1 Chronicles 16
Good News Translation
16 They took the Covenant Box to the tent which David had prepared for it and put it inside. Then they offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to God. 2 After David had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat,[a] and some raisins.
4 David appointed some of the Levites to lead the worship of the Lord, the God of Israel, in front of the Covenant Box, by singing and praising him. 5 Asaph was appointed leader, with Zechariah as his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel were to play harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and two priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, were to blow trumpets regularly in front of the Covenant Box. 7 It was then that David first gave Asaph and the other Levites the responsibility for singing praises to the Lord.
A Song of Praise(A)
8 Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his greatness;
tell the nations what he has done.
9 Sing praise to the Lord;
tell the wonderful things he has done.
10 Be glad that we belong to him;
let all who worship him rejoice!
11 Go to the Lord for help,
and worship him continually.
12-13 You descendants of Jacob, God's servant,
descendants of Israel, whom God chose,
remember the miracles that God performed
and the judgments that he gave.
14 The Lord is our God;
his commands are for all the world.
15 Never forget God's covenant,
which he made to last forever,
16 (B)the covenant he made with Abraham,
the promise he made to Isaac.
17 (C)The Lord made a covenant with Jacob,
one that will last forever.
18 “I will give you the land of Canaan,” he said.
“It will be your own possession.”
19 God's people were few in number,
strangers in the land of Canaan.
20 They wandered from country to country,
from one kingdom to another.
21 (D)But God let no one oppress them;
to protect them, he warned the kings:
22 “Don't harm my chosen servants;
do not touch my prophets.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the world!
Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.
24 Proclaim his glory to the nations,
his mighty deeds to all peoples.
25 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised;
he is to be honored more than all the gods.
26 The gods of all other nations are only idols,
but the Lord created the heavens.
27 Glory and majesty surround him,
power and joy fill his Temple.
28 Praise the Lord, all people on earth,
praise his glory and might.
29 Praise the Lord's glorious name;
bring an offering and come into his Temple.
Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;[b]
30 tremble before him, all the earth!
The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.
31 Be glad, earth and sky!
Tell the nations that the Lord is king.
32 Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
be glad, fields, and everything in you!
33 The trees in the woods will shout for joy
when the Lord comes to rule the earth.
34 (E)Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;
his love is eternal.
35 Say to him, “Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us together; rescue us from the nations,
so that we may be thankful
and praise your holy name.”
36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
Praise him now and forever!
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.
Worship at Jerusalem and Gibeon
37 King David put Asaph and the other Levites in permanent charge of the worship that was held at the place where the Covenant Box was kept. They were to perform their duties there day by day. 38 Obed Edom son of Jeduthun and sixty-eight men of his clan were to assist them. Hosah and Obed Edom were in charge of guarding the gates.
39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests, however, were in charge of the worship of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon. 40 Every morning and evening they were to burn sacrifices whole on the altar in accordance with what was written in the Law which the Lord gave to Israel. 41 There with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were specifically chosen to sing praises to the Lord for his eternal love. 42 Heman and Jeduthun also had charge of the trumpets and cymbals and the other instruments which were played when the songs of praise were sung. The members of Jeduthun's clan were in charge of guarding the gates.
43 (F)Then everyone went home, and David went home to spend some time with his family.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 16:3 a piece of roasted meat; or a cake of dates.
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 when he appears; or in garments of worship.
1 Chronicles 16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Ark Placed in the Tent
16 They brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before God.(A) 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord, 3 and he distributed to every person in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat,[a] and a cake of raisins.
4 He appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him was Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals,(B) 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving
7 Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the Lord by Asaph and his kindred.(C)
8 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.(D)
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.(E)
12 Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,(F)
13 O offspring of his servant Israel,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.(G)
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,(H)
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,(I)
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
of little account, and strangers in the land,[b](J)
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,(K)
22 saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of his salvation from day to day.(L)
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.(M)
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.(N)
27 Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.(O)
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
30 tremble before him, all the earth.
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The Lord is king!”(P)
32 Let the sea roar and all that fills it;
let the field exult and everything in it.(Q)
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(R)
35 Say also,
“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and rescue us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.(S)
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said “Amen!” and praised the Lord.(T)
Regular Worship Maintained
37 David[c] left Asaph and his kinsfolk there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required,(U) 38 and also Obed-edom and his[d] sixty-eight kinsfolk, while Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.(V) 39 And he left the priest Zadok and his kindred the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon,(W) 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord that he commanded Israel.(X) 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to render thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.(Y) 42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.
43 Then all the people departed to their homes, and David went home to bless his household.
1 Chronicles 16
Complete Jewish Bible
16 They brought the ark of God in and put it in the tent that David had set up for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Adonai. 3 Then he distributed to everyone in Isra’el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake.
4 He appointed certain L’vi’im to serve in front of the ark of Adonai, to celebrate, and to thank and praise Adonai the God of Isra’el: 5 Asaf, the leader; assisting him, Z’kharyah; then Ye‘i’el, Sh’miramot, Yechi’el, Mattityahu, Eli’av, B’nayahu, ‘Oved-Edom and Ye‘i’el playing lutes and lyres, while Asaf played cymbals. 6 B’nayah and Yachzi’el the cohanim blew the trumpets continually before the ark for the covenant of God. 7 It was on that same day that David first ordered that thanks be given to Adonai through Asaf and his kinsmen:
8 Give thanks to Adonai! Call on his name!
Make his deeds known among the peoples.
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him!
Talk about all his wonders.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let those seeking Adonai have joyful hearts.
