1 Chronicles 15–16

15And David made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. ²Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. ³And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place, which he had prepared for it. ⁴And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites: ⁵of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty; ⁶of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty; ⁷of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty; ⁸of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred; ⁹of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore; ¹⁰of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve. ¹¹And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, ¹²and said unto them, Ye are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto the place that I have prepared for it. ¹³For because ye bare it not at the first, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not according to the ordinance. ¹⁴So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. ¹⁵And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of Jehovah.

¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. ¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers. ¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed with cymbals of brass to sound aloud; ²⁰and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth; ²¹and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead. ²²And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. ²³And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the house of Obed-edom with joy. ²⁶And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams. ²⁷And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: and David had upon him an ephod of linen. ²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with psalteries and harps.

²⁹And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

16And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God. ²And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah. ³And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins.

⁴And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Jehovah, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Jehovah, the God of Israel: ⁵Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; ⁶and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day did David first ordain to give thanks unto Jehovah, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren. ⁸O give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name;

Make known his doings among the peoples.

⁹Sing unto him, sing praises unto him;

Talk ye of all his marvellous works.

¹⁰Glory ye in his holy name;

Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah.

¹¹Seek ye Jehovah and his strength;

Seek his face evermore.

¹²Remember his marvellous works that he hath done,

His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,

¹³O ye seed of Israel his servant,

Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

¹⁴He is Jehovah our God;

His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Remember his covenant for ever,

The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,

¹⁶The covenant which he made with Abraham,

And his oath unto Isaac,

¹⁷And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute,

To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,

The lot of your inheritance;

¹⁹When ye were but a few men in number,

Yea, very few, and sojourners in it;

²⁰And they went about from nation to nation,

And from one kingdom to another people.

²¹He suffered no man to do them wrong;

Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

²²Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones,

And do my prophets no harm.

²³Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth;

Show forth his salvation from day to day.

²⁴Declare his glory among the nations,

His marvellous works among all the peoples.

²⁵For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised:

He also is to be feared above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the peoples are idols:

But Jehovah made the heavens.

²⁷Honor and majesty are before him:

Strength and gladness are in his place.

²⁸Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples,

Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength;

²⁹Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name:

Bring an offering, and come before him;

Worship Jehovah in holy array.

³⁰Tremble before him, all the earth:

The world also is established that it cannot be moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

And let them say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth.

³²Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;

Let the field exult, and all that is therein;

³³Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before Jehovah;

For he cometh to judge the earth.

³⁴O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;

For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

³⁵And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation,

And gather us together and deliver us from the nations,

To give thanks unto thy holy name,

And to triumph in thy praise.

³⁶Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,

From everlasting even to everlasting.

And all the people said, Amen, and praised Jehovah.

³⁷So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; ³⁸and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; ³⁹and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of Jehovah in the high place that was at Gibeon, ⁴⁰to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah upon the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Jehovah, which he commanded unto Israel; ⁴¹and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, because his lovingkindness endureth for ever; ⁴²and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate. ⁴³And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.