the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

These are the ones who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,

Now these are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the chambers of the temple free of other duties; for they were engaged in their work day and night.

David went out to meet them, and said to them, “If you come peacefully to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.”

and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, since we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”

Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst against us, since we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives as the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, playing to raise sounds of joy.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful.

Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.

Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy in the presence of the Lord; For He is coming to judge the earth.

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

David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, by doing this thing. But now, please overlook Your servant’s guilt, for I have behaved very foolishly.”

And David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? Lord, my God, just let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, and not against Your people as a plague.”

Since more chief men were found from the descendants of Eleazar than the descendants of Ithamar, they divided them this way: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar, and eight of the descendants of Ithamar according to their fathers’ households.

All of these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.

Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.

Since I know, my God, that You put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.