1 Chronicles 15; 1 Chronicles 16; 1 Chronicles 17

1 David built houses for himself in Jerusalem. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it.

2 David said, "Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever."

3 David called all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had made for it.

4 David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites.

5 There were one hundred twenty people from Kohath's family group, with Uriel as their leader.

6 There were two hundred twenty people from Merari's family group, with Asaiah as their leader.

7 There were one hundred thirty people from Gershon's family group, with Joel as their leader.

8 There were two hundred people from Elizaphan's family group, with Shemaiah as their leader.

9 There were eighty people from Hebron's family group, with Eliel as their leader.

10 And there were one hundred twelve people from Uzziel's family group, with Amminadab as their leader.

11 Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 David said to them, "You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for service to the Lord. Bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have made for it.

13 The last time we did not ask the Lord how to carry it. You Levites didn't carry it, so the Lord our God punished us."

14 Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves for service to the Lord so they could carry the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.

15 The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded, just as the Lord had said they should.

16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and to sing happy songs.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman and his relatives Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel's son. Asaph was Berekiah's son. And Ethan, from the Merari family group, was Kushaiah's son.

18 There was also a second group of Levites: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were the Levite guards.

19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals.

20 Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the lyres.

21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the harps.

22 The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing, because he was very good at it.

23 Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the Ark of the Agreement.

24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets in front of the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the Ark.

25 David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of a thousand soldiers went to get the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom's house with great joy.

26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven male sheep.

27 All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a holy vest of fine linen.

28 So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

29 As the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord entered Jerusalem, Saul's daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she hated him.

1 They brought the Ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God.

2 When David had finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

3 He gave a loaf of bread, some dates, and raisins to every Israelite man and woman.

4 Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Ark of the Lord. They had the job of leading the worship and giving thanks and praising the Lord, the God of Israel.

5 Asaph, who played the cymbals, was the leader. Zechariah was second to him. The other Levites were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps.

6 Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests who blew the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Agreement with God.

7 That day David first gave Asaph and his relatives the job of singing praises to the Lord.

8 Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his miracles.

10 Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the Lord be happy.

11 Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help.

12 Remember the miracles he has done, his wonders, and his decisions.

13 You are the descendants of his servant, Israel; you are the children of Jacob, his chosen people.

14 He is the Lord our God. His laws are for all the world.

15 He will keep his agreement forever; he will keep his promises always.

16 He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham and the promise he made to Isaac.

17 He made it a law for the people of Jacob; he made it an agreement with Israel to last forever.

18 He said, "I will give the land of Canaan to you, to belong to you."

19 Then God's people were few in number, and they were strangers in the land.

20 They went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another.

21 But he did not let anyone hurt them; he warned kings not to harm them.

22 He said, "Don't touch my chosen people, and don't harm my prophets."

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Every day tell how he saves us.

24 Tell the nations about his glory; tell all peoples the miracles he does.

25 The Lord is great; he should be praised. He should be respected more than all the gods.

26 All the gods of the nations are only idols, but the Lord made the skies.

27 He has glory and majesty; he has power and joy in his Temple.

28 Praise the Lord, all nations on earth. Praise the Lord's glory and power;

29 praise the glory of the Lord's name. Bring an offering and come to him. Worship the Lord because he is holy.

30 Tremble before him, everyone on earth. The earth is set, and it cannot be moved.

31 Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad. Let people everywhere say, "The Lord is king!"

32 Let the sea and everything in it shout; let the fields and everything in them rejoice.

33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord. They will sing because he is coming to judge the world.

34 Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever.

35 Say to him, "Save us, God our Savior, and bring us back and save us from other nations. Then we will thank you and will gladly praise you."

36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He always was and always will be. All the people said "Amen" and praised the Lord.

37 Then David left Asaph and the other Levites there in front of the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They were to serve there every day.

38 David also left Obed-Edom and sixty-eight other Levites to serve with them. Hosah and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun were guards.

39 David left Zadok the priest and the other priests who served with him in front of the Tent of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon.

40 Every morning and evening they offered burnt offerings on the altar of burnt offerings, following the rules written in the Teachings of the Lord, which he had given Israel.

41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and other Levites. They were chosen by name to sing praises to the Lord because his love continues forever.

42 Heman and Jeduthun also had the job of playing the trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments when songs were sung to God. Jeduthun's sons guarded the gates.

43 Then all the people left. Each person went home, and David also went home to bless the people in his home.

1 When David moved into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord sits in a tent."

2 Nathan said to David, "Do what you want to do, because God is with you."

3 But that night God spoke his word to Nathan, saying,

4 "Go and tell David my servant, 'This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in.

5 From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until now I have not lived in a house. I have moved from one tent site to another and from one place to another.

6 As I have moved with the Israelites to different places, I have never said to the leaders, whom I commanded to take care of my people, "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?"'

7 "Now, tell my servant David: 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: I took you from the pasture and from tending the sheep and made you king of my people Israel.

8 I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great people on the earth.

9 I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer hurt them as they have in the past

10 when I chose judges for my people Israel. I will defeat all your enemies. "'I tell you that the Lord will make your descendants kings of Israel after you.

11 When you die and join your ancestors, I will make one of your sons the new king, and I will set up his kingdom.

12 He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always.

13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I took away my love from Saul, who ruled before you, but I will never stop loving your son.

14 I will put him in charge of my house and kingdom forever. His family will rule forever.'"

15 Nathan told David everything God had said in this vision.

16 Then King David went in and sat in front of the Lord. David said, "Lord God, who am I? What is my family? Why did you bring me to this point?

17 But that was not enough for you, God. You have also made promises about my future family. Lord God, you have treated me like a very important person.

18 "What more can I say to you for honoring me, your servant? You know me so well.

19 Lord, you have done this wonderful thing for my sake and because you wanted to. You have made known all these great things.

20 "There is no one like you, Lord. There is no God except you. We have heard all this ourselves!

21 There is no nation like your people Israel. They are the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made your name well known by the great and wonderful things you did for them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations out of the land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

22 You made the people of Israel your very own people forever, and, Lord, you are their God.

23 "Lord, keep the promise forever that you made about my family and me, your servant. Do what you have said.

24 Then you will be honored always, and people will say, 'The Lord All-Powerful, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!' And the family of your servant David will continue before you.

25 "My God, you have told me that you would make my family great. So I, your servant, am brave enough to pray to you.

26 Lord, you are God, and you have promised these good things to me, your servant.

27 You have chosen to bless my family. Let it continue before you always. Lord, you have blessed my family, so it will always be blessed."