1 Chronicles 16

¹ They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it. Then they offered up holocausts and peace offerings to God.

² When David had finished offering up the holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD,

³ and distributed to every Israelite, to every man and every woman, a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a raisin cake.

⁴ He now appointed certain Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, thank, and praise the LORD, the God of Israel.

⁵ Asaph was their chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. These were to play on harps and lyres, while Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

⁶ and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to be the regular trumpeters before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ Then, on that same day, David appointed Asaph and his brethren to sing for the first time these praises of the LORD:

⁸ Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds.

⁹ Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

¹⁰ Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

¹¹ Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly.

¹² Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered,

¹³ You descendants of Israel, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

¹⁴ He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

¹⁵ He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations--

¹⁶ Which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac;

¹⁷ Which he established for Jacob by statute, for Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸ Saying, "To you will I give the land of Canaan as your allotted inheritance."

¹⁹ When they were few in number, a handful, and strangers there,

²⁰ Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,

²¹ He let no one oppress them, and for their sake he rebuked kings:

²² "Touch not my anointed, and to my prophets do no harm."

²³ Sing to the LORD, all the earth, announce his salvation, day after day

²⁴ Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

²⁵ For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; and awesome is he, beyond all gods.

²⁶ For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷ Splendor and majesty go before him; praise and joy are in his holy place.

²⁸ Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise;

²⁹ Give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his presence; worship the LORD in holy attire.

³⁰ Tremble before him, all the earth; he has made the world firm, not to be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let them say among the nations: The LORD is king.

³² Let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains rejoice and all that is in them!

³³ Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD, for he comes: he comes to rule the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his kindness endures forever;

³⁵ And say, "Save us, O God, our savior, gather us and deliver us from the nations, That we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in praising you."

³⁶ Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, through all eternity! Let all the people say, Amen! Alleluia.

³⁷ Then David left Asaph and his brethren there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark regularly according to the daily ritual;

³⁸ he also left there Obed-edom and sixty-eight of his brethren, including Obed-edom, son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers.

³⁹ But the priest Zadok and his priestly brethren he left before the Dwelling of the LORD on the high place at Gibeon,

⁴⁰ to offer holocausts to the LORD on the altar of holocausts regularly, morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the law of the LORD which he has decreed for Israel.

⁴¹ With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, "because his kindness endures forever,"

⁴² with trumpets and cymbals for accompaniment, and instruments for the sacred chant. The sons of Jeduthun kept the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people departed, each to his own home, and David returned to bless his household.