3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 4 Standing on the stairs of the Levitesh were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,i who is from everlasting to everlasting.a”

“Blessed be your glorious name,j and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord.k You made the heavens,l even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,m the earthn and all that is on it, the seaso and all that is in them.p You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heavenq worship you.

7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abramr and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeanss and named him Abraham.t 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites.u You have kept your promisev because you are righteous.w