of your holy name.
36 Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
    forever and ever.”

After David finished, the people shouted, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

David Appoints Worship Leaders at Jerusalem and Gibeon

37 David chose Asaph and the Levites in his clan to be in charge of the daily worship at the place where the sacred chest was kept. 38 Obed-Edom and 68 of his relatives were their assistants, and Hosah and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun were the guards.

39 David also chose Zadok the priest and his relatives who were priests to serve at the Lord's sacred tent at Gibeon. 40 They were to offer sacrifices on the altar every morning and evening, just as the Lord had commanded in the Law he gave Israel. 41 (D) Heman and Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to praise the Lord for his never-ending love. 42 Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.

43 (E) After that, everyone went home, and David went home to his family.

Footnotes

  1. 16.1 sacrifices to please the Lord: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “whole burnt offerings” because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the Lord with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called “sacrifices to please the Lord.”
  2. 16.1 sacrifices to ask his blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called “peace offerings” or “offerings of well-being.” A main purpose was to ask for the Lord's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called “sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.”

A Tent for the Ark

16 And they brought in the ark of God and (A)placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both men and women, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake.

He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then [a]Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

Then on that day David (B)first assigned [b]Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.

Psalm of Thanksgiving

(C)Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
(D)Make His deeds known among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
[c]Speak of all His [d]wonders.
10 Boast in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be joyful.
11 (E)Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12 (F)Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
(G)His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 You [e]descendants of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
(H)His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
16 (I)The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
17 (J)He also confirmed it to Jacob as a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, “(K)To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”
19 (L)When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,
20 And they wandered from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He allowed no one to oppress them,
And (M)He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying,
22 “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And (N)do not harm My prophets.”
23 (O)Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
25 For (P)great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is (Q)to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are [f](R)idols,
(S)But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an [g]offering, and come before Him;
(T)Worship the Lord in [h]holy attire.
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
31 [i](U)Let the heavens be joyful, and the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “(V)The Lord reigns.”
32 (W)Let the sea [j]roar, and [k]everything it contains;
Let the field rejoice, and everything that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy in the presence of the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 (X)Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
35 (Y)Then say, “Save us, God of our salvation,
And gather us and save us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And [l]glory in Your praise.”
36 (Z)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting!

Then all the people (AA)said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.

Worship before the Ark

37 So he left Asaph and his relatives there (AB)before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to minister before the ark continually, (AC)as every day’s work required, 38 and (AD)Obed-edom with [m]his sixty-eight relatives; Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and (AE)Hosah as gatekeepers. 39 He left (AF)Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests (AG)before the [n]tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, (AH)even according to everything that is written in the Law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel. 41 With them were (AI)Heman and Jeduthun, and (AJ)the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to (AK)give thanks to the Lord, because His [o]kindness is everlasting. 42 And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to play them, and with instruments for (AL)the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

43 (AM)Then all the people departed, each to his house; and David returned to bless his household.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:5 In 1 Chr 15:18, Jaaziel
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:7 Lit by the hand of Asaph
  3. 1 Chronicles 16:9 Or Meditate on
  4. 1 Chronicles 16:9 I.e., wonderful acts
  5. 1 Chronicles 16:13 Lit seed of
  6. 1 Chronicles 16:26 Or non-existent things
  7. 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or a grain offering
  8. 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or the splendor of holiness
  9. 1 Chronicles 16:31 Hopeful command or wish, not a request; and so through v 32
  10. 1 Chronicles 16:32 Or thunder
  11. 1 Chronicles 16:32 Lit its fullness
  12. 1 Chronicles 16:35 Lit boast
  13. 1 Chronicles 16:38 Lit their brothers, sixty-eight
  14. 1 Chronicles 16:39 Lit dwelling place
  15. 1 Chronicles 16:41 Or faithfulness

The Ark Placed in the Tabernacle(A)

16 So (B)they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, (C)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.

And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to (D)commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then (E)Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Song of Thanksgiving(F)

On that day (G)David (H)first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:

(I)Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

14 He is the Lord our God;
His (J)judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The (K)covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
17 And (L)confirmed it to (M)Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
19 When you were (N)few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

20 When they went from one nation to another,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong;
Yes, He (O)rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, (P)“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

23 (Q)Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods (R)of the peoples are [a]idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.

28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the (S)trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is (T)coming to judge the earth.

34 (U)Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
35 (V)And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”

36 (W)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!

And all (X)the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Regular Worship Maintained

37 So he left (Y)Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work (Z)required; 38 and (AA)Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; 39 and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, (AB)before the tabernacle of the Lord (AC)at the [b]high place that was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly (AD)morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel; 41 and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, (AE)because His mercy endures forever; 42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.

43 (AF)Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:26 worthless things
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:39 Place for pagan worship