the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
Contemporary English Version
1 Chronicles 16
1 They put the sacred chest inside the tent that David had set up for it, then they offered sacrifices to please the Lord[a] and sacrifices to ask his blessing.[b] 2 After David had finished, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and gave every person in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins.
4 David appointed some of the Levites to serve at the sacred chest; they were to play music and sing praises to the Lord God of Israel. 5 Asaph was their leader, and Zechariah was his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and another man named Jeiel were appointed to play small harps and stringed instruments. Asaph himself played the cymbals, 6 and the two priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets every day in front of the sacred chest.
David's Song of Praise
7 That same day, David instructed Asaph and his relatives for the first time to sing these praises to the Lord:
8 Praise the Lord
and pray in his name!
Tell everyone
what he has done.
9 Sing praises to the Lord!
Tell about his miracles.
10 Celebrate and worship
his holy name
with all your heart.
11 Trust the Lord
and his mighty power.
Worship him always.
12 Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
and his fair decisions.
13 You belong to the family
of Israel, his servant;
you are his chosen ones,
the descendants of Jacob.
14 The Lord is our God,
bringing justice
everywhere on earth.
15 We must never forget
his agreement and his promises,
not in thousands of years.
16 God made an eternal promise
17 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
18 when he said, "I'll give you
the land of Canaan."
19 At the time there were
only a few of us,
and we were homeless.
20 We wandered from nation
to nation,
from one country
to another.
21 God did not let anyone
mistreat our people.
Instead he protected us
by punishing rulers
22 and telling them,
"Don't touch my chosen leaders
or harm my prophets!"
23 Everyone on this earth,
sing praises to the Lord.
Day after day announce,
"The Lord has saved us!"
24 Tell every nation on earth,
"The Lord is wonderful
and does marvelous things!
25 The Lord is great and deserves
our greatest praise!
He is the only God
worthy of our worship.
26 Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
the heavens.
27 Give honor and praise
to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
fill his holy temple."
28 Tell everyone of every nation,
"Praise the glorious power
of the Lord.
29 He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
into his temple.
Worship the Lord,
majestic and holy.
30 Everyone on earth, now tremble!"
The world stands firm,
never to be shaken.
31 Tell the heavens and the earth
to be glad and celebrate!
And announce to the nations,
"The Lord is King!"
32 Command the ocean to roar
with all of its creatures
and the fields to rejoice
with all of their crops.
33 Then every tree in the forest
will sing joyful songs
to the Lord.
He is coming to judge
all people on earth.
34 Praise the Lord
because he is good to us,
and his love never fails.
35 Say to him, "Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
in praise of your holy name.
36 Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
forever and ever."
After David finished, the people shouted, "Amen! Praise the Lord!"
David Appoints Worship Leaders at Jerusalem and Gibeon
37 David chose Asaph and the Levites in his clan to be in charge of the daily worship at the place where the sacred chest was kept. 38 Obed-Edom and sixty-eight of his relatives were their assistants, and Hosah and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun were the guards.
39 David also chose Zadok the priest and his relatives who were priests to serve at the Lord's sacred tent at Gibeon. 40 They were to offer sacrifices on the altar every morning and evening, just as the Lord had commanded in the Law he gave Israel. 41 Heman and Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to praise the Lord for his never-ending love. 42 Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.
43 After that, everyone went home, and David went home to his family.
