15David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. Then he prepared a place for the ark of God. He set up a tent for it. ²He said, “Only Levites can carry the ark of God. That’s because the Lord chose them to carry his ark. He chose them to serve him forever in front of the place where his throne is.”

³David gathered the whole community of Israel together in Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. ⁴He called together the members of the family line of Aaron. He also called the Levites together.

Here are the men who came from the families of the Levites.

⁵From the families of Kohath

came the leader Uriel and 120 relatives.

⁶From the families of Merari

came the leader Asaiah and 220 relatives.

⁷From the families of Gershon

came the leader Joel and 130 relatives.

⁸From the families of Elizaphan

came the leader Shemaiah and 200 relatives.

⁹From the families of Hebron

came the leader Eliel and 80 relatives.

¹⁰From the families of Uzziel

came the leader Amminadab and 112 relatives.

¹¹David sent for the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He also sent for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. They were Levites. ¹²He said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must set yourselves apart to serve the Lord and his people. You must bring up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. Put the ark in the place I’ve prepared for it.

¹³“Remember when the anger of the Lord our God broke out against us? It was because you Levites didn’t bring the ark up the first time. We didn’t ask the Lord how to do it in the way the law requires.”

¹⁴So the priests and Levites set themselves apart. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. ¹⁵This time the Levites used the poles to carry the ark of God on their shoulders. That’s what Moses had commanded in keeping with the word of the Lord.

¹⁶David told the Levite leaders to appoint their relatives as singers. He wanted them to sing joyful songs. He also wanted them to play lyres, harps and cymbals along with their singing.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel. From his relatives they chose Asaph, the son of Berekiah. Other relatives were from the family of Merari. From them they chose Ethan, the son of Kushaiah. ¹⁸Along with them they chose their relatives who were next in line. Their names were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They guarded the gates.

¹⁹Heman, Asaph and Ethan played the bronze cymbals. ²⁰Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah played the high notes on the lyres. ²¹Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played the low notes on the harps.

²²Kenaniah was the leader of the Levites. He was in charge of the singing because he was good at it.

²³Berekiah and Elkanah guarded the ark. ²⁴Some of the priests blew trumpets in front of the ark of God. Their names were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer. Obed-Edom and Jehiah also helped guard the ark.

²⁵David and the elders of Israel went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So did the commanders of companies of 1,000 men. With great joy they brought the ark up from the house of Obed-Edom.

²⁶God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.

²⁷David was wearing a robe that was made out of fine linen. So were all of the Levites who were carrying the ark. And so were the singers and the choir director Kenaniah. David was also wearing a sacred linen apron.

²⁸So the whole community of Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They shouted. They blew rams’ horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, lyres and harps.

²⁹The ark of the covenant of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. That made her hate him in her heart.

16The ark of God was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in the tent David had set up for it. The priests brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings to God.

²After David finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake.

⁴He appointed some of the Levites to serve in front of the ark of the Lord. David wanted them to pray, give thanks and praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. ⁵Asaph was the leader of those Levites. Zechariah was next. Then came Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps. Asaph played the cymbals. ⁶The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets. They blew them at regular times in front of the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Psalm of Thanks to the Lord

⁷That day was the first time David gave Asaph and his helpers this psalm of thanks to the Lord.

⁸Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him.

Tell the nations what he has done.

⁹Sing to him. Sing praise to him.

Tell about all of the wonderful things he has done.

¹⁰Praise him, because his name is holy.

Let the hearts of those who trust in the Lord be glad.

¹¹Look to the Lord and to his strength.

Always look to him.

¹²Remember the wonderful things he has done.

Remember his miracles and how he judged our enemies.

¹³Remember what he has done, you children of his servant Israel.

Remember it, you people of Jacob. You are God’s chosen ones.

¹⁴He is the Lord our God.

He judges the whole earth.

¹⁵He will keep his covenant forever.

He will keep his promise for all time to come.

¹⁶He will keep the covenant he made with Abraham.

He will keep the oath he took when he made his promise to Isaac.

¹⁷He made it stand as a law for Jacob.

He made it stand as a covenant for Israel. It will last forever.

¹⁸He said, “I will give you the land of Canaan.

It will belong to you.”

¹⁹At first there weren’t very many of God’s people.

There were only a few. And they were strangers in the land.

²⁰They wandered from nation to nation.

They wandered from one kingdom to another.

²¹But God didn’t allow anyone to beat them down.

To keep them safe, he gave a command to kings.

²²He said to them, “Do not touch my anointed ones.

Do not harm my prophets.”

²³All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord.

Day after day tell about how he saves us.

²⁴Tell the nations about his glory.

Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done.

²⁵The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise.

People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all.

²⁶All of the gods of the nations are like their statues.

They can’t do anything.

But the Lord made the heavens.

²⁷Glory and majesty are all around him.

Strength and joy can be seen in the place where he lives.

²⁸Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Praise the Lord for his glory and strength.

²⁹Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him.

Bring an offering and come to him.

Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness.

³⁰All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him.

The world is firmly set in place. It can’t be moved.

³¹Let the heavens be filled with joy. Let the earth be glad.

Let them say among the nations, “The Lord rules!”

³²Let the ocean and everything in it roar.

Let the fields and everything in them be glad.

³³Then the trees in the forest will sing with joy.

They will sing to the Lord.

He will judge the people of the world.

³⁴Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good.

His faithful love continues forever.

³⁵Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior.

Save us. Bring us back from among the nations.

Then we will give thanks to you, because your name is holy.

We will celebrate by praising you.”

³⁶Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel,

for ever and ever.

Then all of the people said, “Amen!” They also said, “Praise the Lord.”

³⁷David left Asaph and his helpers to serve in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They served there at regular times. They did it as they were required to do each day. ³⁸David also left Obed-Edom and his 68 helpers to serve with them. Obed-Edom and Hosah guarded the gates. Obed-Edom was the son of Jeduthun.

³⁹David left the priest Zadok and some other priests in front of the holy tent of the Lord. It was at the high place in Gibeon. ⁴⁰David left them there to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar every morning and evening. They did it in keeping with everything that is written in the Law of the Lord. That’s the Law he had given to Israel.

⁴¹Heman and Jeduthun were with the priests. So were the rest of those who had been chosen by name and appointed to serve. They had been chosen to give thanks to the Lord, “because his faithful love continues forever.” ⁴²It was the duty of Heman and Jeduthun to blow the trumpets. They also had the duty of playing the cymbals and other instruments for the sacred songs. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at one of the gates.

⁴³All of the people left. Everyone went home. And David returned home to bless his family.

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