11 Seek Adonai and his strength;
always seek his presence.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his signs and his spoken judgments.
13 You descendants of Isra’el his servant,
you offspring of Ya‘akov, his chosen ones:
14 he is Adonai our God,
His judgments are everywhere on earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
16 the covenant he made with Avraham;
the oath he swore to Yitz’chak
17 and established as a law for Ya‘akov,
for Isra’el as an everlasting covenant:
18 “To you I will give the land of Kena‘an
as your allotted heritage.”
19 When you were but few in number,
and not only few, but aliens there too,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from this kingdom to that people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them.
Yes, for their sakes he rebuked even kings:
22 “Don’t touch my anointed ones
or do my prophets harm!”
23 Sing to Adonai, all the earth!
Proclaim his victory day after day!
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wonders among all peoples!
25 For Adonai is great, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are nothing,
but Adonai made the heavens.
27 In his presence are honor and majesty;
in his place, strength and joy.
28 Give Adonai his due, you families from the peoples,
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
29 give Adonai the glory due to his name;
bring an offering, and come into his presence.
Worship Adonai in splendid, holy attire.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established, immovable.
31 Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “Adonai is king!”
32 Let the sea roar, and everything in it;
let the fields exult, and all that is in them.
33 Then the trees in the forest will sing before Adonai,
because he has come to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
35 Say: “Save us, God who can save us!
Gather and rescue us from the nations;
so that we can thank your holy name
and glory in praising you.
36 Blessed be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,
from eternity past to eternity future!”
All the people said, “Amen!” and praised Adonai.
37 So, there before the ark for the covenant of Adonai, David left Asaf and his kinsmen to perform the service regularly before the ark, as each day’s work required; 38 also ‘Oved-Edom with their kinsmen, sixty-eight of them — ‘Oved-Edom the son of Y’dutun and Hosah were gatekeepers.
39 He left Tzadok the cohen with his kinsmen before the tabernacle of Adonai at the high place in Giv‘on 40 to offer burnt offerings to Adonai every morning and evening on the altar for burnt offerings, according to everything written in the Torah of Adonai, which he gave to Isra’el. 41 With them were Heman and Y’dutun and the rest who were chosen and assigned by name to give thanks to Adonai, because his grace continues forever. 42 With them were Heman and Y’dutun to play trumpets and cymbals, also instruments for the songs about God; while the sons of Y’dutun were assigned to the gate.
43 Then the people all left for their homes, and David returned to bless his household.
1 Chronicles 16
The Message
16 1-3 They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of God. Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake.
4-6 Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of God to lead worship—to intercede, give thanks, and praise the God of Israel. Asaph was in charge; under him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, who played the musical instruments. Asaph was on percussion. The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets before the Chest of the Covenant of God at set times through the day.
7 That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company.
8-19 Thank God! Call out his Name!
Tell the whole world who he is and what he’s done!
Sing to him! Play songs for him!
Broadcast all his wonders!
Revel in his holy Name,
God-seekers, be jubilant!
Study God and his strength,
seek his presence day and night;
Remember all the wonders he performed,
the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.
Seed of Israel his servant!
Children of Jacob, his first choice!
He is God, our God;
wherever you go you come on his judgments and decisions.
He keeps his commitments across thousands
of generations, the covenant he commanded,
The same one he made with Abraham,
the very one he swore to Isaac;
He posted it in big block letters to Jacob,
this eternal covenant with Israel:
“I give you the land of Canaan,
this is your inheritance;
Even though you’re not much to look at,
a few straggling strangers.”
20-22 They wandered from country to country,
camped out in one kingdom after another;
But he didn’t let anyone push them around,
he stood up for them against bully-kings:
“Don’t you dare touch my anointed ones,
don’t lay a hand on my prophets.”
23-27 Sing to God, everyone and everything!
Get out his salvation news every day!
Publish his glory among the godless nations,
his wonders to all races and religions.
And why? Because God is great—well worth praising!
No god or goddess comes close in honor.
All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,
but God made the cosmos!
Splendor and majesty flow out of him,
strength and joy fill his place.
28-29 Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,
in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!
Shout Bravo! to his famous Name,
lift high an offering and enter his presence!
Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!
30-33 God is serious business, take him seriously;
he’s put the earth in place and it’s not moving.
So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,
and pass the word among the nations, “God reigns!”
Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,
let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;
Then the trees in the forest will add their applause
to all who are pleased and present before God
—he’s on his way to set things right!
34-36 Give thanks to God—he is good
and his love never quits.
Say, “Save us, Savior God,
round us up and get us out of these godless places,
So we can give thanks to your holy Name,
and bask in your life of praise.”
Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then everybody said, “Yes! Amen!” and “Praise God!”
* * *
37-42 David left Asaph and his coworkers with the Chest of the Covenant of God and in charge of the work of worship; they were responsible for the needs of worship around the clock. He also assigned Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight relatives to help them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were in charge of the security guards. The priest Zadok and his family of priests were assigned to the Tent of God at the sacred mound at Gibeon to make sure that the services of morning and evening worship were conducted daily, complete with Whole-Burnt-Offerings offered on the Altar of Burnt Offering, as ordered in the Law of God, which was the norm for Israel. With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and others specifically named, with the job description: “Give thanks to God, for his love never quits!” Heman and Jeduthun were also well equipped with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments for accompanying sacred songs. The sons of Jeduthun formed the security guard.
43 Arrangements completed, the people all left for home. And David went home to bless his family.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson