1 Chronicles 16:1–37

The Ark of the Covenant Placed in Its Tent

16And they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. ²And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. ³And he distributed to every man of Israel, both men and women, to each person a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. ⁴Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to invoke, thank, and praise Yahweh the God of Israel. ⁵Asaph was chief, and his second was Zechariah; Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel were on harps and lyres. And Asaph played on the cymbals. ⁶And Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew on the trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. ⁷Then on that day David first appointed to give thanks to Yahweh by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.

David’s Song of Thanks

⁸Give thanks to Yahweh; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the nations!

⁹Sing to him; sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!

¹⁰Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those seeking Yahweh rejoice!

¹¹Seek Yahweh and his strength;

seek his face continually!

¹²Remember his wonderful works that he has done,

his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

¹³O offspring of Israel, his servant,

O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

¹⁴He is Yahweh our God;

his judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Remember his covenant forever,

the word he commanded for a thousand generations,

¹⁶that he made^a with Abraham,

his sworn oath to Isaac.

¹⁷And he confirmed it to Jacob as a statute,

an everlasting covenant to Israel,

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

the portion of your inheritance.”

¹⁹When you were few in number, very few,^b

and sojourners in it,

²⁰when they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another people,

²¹he did not allow anyone to oppress them,

and he rebuked kings on their account,

²²saying, “You must not touch my anointed

nor do harm to my prophets!”

²³Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!

Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

²⁴Proclaim his glory among the nations,

his wondrous works among all the peoples!

²⁵For Yahweh is great and greatly praised,

and he is feared among all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but Yahweh made the heavens.

²⁷Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his place.

²⁸Ascribe to Yahweh, O clans of the nations,

ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength!

²⁹Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of his name!

Lift up an offering and come before him!

Bow down to Yahweh in the splendor of holiness!

³⁰Tremble before him, all the earth;

surely the world is established; it shall not be shaken.

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

and let them tell the peoples, “Yahweh reigns!”

³²Let the sea roar and its fullness;

let the field rejoice and all that is in it.

³³Then the trees of the forest shall sing for joy before Yahweh,

for he comes to judge the earth.

³⁴Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good;

his loyal love is everlasting.

³⁵Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;

gather us and rescue us from the nations

that we may give thanks to your holy name

and glory in your praise.

³⁶Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!”

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

Worship and the Ark

³⁷So he^c left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to minister before the ark regularly as each day required,^d