⁶ The priests took their positions, as did the Levites^(A) with the Lord’s musical instruments,^(B) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

¹² All the Levites who were musicians^(A)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.^(B)

³ When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

¹⁶ David^(A) told the leaders of the Levites^(B) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians^(C) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.^(D)

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman^(E) son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph^(F) son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites,^(G) Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,^[a] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom^(H) and Jeiel,^[b] the gatekeepers.

¹⁹ The musicians Heman,^(I) Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel,^[c] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,^{[d] 21} and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.^[e]

Psalm 118

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107