1Theya brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it.b Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. 2When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

4David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him. 5Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals 6and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving

7On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives:

8Give thanksa to the Lord; call on his name;

proclaim his deeds among the peoples.b

9Sing to him; sing praise to him;

tell about all his wondrous works!

10Boast in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

11Seek the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.a

12Remember the wondrous works he has done,a

his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,a b

13you offspring of Israel his servant,

Jacob’s descendants — his chosen ones.

14He is the Lord our God;

his judgments govern the whole earth.a

15Remember his covenant forever —

the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,

16the covenant he made with Abraham,

sworeA to Isaac,a

17and confirmed to Jacob as a decree,

and to Israel as a permanent covenant:a

18“I will give the land of Canaan to you

as your inherited portion.”a

19When theyA were few in number,

very few indeed,a and resident aliens in Canaan

20wandering from nation to nation

and from one kingdom to another,

21he allowed no one to oppress them;

he rebuked kings on their behalf:a

22“Do not touch my anointed ones

or harm my prophets.”a

23Let the whole earth singa to the Lord.

Proclaim his salvation from day to day.

24Declare his glory among the nations,

his wondrous works among all peoples.

25For the Lord is great and highly praised;a

he is feared above all gods.b

26For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,a

but the Lord made the heavens.b

27Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his place.

28Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

29Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

bring an offering and come before him.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;a

30let the whole earth tremblea before him.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be shaken.

31Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,a

and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! ”

32Let the sea and all that fills it resound;

let the fields and everything in them exult.a

33Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

34Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his faithful love endures forever.a

35And say,a “Save us, God of our salvation;

gather us and rescue us from the nations

so that we may give thanks to your holy name

and rejoice in your praise.

36Blessed be the Lord God of Israela

from everlasting to everlasting.”

Then all the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

37So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister regularlya before the ark according to the daily requirements.b 38He assigned Obed-edoma and hisA sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosahb were to be gatekeepers. 39David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeona 40to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep.a 41With them were Heman,a Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by nameb to give thanks to the Lord — for his faithful love endures forever.c 42Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God.a Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

43Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.a