² And I heard a voice from heaven ^(A)like the roar of many waters and ^(B)like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of ^(C)harpists playing on their harps, ³ and they were singing ^(D)a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. ^(E)No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ^(A)fell down before the Lamb, ^(B)each holding a harp, and ^(C)golden bowls full of incense, ^(D)which are the prayers of the saints.

^25 (A)And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, ^(B)according to the commandment of David and of Gad ^(C)the king's seer and of ^(D)Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets.

David Organizes the Musicians

25 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of ^(A)Asaph, and of ^(B)Heman, and of ^(C)Jeduthun, who ^(D)prophesied with lyres, with ^(E)harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: ² Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who ^(F)prophesied under the direction of the king. ³ Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,^[a] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, ^(G)who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. ⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman ^(H)the king's seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, ^(I)harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king.

¹⁶ David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on ^(A)musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.