1 Chronicles 15; 1 Chronicles 16; 1 Chronicles 17

1 After David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for God's ark and set up a tent for it.

2 Then David insisted that only the Levites carry God's ark because the LORD had chosen them to carry his ark and to serve him forever.

3 David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the LORD's ark to the place he had prepared for it.

4 David also called together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

5 Leading Kohath's descendants was Uriel, who came with 120 of his relatives.

6 Leading Merari's descendants was Asaiah, who came with 220 of his relatives.

7 Leading Gershom's descendants was Joel, who came with 130 of his relatives.

8 Leading Elizaphan's descendants was Shemaiah, who came with 200 of his relatives.

9 Leading Hebron's descendants was Eliel, who came with 80 of his relatives.

10 Leading Uzziel's descendants was Amminadab, who came with 112 of his relatives.

11 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I prepared for it.

13 Because you weren't there the first time, the LORD our God struck us. We hadn't dedicated our lives to serving him in the way [he] designated."

14 So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

15 The Levites carried God's ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to the LORD's instructions.

16 David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their relatives to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph, Berechiah's son. From their own relatives, Merari's descendants, they appointed Ethan, son of Kushaiah.

18 In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers.

19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals.

20 Zechariah, Jaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were appointed to play harps according to alamoth.

21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the sheminith.

22 Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God's ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the army's commanders joyfully went to get the ark of the LORD's promise from Obed Edom's house.

26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the LORD's promise, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the [Levites who were] singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians' prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.

28 All Israel brought the ark of the LORD's promise with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres.

29 When the ark of the LORD's promise came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.

1 The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God's presence.

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

3 He also distributed to every person in Israel--both men and women--a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

4 David appointed some Levites to serve in front of the LORD's ark by offering prayers, thanks, and praise to the LORD God of Israel.

5 Asaph was the head; Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel with harps and lyres. Asaph played the cymbals.

6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played trumpets all the time in front of the ark of God's promise.

7 For the first time David entrusted Asaph and his relatives with the task of singing songs of thanks to the LORD:

8 "Give thanks to the LORD. Call on his name. Make known among the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him. Make music to praise him. Meditate on all the miracles he has done.

10 Brag about his holy name. Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

11 Search for the LORD and his strength. Always seek his presence.

12 Remember the miracles he performed, the amazing things he did and the judgments he pronounced,

13 you descendants of Israel, his servant, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 "He is the LORD our God. His judgments are pronounced throughout the earth.

15 Remember his promise forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,

16 the promise that he made to Abraham, and his sworn promise to Isaac.

17 He confirmed it as a law for Jacob, as an everlasting promise to Israel,

18 by saying, 'I will give you Canaan. It is your share of the inheritance.'

19 "While they were few in number, a small group of foreigners living in that land,

20 they wandered from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another.

21 He didn't permit anyone to oppress them. He warned kings about them:

22 'Do not touch my anointed ones or harm my prophets.'

23 "Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Day after day announce that the LORD saves his people.

24 Tell people about his glory. Tell all the nations about his miracles.

25 "The LORD is great! He should be highly praised. He should be feared more than all [other] gods

26 because all the gods of the nations are idols. The LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are in his presence. Strength and joy are where he is.

28 "Give to the LORD, you families of the nations. Give to the LORD glory and power.

29 Give to the LORD the glory his name deserves. Bring an offering, and come to him. Worship the LORD in [his] holy splendor.

30 Tremble in his presence, all the earth! "The earth stands firm; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad. Say to the nations, 'The LORD rules as king!'

32 Let the sea and everything in it roar like thunder. Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.

33 Then the trees in the forest will sing with joy in the presence of the LORD when he comes to judge the earth.

34 "Give thanks to the LORD because he is good, because his mercy endures forever.

35 Say, 'Rescue us, O God our Savior. Gather us and save us from the nations so that we may give thanks to your holy name and make your praise our glory.'

36 Thanks be to the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting." Then all the people said amen and praised the LORD.

37 David left Asaph and his relatives to serve continually in front of the ark of the LORD's promise, as the daily work required.

38 David also left Obed Edom and 68 of his relatives [to serve there]. Obed Edom (Jeduthun's son) and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.

39 David left Zadok and his priestly relatives to serve in the LORD's tent at the place of worship in Gibeon.

40 They were ordered to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD. This happened on the altar of burnt offerings continually, morning and evening, as written in the LORD's Teachings that he gave Israel.

41 With Zadok and his relatives were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of the Levites who had been selected, chosen by name, to give thanks to the LORD [by singing,] "His mercy endures forever."

42 Also, Heman and Jeduthun played trumpets, cymbals, and the [other] musical instruments that accompany sacred songs. Jeduthun's sons were stationed at the gate.

43 Then all the people went home. David went back to bless his family.

1 When David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan, "I'm living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of the LORD's promise is inside a tent."

2 Nathan told David, "Do everything you have in mind, because God is with you."

3 But that same night God spoke his word to Nathan:

4 "Say to David, my servant, 'This is what the LORD says: You must not build this house for me to live in.

5 I haven't lived in a house from the day I brought Israel out [of Egypt] to this day, but I've gone from tent site to tent site, moving the tent [of meeting] from one location [to another].

6 In all the places I've moved with all Israel, did I ever ask any of the judges of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people why they didn't build me a house of cedar?'

7 "Now this is what you will say to my servant David: 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel.

8 I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name like the names of the greatest people on earth.

9 I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer frighten them as they used to do

10 ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. I will crush all your enemies. I even tell you that I, the LORD, will build a house for you.

11 "'When the time comes for you to go and be with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants. He will be one of your sons. I will establish his kingdom.

12 He will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.

13 I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. And I will never stop showing him my love as I did to your predecessor.

14 I will place him in my royal house forever, and his throne will be established forever.'"

15 Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.

16 Then King David went into the tent and sat in front of the LORD. "Who am I, LORD God," he asked, "and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far?

17 And this you consider to be a small act, God. You've spoken about the distant future of my house. LORD God, you've shown me the generation of the great man.

18 "What more can I do for you in light of the honor [you have given] to me and since you know me so well!

19 LORD, you've done this great thing for my sake and your own desire. You made this great thing known to me.

20 "LORD, there is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears.

21 Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make your name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced the nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt.

22 You made the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, LORD, became their God.

23 "Now, LORD, faithfully keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised.

24 Your name will endure and be respected forever when [people] say, 'The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel's God.' And the house of David, your servant, will be established in your presence.

25 You, my God, have revealed especially to me that you will build me a house. That is why I have found [the courage] to pray to you.

26 "Almighty LORD, you are God. You promised me this good thing.

27 Now, you were pleased to bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, LORD, have blessed it. It will be blessed forever."