Beginning
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem(A)
15 After David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for Elohim’s ark and set up a tent for it. 2 Then David insisted that only the Levites carry Elohim’s ark because Yahweh had chosen them to carry Yahweh’s ark and to serve him forever.
3 David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring Yahweh’s ark to the place he had prepared for it. 4 David also called together Aaron’s descendants and the Levites. 5 Leading Kohath’s descendants was Uriel, who came with 120 of his relatives. 6 Leading Merari’s descendants was Asaiah, who came with 220 of his relatives. 7 Leading Gershom’s descendants was Joel, who came with 130 of his relatives. 8 Leading Elizaphan’s descendants was Shemaiah, who came with 200 of his relatives. 9 Leading Hebron’s descendants was Eliel, who came with 80 of his relatives. 10 Leading Uzziel’s descendants was Amminadab, who came with 112 of his relatives.
11 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the ark of Yahweh Elohim of Israel to the place I prepared for it. 13 Because you weren’t there the first time, Yahweh our Elohim struck us. We hadn’t dedicated our lives to serving him in the way he designated.”
14 So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the ark of Yahweh Elohim of Israel. 15 The Levites carried Elohim’s ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to Yahweh’s instructions.
16 David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their relatives to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph, Berechiah’s son. From their own relatives, Merari’s descendants, they appointed Ethan, son of Kushaiah. 18 In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah,[a] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers. 19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Jaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were appointed to play harps according to alamoth.[b] 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the sheminith.[c] 22 Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. 24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of Elohim’s ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the army’s commanders joyfully went to get the ark of Yahweh’s promise from Obed Edom’s house. 26 Because Elohim helped the Levites who carried the ark of Yahweh’s promise, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the Levites who were singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians’ prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.[d]
28 All Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s promise with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres. 29 When the ark of Yahweh’s promise came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.
16 The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in Elohim’s presence. 2 When David had finished sacrificing burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. 3 He also distributed to every person in Israel—both men and women—a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
The Levites Lead the Worship in Jerusalem(B)
4 David appointed some Levites to serve in front of Yahweh’s ark by offering prayers, thanks, and praise to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. 5 Asaph was the head; Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel with harps and lyres. Asaph played the cymbals. 6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played trumpets all the time in front of the ark of Elohim’s promise. 7 For the first time David entrusted Asaph and his relatives with the task of singing songs of thanks to Yahweh:
8 “Give thanks to Yahweh.
Call on his name.
Make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him.
Make music to praise him.
Meditate on all the miracles he has done.
10 Brag about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
11 Search for Yahweh and his strength.
Always seek his presence.
12 Remember the miracles he performed,
the amazing things he did and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you descendants of Israel, his servant,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 “He is Yahweh our Elohim.
His judgments are pronounced throughout the earth.
15 Remember his promise[e] forever,
the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
16 the promise that he made to Abraham,
and his sworn promise to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it as a law for Jacob,
as an everlasting promise to Israel,
18 by saying, ‘I will give you Canaan.
It is your share of the inheritance.’
19 “While they were few in number,
a small group of foreigners living in that land,
20 they wandered from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another.
21 He didn’t permit anyone to oppress them.
He warned kings about them:
22 ‘Do not touch my anointed ones
or harm my prophets.’
23 “Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Day after day announce that Yahweh saves his people.
24 Tell people about his glory.
Tell all the nations about his miracles.
25 “Yahweh is great!
He should be highly praised.
He should be feared more than all other gods
26 because all the gods of the nations are idols.
Yahweh made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are in his presence.
Strength and joy are where he is.
28 “Give to Yahweh, you families of the nations.
Give to Yahweh glory and power.
29 Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves.
Bring an offering, and come to him.
Worship Yahweh in his holy splendor.
30 Tremble in his presence, all the earth!
“The earth stands firm; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad.
Say to the nations, ‘Yahweh rules as king!’
32 Let the sea and everything in it roar like thunder.
Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
33 Then the trees in the forest will sing with joy
in the presence of Yahweh when he comes to judge the earth.
34 “Give thanks to Yahweh because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
35 Say, ‘Rescue us, O Elohim our Savior.
Gather us and save us from the nations
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and make your praise our glory.’
36 Thanks be to Yahweh Elohim of Israel
from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said amen and praised Yahweh.
37 David left Asaph and his relatives to serve continually in front of the ark of Yahweh’s promise, as the daily work required. 38 David also left Obed Edom and 68 of his relatives to serve there. Obed Edom (Jeduthun’s son) and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 David left Zadok and his priestly relatives to serve in Yahweh’s tent at the place of worship in Gibeon. 40 They were ordered to sacrifice burnt offerings to Yahweh. This happened on the altar of burnt offerings continually, morning and evening, as written in Yahweh’s Teachings that he gave Israel. 41 With Zadok and his relatives were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of the Levites who had been selected, chosen by name, to give thanks to Yahweh by singing, “His mercy endures forever.” 42 Also, Heman and Jeduthun played trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments that accompany sacred songs. Jeduthun’s sons were stationed at the gate.
43 Then all the people went home. David went back to bless his family.
David’s Wish to Build a House for God(C)
17 When David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan, “I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of Yahweh’s promise is inside a tent.”
2 Nathan told David, “Do everything you have in mind, because Elohim is with you.”
3 But that same night Elohim spoke his word to Nathan: 4 “Say to David, my servant, ‘This is what Yahweh says: You must not build this house for me to live in. 5 I haven’t lived in a house from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I’ve gone from tent site to tent site, moving the tent of meeting from one location to another. 6 In all the places I’ve moved with all Israel, did I ever ask any of the judges of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’
7 “Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name like the names of the greatest people on earth. 9 I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer frighten them as they used to do 10 ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. I will crush all your enemies. I even tell you that I, Yahweh, will build a house for you.
11 “‘When the time comes for you to go and be with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants. He will be one of your sons. I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his Ab, and he will be my Son. And I will never stop showing him my love as I did to your predecessor. 14 I will place him in my royal house forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”
15 Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.
16 Then King David went into the tent and sat in front of Yahweh. “Who am I, Yahweh Elohim,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? 17 And this you consider to be a small act, Elohim. You’ve spoken about the distant future of my house. Yahweh Elohim, you’ve shown me the generation of the great man.[f]
18 “What more can I do for you in light of the honor you have given to me and since you know me so well! 19 Yahweh, you’ve done this great thing for my sake and your own desire. You made this great thing known to me.
20 “Yahweh, there is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. 21 Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that Elohim came to free in order to make its people his own, to make your name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced the nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt. 22 You made the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Yahweh, became their Elohim.
23 “Now, Yahweh, faithfully keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. 24 Your name will endure and be respected forever when people say, ‘Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of Israel, is Israel’s Elohim.’ And the house of David, your servant, will be established in your presence. 25 You, my Elohim, have revealed especially to me that you will build me a house. That is why I have found the courage to pray to you.
26 “Yahweh, you are Elohim. You promised me this good thing. 27 Now, you were pleased to bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Yahweh, have blessed it. It will be blessed forever.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.