1 Chronicles 15-17

1 Chronicles 15

¹¶ And [David] made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

²Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

³And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

⁵Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:

⁶Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

⁷Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:

⁸Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

⁹Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

¹⁰Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

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

¹²And said unto them, Ye [are] the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, [both] ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto [the place that] I have prepared for it.

¹³For because ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

¹⁴So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁵And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren [to be] the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸And with them their brethren of the second [degree], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [were appointed] to sound with cymbals of brass;

²⁰And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

²¹And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

²²And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, [was] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.

²³And Berechiah and Elkanah [were] doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah [were] doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵¶ So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

²⁶And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

²⁷And David [was] clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also [had] upon him an ephod of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

²⁹And it came to pass, [as] the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

1 Chronicles 16

¹¶ So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

²And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

³And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon [of wine].

⁴And he appointed [certain] of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

⁶Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷¶ Then on that day David delivered first [this psalm] to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

⁸Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

⁹Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

¹⁰Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

¹¹Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

¹²Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

¹³O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

¹⁴He [is] the LORD our God; his judgments [are] in all the earth.

¹⁵Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations;

¹⁶[Even of the covenant] which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

¹⁷And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;

¹⁹When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

²⁰And [when] they went from nation to nation, and from [one] kingdom to another people;

²¹He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

²²[Saying], Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

²³Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.

²⁴Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

²⁵For great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also [is] to be feared above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the people [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷Glory and honour [are] in his presence; strength and gladness [are] in his place.

²⁸Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

²⁹Give unto the LORD the glory [due] unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

³⁰Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let [men] say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

³²Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that [is] therein.

³³Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.

³⁴O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever.

³⁵And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, [and] glory in thy praise.

³⁶Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

³⁷¶ So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required:

³⁸And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah [to be] porters:

³⁹And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that [was] at Gibeon,

⁴⁰To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and [to do] according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;

⁴¹And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy [endureth] for ever;

⁴²And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun [were] porters.

⁴³And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.

1 Chronicles 17

¹¶ Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD [remaineth] under curtains.

²Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that [is] in thine heart; for God [is] with thee.

³And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

⁵For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from [one] tabernacle [to another].

⁶Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

⁷Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, [even] from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

⁸And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that [are] in the earth.

⁹Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

¹⁰And since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.

¹¹And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹²He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

¹³I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took [it] from [him] that was before thee:

¹⁴But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

¹⁵According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¹⁶¶ And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who [am] I, O LORD God, and what [is] mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁷And [yet] this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast [also] spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

¹⁸What can David [speak] more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

¹⁹O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all [these] great things.

²⁰O LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem [to be] his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

²²For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

²³Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

²⁴Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts [is] the God of Israel, [even] a God to Israel: and [let] the house of David thy servant [be] established before thee.

²⁵For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found [in his heart] to pray before thee.

²⁶And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

²⁷Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed for ever.