1 Chronicles 16
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Ark Placed in the Tent
16 They brought in the ark of God, and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord; 3 and he distributed to every person in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat,[a] and a cake of raisins.
4 He appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly, before the ark of the covenant of God.
David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving
7 Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the Lord by Asaph and his kindred.
8 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him,
tell of all his wonderful works.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength,
seek his presence continually.
12 Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of his servant Israel,[b]
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
of little account, and strangers in the land,[c]
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come before him.
Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
30 tremble before him, all the earth.
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The Lord is king!”
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it.
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
35 Say also:
“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and rescue us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Regular Worship Maintained
37 David left Asaph and his kinsfolk there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required, 38 and also Obed-edom and his[d] sixty-eight kinsfolk; while Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left the priest Zadok and his kindred the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord that he commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to render thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music, and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.
43 Then all the people departed to their homes, and David went home to bless his household.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 16:3 Compare Gk Syr Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 1 Chronicles 16:13 Another reading is Abraham (compare Ps 105.6)
- 1 Chronicles 16:19 Heb in it
- 1 Chronicles 16:38 Gk Syr Vg: Heb their
1 Chronicles 16
New King James Version
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. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, (C)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 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.
4 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: 5 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; 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.
David’s Song of Thanksgiving(F)
7 On that day (G)David (H)first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:
8 (I)Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 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 Chronicles 16:26 worthless things
- 1 Chronicles 16:39 Place for pagan worship
1 Chronicles 16
English Standard Version
The Ark Placed in a Tent
16 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside (A)the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat,[a] and a cake of raisins.
4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 (B)Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day (C)David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.
David's Song of Thanks
8 (D)Oh give thanks to the Lord; (E)call upon his name;
(F)make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 (G)Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 (H)Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
(I)his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
(J)his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant (K)that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which (L)he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, (M)“To you I will give the land of Canaan,
as your portion for an inheritance.”
19 When you were (N)few in number,
of little account, and (O)sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he (P)rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my (Q)prophets no harm!”
23 (R)Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For (S)great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and he is to be feared (T)above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
(U)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, O families of the peoples,
(V)ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
(W)Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;[b]
30 tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 (X)Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, (Y)“The Lord reigns!”
32 (Z)Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
35 (AA)Say also:
“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
36 (AB)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!”
(AC)Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Worship Before the Ark
37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there (AD)before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark (AE)as each day required, 38 and also (AF)Obed-edom and his[c] sixty-eight brothers, while (AG)Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and (AH)Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left (AI)Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord (AJ)in the high place that was at Gibeon 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord (AK)on the altar of burnt offering (AL)regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord that he commanded Israel. 41 With them were (AM)Heman and Jeduthun (AN)and the rest of those chosen and (AO)expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, (AP)for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments (AQ)for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.
43 (AR)Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 16:3 Compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or in holy attire
- 1 Chronicles 16:38 Hebrew their
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

