16 1 The Ark being placed, they offer sacrifices. 4 David ordaineth Asaph and his brethren to minister before the Lord. 8 He appointeth a notable Psalm to be sung in praise of the Lord.

So (A)they brought in the Ark of God, and set it in the midst of the Tabernacle that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he [a]blessed the people in the Name of the Lord.

And he dealt to every one of Israel both man and woman, to every one a cake of bread, and a piece of flesh, and a bottle of wine.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, and to [b]rehearse and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:

Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, even Jeiel with instruments, viols, and harps, and Asaph to make a sound with cymbals,

And Benaiah and Jahaziel Priests, with trumpets continually before the Ark of the covenant of God.

Then at that time David did [c]appoint at the beginning to give thanks to the Lord by the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

(B)Praise the Lord and call upon his Name: declare his [d]works among the people.

Sing unto him, sing praise unto him, and talk of all his [e]wonderful works.

10 Rejoice in his holy Name: let the hearts of them that seek the Lord, rejoice.

11 Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face continually.

12 Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the [f]judgments of his mouth,

13 O seed of Israel his servant, O the children of Jacob his [g]chosen.

14 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are throughout all the earth.

15 Remember his Covenant forever, and the word, which he commanded to a thousand generations:

16 (C)Which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac:

17 And hath confirmed it to Jacob for a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant,

18 Saying, To thee will I give the land of Canaan, the [h]lot of your inheritance.

19 When ye were [i]few in number, yea, a very few, and strangers therein,

20 And walked about from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people,

21 He suffered no man to do them wrong, but rebuked [j]Kings for their sakes, saying,

22 Touch not mine [k]anointed, and do my [l]Prophets no harm.

23 (D)Sing unto the Lord all the earth: declare his salvation from day to day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations, and his wonderful works among all people.

25 For the Lord is great and much to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the people are [m]idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

27 Praise and glory are before him: power and beauty are in his place.

28 Give unto the Lord, ye families of the people: give unto the Lord glory and power.

29 Give unto the Lord the glory of his Name: bring an offering and come before him, and worship the Lord in the glorious Sanctuary.

30 [n]Tremble ye before him all the earth, surely the world shall be, and not move.

31 Let the [o]heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, and let them say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.

32 Let the sea roar, and all that therein is: let the field be joyful and all that is in it.

33 Let the trees of the wood then rejoice at the presence of the Lord: for he cometh to [p]judge the earth.

34 Praise the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

35 And say ye, Save us, O God, our salvation, and gather us, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may praise thine holy Name, and [q]glory in thy praise.

36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel forever and ever: and let all people say, [r]So be it, and praise the Lord.

37 ¶ Then he left there before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant Asaph and his brethren to minister continually before the Ark, that which was to be done every day:

38 And Obed-Edom and his brethren, threescore and eight: and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were porters.

39 And Zadok the Priest and his brethren the Priests were before the Tabernacle of the Lord, in the high place that was at Gibeon,

40 To offer burnt offerings unto the Lord, upon the burnt offering altar continually, in the morning and in the evening, even according unto all that is written in the Law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel.

41 And with [s]them were Heman, and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen (which were appointed by names) to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever.

42 Even with them were Heman and Jeduthun, to make a sound with the cornets and with the cymbals, with excellent instruments of music: and the sons of Jeduthun were at the gate.

43 And all the people departed, every man to his house: and David returned to [t]bless his house.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:2 He called upon the Name of God, desiring him to prosper the people, and give good success to their beginnings.
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:4 To wit, God’s benefits toward his people.
  3. 1 Chronicles 16:7 David gave them this Psalm to praise the Lord, signifying, that in all our enterprises the Name of God ought to be praised and called upon.
  4. 1 Chronicles 16:8 Whereof this is the chiefest, that he hath chosen himself a Church to call upon his Name.
  5. 1 Chronicles 16:9 Who of his wonderful providence hath chosen a few of the stock of Abraham to be his children.
  6. 1 Chronicles 16:12 In overcoming Pharaoh, which judgments were declared by God’s mouth to Moses.
  7. 1 Chronicles 16:13 Meaning hereby that the promise of adoption only appertaineth to the Church.
  8. 1 Chronicles 16:18 Hebrew, cord, whereby parcels of land were measured.
  9. 1 Chronicles 16:19 Meaning, from the time that Abraham entered, unto the time that Jacob went into Egypt for famine.
  10. 1 Chronicles 16:21 As Pharaoh and Abimelech.
  11. 1 Chronicles 16:22 Mine elect people and them whom I have sanctified.
  12. 1 Chronicles 16:22 To whom God declared his word, and they declared it to their posterity.
  13. 1 Chronicles 16:26 His strong faith appeareth herein, though all the world would follow idols, yet he would cleave to the living God.
  14. 1 Chronicles 16:30 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.
  15. 1 Chronicles 16:31 He exhorteth the dumb creatures to rejoice with him in considering the greatness of the grace of God.
  16. 1 Chronicles 16:33 To restore all things to their estate.
  17. 1 Chronicles 16:35 He esteemeth this to be the chiefest felicity of man.
  18. 1 Chronicles 16:36 He willeth all the people both in heart and mouth to consent to these praises.
  19. 1 Chronicles 16:41 With Zadok and the rest of the Priests.
  20. 1 Chronicles 16:43 Declaring that after our duty to God we are chiefly bound to our own house, for the which as for all other things we ought to pray unto God, and instruct our families to praise his Name.

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