^15:1David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. ^15:2Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually. ^15:3David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem¹ to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. ^15:4David gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

^15:5From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.

^15:6From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives.

^15:7From the descendants of Gershom:² Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives.

^15:8From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives.

^15:9From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives.

^15:10From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

^15:11David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, along with the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ^15:12He told them: “You are the leaders of the Levites’ families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it. ^15:13The first time you did not carry it; that is why the Lord God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it.”³^15:14The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. ^15:15The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command.

^15:16David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully.⁴^15:17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari,⁵ Ethan son of Kushaiah; ^15:18along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah,⁶ Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

^15:19The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ^15:20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style;⁷^15:21Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style,⁸ as led by⁹ the director; ^15:22Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter;¹⁰^15:23Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians¹¹ of the ark; ^15:24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians¹² of the ark.

^15:25So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. ^15:26When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. ^15:27David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians;¹³ David also wore a linen ephod.¹⁴^15:28All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord’s covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments. ^15:29As the ark of the Lord’s covenant entered the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David jumping and celebrating, she despised him.¹⁵

David Leads in Worship

^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,³²^16:38including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. ^16:39Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served³³ before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center³⁴ in Gibeon, ^16:40regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.³⁵^16:41Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)³⁶^16:42Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.³⁷

^16:43Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.³⁸

Read in Logos

Footnotes

1 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
2 Gershom is a variant spelling of the name Gershon.
3 Heb “because for what was at first [i.e., formerly] you [were] not, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him concerning the procedure.”
4 Heb “causing to be heard to lift up with a voice of joy.”
5 The Hebrew text adds, “their brothers.”
6 The Hebrew text adds בֶּן (ben, “son”) here; the word is omitted in three Hebrew and most . If the word is original, perhaps the name of Zechariah’s father was accidentally omitted. Some English versions treat the word as an additional name in the list (“Ben”; e.g., , , ).
7 The meaning of the Hebrew word עֲלָמוֹת (’alamot) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See עַלְמָה.
8 The meaning of the Hebrew word שְׁמִינִית (shéminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See שְׁמִינֹי.
9 Heb “for” or “according to.”
10 Heb “and Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, with lifting up, supervising with lifting up, for he was well-informed.” The precise nuance of מַשָּׂא (masa’, “lifting up”) is unclear. Some understand it as a reference to supervising the singing and music (e.g., : “Kenaniah … was in charge of the singing”; : “Kenaniah … was precentor in charge of the music”).
11 Heb “gatekeepers.”
12 Heb “gatekeepers.”
13 Heb “the leader, the lifting up, the musicians.” See also the note on the word “matter” in v. .
14 An ephod was a priestly garment worn over the robe.
15 The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.”
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.”
33 The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
34 Or “high place.”
35 Heb “which he commanded Israel.”
36 Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’ ”
37 Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”
38 Heb “to bless his house.” Elsewhere when “house” is the object of “bless,” it refers to a household or family. See, for example, 1 Chr 13:14; 17:27. However, since בֵּית (bet, “house”) refers to a literal house or home earlier in the verse and to David’s palace in 17:1, one might translate here, “David went to pronounce a blessing on [i.e., dedicate] his house [i.e., palace].”