1 Chronicles 16
New English Translation
David Leads in Worship
16 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings[a] before God. 2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second-in-command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.
David Thanks God
7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord.
8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
10 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence[b] continually!
12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[c]
13 O children[d] of Israel, God’s[e] servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s[f] chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[g]
15 Remember[h] continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[i] to a thousand generations—
16 the promise[j] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac![k]
17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[l]
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.[m]
21 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
22 saying,[n] “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every day[o] how he delivers.
24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
tell[p] all the nations about his miraculous deeds.
25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome than[q] all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,[r]
but the Lord made the heavens.[s]
27 Majestic splendor emanates from him,[t]
he is the source of strength and joy.[u]
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves![v]
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire![w]
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say,[x] “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures.[y]
35 Say this prayer:[z] “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thanks[aa] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.”[ab]
36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,
in the future and forevermore.[ac]
Then all the people said, “We agree![ad] Praise the Lord.”
David Appoints Worship Leaders
37 David[ae] left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,[af] 38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served[ag] before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center[ah] in Gibeon, 40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.[ai] 41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)[aj] 42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.[ak]
43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.[al]
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 16:1 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV “fellowship offerings.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:11 tn Heb “face.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:12 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “seed.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 16:14 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:15 tn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX mss harmonize the wording here to Ps 105:8, which has זָכַר (zakhar), the perfect third masculine singular form of the verb, “He (the Lord) remembers” (so NIV; NEB reads “He called to mind his covenant”).
- 1 Chronicles 16:15 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear.
- 1 Chronicles 16:16 tn Heb “which.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:16 tn Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:17 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:20 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another people.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:22 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Chronicles 16:23 tn Heb “from day to day.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:24 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- 1 Chronicles 16:25 tn Or “feared above.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:26 tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (ʾelilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
- 1 Chronicles 16:26 tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
- 1 Chronicles 16:27 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:27 tn Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., due] his name.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:31 tn Heb “let them say among the nations.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 tn Or “is eternal.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
- 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:36 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:36 tn This is the Hebrew term אָמֵן (ʾamen, “surely”), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:37 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 16:37 tn Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:39 tn The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Chronicles 16:39 tn Or “high place.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:40 tn Heb “which he laid as a charge upon Israel.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:41 tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’”
- 1 Chronicles 16:42 tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:43 tn Heb “to bless his house.” Elsewhere when “house” is the object of “bless,” it refers to a household or family. See, for example, 1 Chr 13:14; 17:27. However, since בֵּית (bet, “house”) refers to a literal house or home earlier in the verse and to David’s palace in 17:1, one might translate here, “David went to pronounce a blessing on [i.e., dedicate] his house [i.e., palace].”
1 Chronicles 16
World English Bible
16 They brought in God’s ark, and set it in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in Yahweh’s name. 3 He gave to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before Yahweh’s ark, and to commemorate, to thank, and to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with stringed instruments and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; 6 with Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to Yahweh, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.
8 Oh give thanks to Yahweh.
Call on his name.
Make what he has done known among the peoples.
9 Sing to him.
Sing praises to him.
Tell of all his marvelous works.
10 Glory in his holy name.
Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
11 Seek Yahweh and his strength.
Seek his face forever more.
12 Remember his marvelous works that he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
13 you offspring[a] of Israel his servant,
you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is Yahweh our God.
His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
16 the covenant which he made with Abraham,
his oath to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “I will give you the land of Canaan,
The lot of your inheritance,”
19 when you were but a few men in number,
yes, very few, and foreigners in it.
20 They went about from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people.
21 He 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!”
23 Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Display his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
and his marvelous works among all the peoples.
25 For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised.
He also is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but Yahweh made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before him.
Strength and gladness are in his place.
28 Ascribe to Yahweh, you relatives of the peoples,
ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name.
Bring an offering, and come before him.
Worship Yahweh in holy array.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth.
The world also is established that it can’t be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad,
and let the earth rejoice!
Let them say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar, and its fullness!
Let the field exult, and all that is in it!
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before Yahweh,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
35 Say, “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.”
36 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
from everlasting even to everlasting.
All the people said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh.
37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; 38 and Obed-Edom with their brothers, sixty-eight; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; 39 and Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before Yahweh’s tabernacle in the high place that was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in Yahweh’s law, which he commanded to Israel; 41 and 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; 42 and 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. 43 All the people departed, each man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.
Footnotes
- 16:13 or, seed
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.