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16 They took the Covenant Box to the tent which David had prepared for it and put it inside. Then they offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to God. After David had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat,[a] and some raisins.

David appointed some of the Levites to lead the worship of the Lord, the God of Israel, in front of the Covenant Box, by singing and praising him. Asaph was appointed leader, with Zechariah as his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel were to play harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and two priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, were to blow trumpets regularly in front of the Covenant Box. It was then that David first gave Asaph and the other Levites the responsibility for singing praises to the Lord.

A Song of Praise(A)

Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his greatness;
    tell the nations what he has done.
Sing praise to the Lord;
    tell the wonderful things he has done.
10 Be glad that we belong to him;
    let all who worship him rejoice!
11 Go to the Lord for help,
    and worship him continually.
12-13 You descendants of Jacob, God's servant,
    descendants of Israel, whom God chose,
    remember the miracles that God performed
    and the judgments that he gave.
14 The Lord is our God;
    his commands are for all the world.
15 Never forget God's covenant,
    which he made to last forever,
16     (B)the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the promise he made to Isaac.
17 (C)The Lord made a covenant with Jacob,
    one that will last forever.
18 “I will give you the land of Canaan,” he said.
    “It will be your own possession.”

19 God's people were few in number,
    strangers in the land of Canaan.
20 They wandered from country to country,
    from one kingdom to another.
21 (D)But God let no one oppress them;
    to protect them, he warned the kings:
22 “Don't harm my chosen servants;
    do not touch my prophets.”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the world!
    Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.
24 Proclaim his glory to the nations,
    his mighty deeds to all peoples.

25 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised;
    he is to be honored more than all the gods.
26 The gods of all other nations are only idols,
    but the Lord created the heavens.
27 Glory and majesty surround him,
    power and joy fill his Temple.

28 Praise the Lord, all people on earth,
    praise his glory and might.
29 Praise the Lord's glorious name;
    bring an offering and come into his Temple.
Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;[b]
30     tremble before him, all the earth!
The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.
31 Be glad, earth and sky!
    Tell the nations that the Lord is king.
32 Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
    be glad, fields, and everything in you!
33 The trees in the woods will shout for joy
    when the Lord comes to rule the earth.

34 (E)Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;
    his love is eternal.
35 Say to him, “Save us, O God our Savior;
    gather us together; rescue us from the nations,
    so that we may be thankful
    and praise your holy name.”
36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
Praise him now and forever!

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

Worship at Jerusalem and Gibeon

37 King David put Asaph and the other Levites in permanent charge of the worship that was held at the place where the Covenant Box was kept. They were to perform their duties there day by day. 38 Obed Edom son of Jeduthun and sixty-eight men of his clan were to assist them. Hosah and Obed Edom were in charge of guarding the gates.

39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests, however, were in charge of the worship of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon. 40 Every morning and evening they were to burn sacrifices whole on the altar in accordance with what was written in the Law which the Lord gave to Israel. 41 There with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were specifically chosen to sing praises to the Lord for his eternal love. 42 Heman and Jeduthun also had charge of the trumpets and cymbals and the other instruments which were played when the songs of praise were sung. The members of Jeduthun's clan were in charge of guarding the gates.

43 (F)Then everyone went home, and David went home to spend some time with his family.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:3 a piece of roasted meat; or a cake of dates.
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:29 when he appears; or in garments of worship.

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