^16:1They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings¹ before God. ^16:2When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. ^16:3He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. ^16:4He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. ^16:5Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; ^16:6and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.

David Thanks God

^16:7That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:

^16:8Give thanks to the Lord!

Call on his name!

Make known his accomplishments among the nations!

^16:9Sing to him! Make music to him!

Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

^16:10Boast about his holy name!

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

^16:11Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!

Seek his presence² continually!

^16:12Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,

his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,³

^16:13O children⁴ of Israel, God’s⁵ servant,

you descendants of Jacob, God’s⁶ chosen ones!

^16:14He is the Lord our God;

he carries out judgment throughout the earth.⁷

^16:15Remember⁸ continually his covenantal decree,

the promise he made⁹ to a thousand generations—

^16:16the promise¹⁰ he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac!¹¹

^16:17He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise,¹²

^16:18saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance.”

^16:19When they were few in number,

just a very few, and foreign residents within it,

^16:20they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another.¹³

^16:21He let no one oppress them,

he disciplined kings for their sake,

^16:22saying,¹⁴ “Don’t touch my anointed ones!

Don’t harm my prophets!”

^16:23Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Announce every day¹⁵ how he delivers!

^16:24Tell the nations about his splendor,

tell¹⁶ all the nations about his miraculous deeds!

^16:25For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,

he is more awesome than¹⁷ all gods.

^16:26For all the gods of the nations are worthless,¹⁸

but the Lord made the heavens.¹⁹

^16:27Majestic splendor emanates from him,²⁰

he is the source of strength and joy.²¹

^16:28Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

^16:29Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves!²²

Bring an offering and enter his presence!

Worship the Lord in holy attire!²³

^16:30Tremble before him, all the earth!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

^16:31Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!

Let the nations say,²⁴ ‘The Lord reigns!’

^16:32Let the sea and everything in it shout!

Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!

^16:33Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth!

^16:34Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good

and his loyal love endures.²⁵

^16:35Say this prayer:²⁶ “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!

Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!

Then we will give thanks²⁷ to your holy name,

and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.”²⁸

^16:36May the Lord God of Israel be praised,

in the future and forevermore.²⁹

Then all the people said, “We agree!³⁰ Praise the Lord!”

David Appoints Worship Leaders

^16:37David³¹ left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,³²

Read in Logos

1 Chronicles 16:23: Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Footnotes

1 Or “tokens of peace”; “fellowship offerings.”
2 Heb “face.”
3 Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
4 Heb “seed.”
5 Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
8 The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some harmonize the wording here to Ps 105:8, which has זָכַר (zakhar), the perfect third masculine singular form of the verb, “He (the Lord) remembers” (so ; reads “He called to mind his covenant”).
9 Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16–18 make clear.
10 Heb “which.”
11 Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
12 Or “eternal covenant.”
13 Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
14 The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
15 Heb “from day to day.”
16 The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
17 Or “feared above.”
18 The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
19 Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
20 Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
21 Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
22 Heb “the splendor of [i.e., due] his name.”
23 Or “in holy splendor.”
24 Heb “let them say among the nations.”
25 Or “is eternal.”
26 The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
27 Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
28 Heb “to boast in your praise.”
29 Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
30 This is the Hebrew term אָמֵן (’amen, “surely”), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
31 Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32 Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”