1 They  * 16:1–3 2Sm 6:17–19 brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it.  * 16:1 1Ch 15:1 Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

4 David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him. 5 Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives:

8 Give thanks  * 16:8–22 Ps 105:1–15 to the Lord; call on his name;

proclaim his deeds among the peoples.  * 16:8 1Kg 8:43; 2Kg 19:19

9 Sing to him; sing praise to him;

tell about all his wondrous works!

10 Boast in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the  Lord  rejoice.

11 Seek the  Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.  * 16:11 Ps 24:6

12 Remember the wondrous works he has done,  * 16:12 Ps 103:2

his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,  * 16:12 Lit judgments of his mouth,* 16:12 Ps 78:43–68

13 you offspring of Israel his servant,

Jacob’s descendants — his chosen ones.

14 He is the  Lord our God;

his judgments govern the whole earth.  * 16:14 Ps 48:10

15 Remember his covenant forever —

the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,

16 the covenant he made with Abraham,

swore  * 16:16 Lit and his oath to Isaac,  * 16:16 Gn 17:2; 22:16–18; 26:3

17 and confirmed to Jacob as a decree,

and to Israel as a permanent covenant:  * 16:17 Gn 35:11–12

18 "I will give the land of Canaan to you

as your inherited portion."  * 16:18 Gn 13:15

19 When they  * 16:19 One Hb ms, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read you were few in number,

very few indeed,  * 16:19 Gn 34:30; Dt 7:7 and resident aliens in Canaan

20 wandering from nation to nation

and from one kingdom to another,

21 he allowed no one to oppress them;

he rebuked kings on their behalf:  * 16:21 Gn 12:17; 20:3; Ex 7:15–18

22 "Do not touch my anointed ones

or harm my prophets."  * 16:22 Gn 20:7

23 Let the whole earth sing  * 16:23–33 Ps 96 to the  Lord.

Proclaim his salvation from day to day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,

his wondrous works among all peoples.

25 For the  Lord is great and highly praised;  * 16:25 Ps 144:3–6

he is feared above all gods.  * 16:25 Ps 89:7

26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,  * 16:26 Lv 19:4

but the Lord made the heavens.  * 16:26 Ps 102:25

27 Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his place.

28 Ascribe to the  Lord, families of the peoples,

ascribe to the  Lord glory and strength.

29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

bring an offering and come before him.

Worship the  Lord in the splendor of his holiness;  * 16:29 Ps 29:2

30 let the whole earth tremble  * 16:30–31 Ps 93:1 before him.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be shaken.

31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,  * 16:31 Is 44:23; 49:13

and let them say among the nations, "The  Lord reigns! "

32 Let the sea and all that fills it resound;

let the fields and everything in them exult.  * 16:32 Ps 98:7

33 Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the  Lord,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the  Lord, for he is good;

his faithful love endures forever.  * 16:34 Ps 106:1; 136:1

35 And say,  * 16:35–36a Ps 106:47–48 "Save us, God of our salvation;

gather us and rescue us from the nations

so that we may give thanks to your holy name

and rejoice in your praise.

36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel  * 16:36 1Kg 8:15,56; Ps 72:18

from everlasting to everlasting."

Then all the people said, "Amen" and "Praise the Lord."

37 So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister regularly  * 16:37 1Ch 16:4–5 before the ark according to the daily requirements.  * 16:37 2Ch 8:14; Ezr 3:438 He assigned Obed-edom  * 16:38 1Ch 13:13 and his  * 16:38 LXX, Syr, Vg; Hb reads their sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah  * 16:38 1Ch 26:10 were to be gatekeepers. 39 David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon  * 16:39 1Kg 3:4; 1Ch 21:2940 to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep.  * 16:40 Ex 29:38–42; Nm 28:3–441 With them were Heman,  * 16:41 1Ch 6:33 Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name  * 16:41 1Ch 25:1–6 to give thanks to the Lord  — for his faithful love endures forever.  * 16:41 2Ch 5:1342 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God.  * 16:42 1Ch 25:7; 2Ch 7:6; 29:27 Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

43 Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.  * 16:43 2Sm 6:19–20