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1 Chronicles 16
EasyEnglish Bible
1 Chronicles 16
EasyEnglish Bible
The people worship the Lord
16 David had put up a special tent for God's Covenant Box, so they took it there. They put it in its place inside the tent. Then they offered burnt offerings and friendship offerings to God. 2 After David had offered those sacrifices, he prayed that the Lord would bless the people. 3 Then he gave a gift to every Israelite man and woman. Each person received a loaf of bread, some dates and some raisins.
4 Then David chose some Levites to serve the Lord at the Covenant Box. They would lead prayers and songs to thank the Lord, Israel's God, and to praise him. 5 Asaph was the leader of that group and Zechariah was the second leader. Then there were Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. Those men made music with harps and lyres. Asaph used the cymbals. 6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel would make a noise with trumpets in front of God's Covenant Box many times each day.
A song to thank God[a]
7 On that day, David first told Asaph and the other Levites to sing this song to thank the Lord:
8 Thank the Lord!
Make his name famous!
Tell people in all the nations what he has done.
9 Sing songs and make music
to praise him!
Tell people about the miracles that he has done.
10 Boast about his holy name.
Everybody who wants to worship the Lord should be very happy!
11 Ask the Lord to help you!
Ask him to give you strength.
Always try to be near him
and worship him.
12 Remember the great things that he has done.
Remember his miracles,
and the commands that he has spoken.
13 You are the descendants of God's servant, Israel.
You are Jacob's descendants,
and God has chosen you to be his people.
14 He is the Lord our God.
He rules the whole earth with justice.
15 Always remember the covenant that he has made with us.
He made that promise to continue for ever.
16 That is the promise that he made to Abraham,
and that he also made to Isaac.
17 He repeated it to Jacob as a law.
It was a covenant with Israel's people
that would continue for ever.
18 He promised, ‘I will give the land of Canaan to you.
It will belong to you and to your descendants.’
19 At one time, God's people were only a few.
They lived in Canaan as strangers.
20 They travelled among different nations
and different kingdoms.
21 But the Lord did not let anyone hurt them.
He punished kings,
to keep his people safe.
22 He said, ‘Do not even touch the people that I have chosen to be mine.
Do not hurt my prophets.’
23 Sing to the Lord, all the world.
Every day, tell people the message that he has rescued us.
24 Tell the other nations that he is very great.
Tell all of them about the great things that he has done.
25 Yes, the Lord is great!
Everyone should praise him, as he deserves.
People should respect him with fear,
more than all other gods.
26 All the other nations' gods are useless idols.
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 We see that he is a very great king.
Strength and joy are in his home.
28 You people of other nations,
recognize that the Lord is great and powerful.
29 Agree that the Lord's name is great.
Bring a gift to offer to him in his temple.
Worship the Lord,
who is beautiful and holy.
30 Everyone on earth must shake with fear in front of him.
He has fixed the world in its place,
so that nothing can shake it.
31 The earth and the sky should be happy!
The people of all nations should say,
‘The Lord rules as king!’
32 The sea and everything in it should shout aloud!
The fields and all their crops should shout with joy!
33 Then all the trees in the forests will also sing,
because they are so happy.
They will be happy because the Lord is coming
to judge the earth.
34 Thank the Lord, because he is good.
His faithful love will always be with us.
35 Say to him, ‘God, you are the one who rescues us!
Please save us now!
Bring us safely home from among the other nations.
Then we will thank you!
We will shout aloud to praise your holy name.’
36 Praise the Lord, Israel's God,
as he deserves!
Praise him now and for ever!
Then all the people said, ‘Amen! We agree! Praise the Lord!’
37 King David had chosen Asaph and his relatives to serve the Lord at the Covenant Box. They must do that each day, as the rules said that they should do. 38 They included Obed-Edom and 68 men from his clan. Jeduthun's son, Obed-Edom and Hosah were guards at the entrance of the tent.
39 Zadok and the other priests served the Lord at the tabernacle in Gibeon. That was still the place where the Israelites worshipped God. 40 Their job was to offer burnt offerings as sacrifices to the Lord on the big altar there. They did that every morning and every evening, as the law of the Lord commanded. The Israelites had to obey that law. 41 Heman and Jeduthun were with them at the tabernacle in Gibeon. There were also other Levites that David had chosen to help them. Their special job was to give thanks to the Lord with songs, because his faithful love continues for ever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun also had authority for the trumpets, the cymbals and the other musical instruments. The musicians used them to praise God with their music. Jeduthun's sons stood as guards at the entrance of the tabernacle.
43 After that, all the people left to return to their homes. David also went home to ask God to bless his family.
Footnotes
- 16:7 Parts of this song are in Psalms 105; 96; 106.
1 Chronicles 16
New International Version
1 Chronicles 16
New International Version
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. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed(E) the people in the name of the Lord. 3 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins(F) to each Israelite man and woman.
4 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: 5 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, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise(H) to the Lord in this manner:
8 Give praise(I) to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations(J) what he has done.
9 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 Chronicles 16:4 Or petition; or invoke
- 1 Chronicles 16:5 See 15:18,20; Hebrew Jeiel, possibly another name for Jaaziel.
- 1 Chronicles 16:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Psalm 105:8); Hebrew Remember
- 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
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or Lord with the splendor of
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