First Book of Chronicles 16

¹ They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices.

² And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

³ He then distributed to all the Israelites, men and women, a loaf of bread each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake.

⁴ David appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to commemorate, glorify and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:

⁵ first Asaph, second Zechariah, then Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel. These were to play the harp and the lyre, Asaph was to clash the cymbals.

⁶ The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to keep sounding the trumpet before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.

⁷ That day, David, foremost in praising Yahweh, entrusted this song of praise[*a] to Asaph and his kinsmen:

⁸ Give thanks to Yahweh, call his name aloud, proclaim his deeds to the peoples.

⁹ Sing to him, play to him, tell over all his marvels.

¹⁰ Glory in his holy name, let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice!

¹¹ Seek Yahweh and his strength, seek his face untiringly;

¹² remember the marvels he has done, his wonders, the judgements from his mouth.

¹³ Stock of Israel his servant, sons of Jacob his chosen one,

¹⁴ he is Yahweh our God; his authority is over all the earth.

¹⁵ Remember his covenant for ever, his word of command for a thousand generations,

¹⁶ the pact he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac.

¹⁷ He established it as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel.

¹⁸ ‘I give you a land,’ he said ‘Canaan, your allotted heritage,

¹⁹ ‘there where you were easily counted, ‘few in number, strangers to the country.’

²⁰ They went from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,

²¹ he let no man oppress them, he punished kings on their behalf.

²² ‘Do not touch my anointed ones,’ he said ‘do not harm my prophets.’

²³ Sing to Yahweh, all the earth. Proclaim his salvation day after day,

²⁴ tell of his glory among the nations, tell his marvels to every people.

²⁵ Yahweh is great, loud must be his praise, he to be feared beyond all gods.

²⁶ Nothingness, all the gods of the nations. Yahweh himself made the heavens;

²⁷ in his presence are splendour and majesty, in his sanctuary power and joy.

²⁸ Pay tribute to Yahweh, families of the peoples, tribute to Yahweh of glory and power,

²⁹ tribute to Yahweh of his name’s due glory. Bring out the offering, bear it before him, worship Yahweh in his sacred court,

³⁰ tremble before him, all the earth! Firm has he made the world, and unshakeable.

³¹ Let the heavens be glad, let earth rejoice! Say among the nations, ‘Yahweh is king!’

³² Let the sea thunder and all that it holds, let the fields exult and all that is in them,

³³ let all the woodland trees cry out for joy, at the presence of Yahweh; for he comes to judge the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

³⁵ Say, ‘God of our salvation, save us, gather us, rescue us from among the heathen, to give thanks to your holy name and to find our happiness in praising you.’

³⁶ Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel from all eternity and for ever! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Alleluia!

³⁷ There before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh David left Asaph and his kinsmen to maintain a permanent ministry before the ark as each day’s ritual required,

³⁸ and also Obed-edom, with his sixty-eight kinsmen. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be keepers of the gate.

³⁹ Zadok the priest and the priests, his kinsmen, he left before the tabernacle of Yahweh on the high place at Gibeon

⁴⁰ to offer holocausts to Yahweh unfailingly, morning and evening, on the altar of holocaust, and to carry out all that is written in the Law of Yahweh laid down for Israel.

⁴¹ With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those who were chosen and assigned by name to give praise to God, ‘for his love is everlasting’.

⁴² With them were Heman and Jeduthun who were to sound the trumpets, cymbals and musical instruments accompanying the hymns to God. The sons of Jeduthun were given charge of the gate.

⁴³ Then all went away, each to his own house, and David returned to bless his household.