1    ^noteWhen they had brought in the Ark of God, they put it inside the

David king over Israel tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered whole-offerings and shared-offerings before God. 2   After David had completed these sacrifices, 3   he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave food, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, ^note and a cake of raisins, to each Israelite, man or woman. 4   He appointed certain Levites to serve before the Ark of the Lord, to repeat the Name, to confess and to praise the Lord the God of Israel. 5   Their leader was Asaph; second to him was Zechariah; then came Jaaziel, ^note Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with lutes and harps, Asaph, who sounded the cymbals; 6   and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests, who blew the trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant of God continuously throughout that day. 7   It was then that David first ordained the offering of thanks to the Lord by Asaph and his kinsmen:

   8    ^noteGive the Lord thanks and invoke him by name,
    make his deeds known in the world around.
   9   Pay him honour with song and psalm
    and think upon all his wonders.
   10   Exult in his hallowed name;
    let those who seek the Lord be joyful in heart.
     11   Turn to the Lord, your strength, ^note
    seek his presence always.
     12   Remember the wonders that he has wrought,
      his portents and the judgements he has given,
   13   O offspring of Israel his servants, O chosen sons of Jacob.


     14   He is the Lord our God;
      his judgements fill the earth.
     15   He called to mind ^note his covenant from long ago, ^note
    the promise he extended to a thousand generations—
       16   the covenant made with Abraham,
      his oath given to Isaac,
     17   the decree by which he bound himself for Jacob,
    his everlasting covenant with Israel:
     18   ‘I will give you the land of Canaan’, he said,
      ‘to be your possession, your patrimony.’
       19   A small company it was, ^note
    few in number, strangers in that land,
     20   roaming from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another;
     21   but he let no man ill-treat them,

David king over Israel
    for their sake he admonished kings:
       22   ‘Touch not my anointed servants,
      do my prophets no harm.’


     23    ^noteSing to the Lord, all men on earth,
    proclaim his triumph day by day.
     24   Declare his glory among the nations,
      his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
   25   Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise;
    he is more to be feared than all gods.
     26   For the gods of the nations are idols every one;
    but the Lord made the heavens.
     27   Majesty and splendour attend him,
    might and joy are in his dwelling.


     28   Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations,
  ascribe to the Lord glory and might;
     29   ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name,
  bring a gift and come before him.
    Bow down to the Lord in the splendour of holiness, ^note
       30   and dance in his honour, all men on earth.
      He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.
   31   Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult,
  let men declare among the nations, ‘The Lord is king.’
     32   Let the sea roar and all the creatures in it,
    let the fields exult and all that is in them;
     33   then let the trees of the forest shout for joy
    before the Lord when he comes to judge the earth.


     34    ^noteIt is good to give thanks to the Lord,
      for his love endures for ever.
     35    ^noteCry, ‘Deliver us, O God our saviour,
    gather us in and save us from the nations
      that we may give thanks to thy holy name
      and make thy praise our pride.’


     36   Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel
      from everlasting to everlasting.

And all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord.’

37   David left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, to perform regular service before the Ark as each day's duty required; 38   as door-keepers he left Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah. (Obed-edom and his ^note kinsmen were sixty-eight

David king over Israel in number.) 39   He left Zadok the priest and his kinsmen the priests before the Tabernacle of the Lord at the hill-shrine in Gibeon, 40   to make offerings there to the Lord upon the altar of whole-offering regularly morning and evening, exactly as it is written in the law enjoined by the Lord upon Israel. 41   With them he left Heman and Jeduthun and the other men chosen and nominated to give thanks to the Lord, ‘for his love endures for ever.’ 42   They ^note had trumpets and cymbals for the players, and the instruments used for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun kept the gate.

43   So all the people went home, and David returned to greet his household.

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