15:16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. 1 15:17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, 2 Ethan son of Kushaiah; 15:18 along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah, 3 Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.
15:19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 15:20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style; 4 15:21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style, 5 as led by 6 the director; 15:22 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter; 7 15:23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians 8 of the ark; 15:24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians 9 of the ark.
15:25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. 15:26 When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 15:27 David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians; 10 David also wore a linen ephod. 11 15:28 All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord’s covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments.
16:1 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings 12 before God. 16:2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 16:3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 16:4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 16:5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; 16:6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.
16:7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:
16:8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
16:9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
16:10 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
16:11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence 13 continually!
16:12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 14
16:13 O children 15 of Israel, God’s 16 servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s 17 chosen ones!
16:14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 18
16:15 Remember 19 continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 20 to a thousand generations –
16:16 the promise 21 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac! 22
16:17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 23
16:18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
16:19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
16:20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 24
16:21 He let no one oppress them,
he disciplined kings for their sake,
16:22 saying, 25 “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every day 26 how he delivers!
16:24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
tell 27 all the nations about his miraculous deeds!
16:25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome than 28 all gods.
16:26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 29
but the Lord made the heavens. 30
16:27 Majestic splendor emanates from him, 31
he is the source of strength and joy. 32
16:28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 33
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 34
16:30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
16:31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say, 35 ‘The Lord reigns!’
16:32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
16:33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures. 36
16:35 Say this prayer: 37 “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thanks 38 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.” 39
16:36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,
in the future and forevermore. 40
Then all the people said, “We agree! 41 Praise the Lord!”
16:37 David 42 left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements, 43 16:38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 16:39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served 44 before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center 45 in Gibeon, 16:40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe. 46 16:41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!) 47 16:42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance. 48
16:43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family. 49
1 tn Heb “causing to be heard to lift up with a voice of joy.”
2 tn The Hebrew text adds, “their brothers.”
3 tc The Hebrew text adds בֶּן (ben, “son”) here; the word is omitted in three Hebrew
4 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word עֲלָמוֹת (’alamot) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 835-36 s.v. עַלְמָה.
5 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 1562 s.v. שְׁמִינֹי.
6 tn Heb “for” or “according to.”
7 tn Heb “and Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, with lifting up, supervising with lifting up, for he was well-informed.” The precise nuance of מַשָּׂא (masa’, “lifting up”) is unclear. Some understand it as a reference to supervising the singing and music (e.g., NIV: “Kenaniah…was in charge of the singing”; NEB: “Kenaniah…was precentor in charge of the music”).
8 tn Heb “gatekeepers.”
9 tn Heb “gatekeepers.”
10 tn Heb “the leader, the lifting up, the musicians.” See also the note on the word “matter” in v. 22.
11 sn An ephod was a priestly garment worn over the robe.
12 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV “fellowship offerings.”
13 tn Heb “face.”
14 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
15 tn Heb “seed.”
16 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
19 tn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX
20 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear.
21 tn Heb “which.”
22 tn Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
23 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
24 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
25 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
26 tn Heb “from day to day.”
27 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
28 tn Or “feared above.”
29 tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
30 tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
31 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
32 tn Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
33 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., due] his name.”
34 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
35 tn Heb “let them say among the nations.”
36 tn Or “is eternal.”
37 tn The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
38 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
39 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
40 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
41 tn This is the Hebrew term אָמֵן (’amen, “surely”), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
43 tn Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”
44 tn The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
45 tn Or “high place.”
46 tn Heb “which he commanded Israel.”
47 tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the
48 tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”
49 tn Heb “to bless his house.” Elsewhere when “house” is the object of “bless,” it refers to a household or family. See, for example, 1 Chr 13:14; 17:27. However, since בֵּית (bet, “house”) refers to a literal house or home earlier in the verse and to David’s palace in 17:1, one might translate here, “David went to pronounce a blessing on [i.e., dedicate] his house [i.e., palace].”