1 Chronicles 15-17

1 Chronicles 15

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

²Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever."

³David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh to its place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

⁵of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

⁶of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;

⁷of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

⁸of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;

⁹of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

¹⁰of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

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

¹²and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³For because you didn't carry it at first, Yahweh our God made broke out against us, because we didn't seek him according to the ordinance."

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

¹⁵The children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of Yahweh.

¹⁶David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of music, stringed instruments and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.

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

¹⁸and with them their brothers of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

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

²⁰and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

²¹and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

²²Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.

²³Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

²⁶It happened, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

²⁷David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song [with] the singers: and David had on him an ephod of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

²⁹It happened, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

1 Chronicles 16

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

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

³He dealt to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins.

⁴He appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Yahweh, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with stringed instruments and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

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

⁷Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to Yahweh, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.

⁸Oh give thanks to Yahweh. Call on his name. Make his doings known among the peoples.

⁹Sing to him. Sing praises to him. Tell of all his marvelous works.

¹⁰Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.

¹¹Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.

¹²Remember his marvelous works that he has done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,

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

¹⁴He is Yahweh our God. His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Remember his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,

¹⁶[the covenant] which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac.

¹⁷He confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸saying, "I will give you the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance,"

¹⁹when you were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners were in it.

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

²¹He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,

²²"Don't touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!"

²³Sing to Yahweh, all the earth! Display his salvation from day to day.

²⁴Declare his glory among the nations, and his marvelous works among all the peoples.

²⁵For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised. He also is to be feared above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.

²⁷Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and gladness are in his place.

²⁸Ascribe to Yahweh, you relatives of the peoples, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength!

²⁹Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come before him. Worship Yahweh in holy array.

³⁰Tremble before him, all the earth. The world also is established that it can't be moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice! Let them say among the nations, "Yahweh reigns!"

³²Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field exult, and all that is therein!

³³Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth.

³⁴Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

³⁵Say, "Save us, God of our salvation! Gather us together and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise."

³⁶Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. All the people said, "Amen," and praised Yahweh.

³⁷So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required;

³⁸and Obed-Edom with their brothers, sixty-eight; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers;

³⁹and Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before the tabernacle of Yahweh in the high place that was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Yahweh, which he commanded to Israel;

⁴¹and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Yahweh, because his loving kindness endures forever;

⁴²and with them Heman and Jeduthun [with] trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and [with] instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.

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

1 Chronicles 17

¹It happened, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under curtains."

²Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you."

³It happened the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴"Go and tell David my servant, 'Thus says Yahweh, "You shall not build me a house to dwell in;

⁵for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another.

⁶In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"'

⁷"Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh of Armies, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

⁸I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.

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

¹⁰and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that Yahweh will build you a house.

¹¹It shall happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

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

¹³I will be his father, and he shall be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before you;

¹⁴but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne shall be established forever."'"

¹⁵According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶Then David the king went in, and sat before Yahweh; and he said, "Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

¹⁷This was a small thing in your eyes, God; but you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have respected me according to the estate of a man of high degree, Yahweh God.

¹⁸What can David say yet more to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant.

¹⁹Yahweh, for your servant's sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

²⁰Yahweh, there is none like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeem out of Egypt?

²²For your people Israel you made your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God.

²³Now, Yahweh, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as you have spoken.

²⁴Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'Yahweh of Armies is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. The house of David your servant is established before you.'

²⁵For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you.

²⁶Now, Yahweh, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant.

²⁷Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Yahweh, have blessed, and it is blessed forever."