Beginning
Chapter 15
Preparations for Moving the Ark. 1 David built houses for himself in the City of David and prepared a place for the ark of God, pitching a tent for it there. 2 At that time he said, “No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.”(A) 3 Then David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it.(B) 4 David also convened the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel, their chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brothers; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah, their chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brothers; 7 of the sons of Gershon, Joel, their chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brothers; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah, their chief, and two hundred of his brothers; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel, their chief, and eighty of his brothers; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab, their chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brothers.
11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,(C) 12 and said to them: “You heads of the levitical houses, sanctify yourselves along with your brothers to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place which I have prepared for it.(D) 13 Because you were not with us the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, for we did not seek him aright.”(E) 14 Accordingly, the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.(F)
16 David commanded the commanders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers and to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to make a loud sound of rejoicing.(G) 17 Therefore the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and, among his brothers, Asaph, son of Berechiah; and among the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan, son of Kushaiah;(H) 18 and, together with these, their brothers of the second rank: the gatekeepers Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded brass cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played on harps set to “Alamoth.”[a] 21 But Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel led the song on lyres set to “sheminith.” 22 Chenaniah was the chief of the Levites in the singing; he directed the singing, for he was skillful.(I) 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers before the ark. 24 The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, sounded the trumpets before the ark of God.(J) Obed-edom and Jeiel were also gatekeepers before the ark.
The Ark Comes to Jerusalem. 25 (K)Thus David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joy from the house of Obed-edom. 26 While God helped the Levites to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.(L) 27 David was vested in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of song; David was also wearing a linen ephod.(M) 28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, to the sound of horns, trumpets, and cymbals, and the music of harps and lyres. 29 But as the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David leaping and dancing, she despised him in her heart.(N)
Chapter 16
1 (O)They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it.(P) Then they sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings to God. 2 When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and communion offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord, 3 and distributed to every Israelite, to every man and every woman, a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a raisin cake.
David’s Directives for the Levites. 4 He then appointed certain Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel.(Q) 5 Asaph was their chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. These were to play on harps and lyres, while Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to be the regular trumpeters before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 On that same day, David appointed Asaph and his brothers to sing for the first time these praises of the Lord:
8 [b]Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;(R)
make known among the peoples his deeds.
9 Sing praise, play music;
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
10 Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!
11 Rely on the mighty Lord;
constantly seek his face.
12 Recall the wondrous deeds he has done,
his signs, and his words of judgment,
13 You sons of Israel, his servants,
offspring of Jacob, the chosen ones!
14 The Lord is our God;
who rules the whole earth.
15 He remembers forever his covenant
the pact imposed for a thousand generations—
16 Which was made with Abraham,
confirmed by oath to Isaac,
17 And ratified as binding for Jacob,
an everlasting covenant for Israel:
18 “To you will I give the land of Canaan,
your own allotted heritage.”
19 When they were few in number,
a handful, and strangers there,
20 Wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another,
21 He let no one oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22 “Do not touch my anointed,
to my prophets do no harm.”
23 (S)Sing to the Lord, all the earth,
announce his salvation, day after day.
24 Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
25 For great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
to be feared above all gods.
26 For the gods of the nations all do nothing,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty go before him;
power and rejoicing are in his holy place.
28 Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and might;
29 Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and come before him;
bow down to the Lord, splendid in holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth;
the world will surely stand fast, never to be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let them say among the nations: The Lord is king.
32 Let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
33 Then let all the trees of the forest exult
before the Lord, who comes,
who comes to rule the earth.
34 (T)Give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
whose love endures forever;
35 And say, “Save us, O God, our savior,
gather us and deliver us from among the nations,
That we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in praising you.”
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, Amen! Hallelujah.
37 Then David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly according to the daily ritual; 38 he also left there Obed-edom and sixty-eight of his brothers, including Obed-edom, son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers.(U)
39 But the priest Zadok and his priestly brothers he left before the tabernacle of the Lord on the high place at Gibeon,(V) 40 to make burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar for burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the law of the Lord which he commanded Israel.(W) 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “whose love endures forever,”(X) 42 with trumpets and cymbals for accompaniment, and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun kept the gate.(Y)
43 Then all the people departed, each to their own homes, and David returned to bless his household.(Z)
Chapter 17
The Oracle of Nathan. 1 (AA)After David had taken up residence in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, “See, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tentcloth.”(AB) 2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever is in your heart, go and do, for God is with you.”
3 But that same night the word of God came to Nathan: 4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: It is not you who are to build the house for me to dwell in.(AC) 5 For I have never dwelt in a house, from the day I brought Israel up, even to this day, but I have been lodging in tent or tabernacle. 6 As long as I have wandered about with all Israel, did I ever say a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? 7 Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel.(AD) 8 I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you. I will make your name like that of the greatest on the earth. 9 I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, 10 and during all the time when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house: 11 when your days have been completed and you must join your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who will be one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.(AE) 12 He it is who shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.(AF) 13 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me, and I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from the one who was before you;(AG) 14 but I will maintain him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be firmly established forever.
15 In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Thanksgiving. 16 Then King David came in and sat in the Lord’s presence, and said: “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house, that you should have brought me so far? 17 And yet, even this is too little in your sight, O God! For you have made a promise regarding your servant’s house reaching into the future, and you have looked on me as henceforth the most notable of men, Lord God.(AH) 18 What more can David say to you? You have known[c] your servant. 19 Lord, for your servant’s sake and in keeping with your purpose, you have done this great thing. 20 Lord, there is no one like you, no God but you, just as we have always heard.(AI)
21 “Is there, like your people Israel, whom you redeemed from Egypt, another nation on earth whom a god went to redeem as his people? You won for yourself a name for great and awesome deeds by driving out the nations before your people.(AJ) 22 You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, became their God. 23 Now, Lord, may the promise that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house remain firm forever. Bring about what you have promised, 24 that your name, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, may be great and abide forever, while the house of your servant is established in your presence.
25 “Because you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house, your servant dares to pray before you.(AK) 26 Since you, Lord, are truly God and have made this generous promise to your servant, 27 do, then, bless the house of your servant, that it may be in your presence forever—since it is you, Lord, who blessed it, it is blessed forever.”(AL)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.