16 1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God . 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings , he blessed the people in the name of the Lord . 3 He distributed to everyone of Israel , both man and woman , to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake . 4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord , even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel : 5 Asaph the chief , and second to him Zechariah , then Jeiel , Shemiramoth , Jehiel , Mattithiah , Eliab , Benaiah , Obed-edom and Jeiel , with musical instruments , harps , lyres ; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals , 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God .
David's Psalm of Thanksgiving
7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord . 8 Oh give thanks to the Lord , call upon His name ; Make known His deeds among the peoples . 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders . 10 Glory in His holy name ; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad . 11 Seek the Lord and His strength ; Seek His face continually . 12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done , His marvels and the judgments from His mouth , 13 O seed of Israel His servant , Sons of Jacob , His chosen ones ! 14 He is the Lord our God ; His judgments are in all the earth . 15 Remember His covenant forever , The word which He commanded to a thousand generations , 16 The covenant which He made with Abraham , And His oath to Isaac . 17 He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute , To Israel as an everlasting covenant , 18 Saying , " To you I will give the land of Canaan , As the portion of your inheritance ." 19 When they were only a few in number , Very few , and strangers in it, 20 And they wandered about from nation to nation , And from one kingdom to another people , 21 He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes , saying, 22 "Do not touch My anointed ones , And do My prophets no harm ." 23 Sing to the Lord , all the earth ; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day . 24 Tell of His glory among the nations , His wonderful deeds among all the peoples . 25 For great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised ; He also is to be feared above all gods . 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols , But the Lord made the heavens . 27 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place . 28 Ascribe to the Lord , O families of the peoples , Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength . 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name ; Bring an offering , and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array . 30 Tremble before e Him, all the earth ; Indeed , the world is firmly established , it will not be moved . 31 Let the heavens be glad , and let the earth rejoice ; And let them say among the nations , " The Lord reigns ." 32 Let the sea roar , and all it contains ; Let the field exult , and all that is in it. 33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before e the Lord ; For He is coming to judge the earth . 34 O give thanks to the Lord , for He is good ; For His lovingkindness is everlasting . 35 Then say , "Save us, O God of our salvation , And gather us and deliver us from the nations , To give thanks to Your holy name , And glory in Your praise ." 36 Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel , From everlasting even to everlasting . Then all the people said , "Amen ," and praised the Lord .
The Levites Appointed for the Ark
37 So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually , as every day's work required ; 38 and Obed-edom with his 68 e relatives ; Obed-edom , also the son of Jeduthun , and Hosah as gatekeepers . 39 He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon , 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening , even according to all that is written in the law of the Lord , which He commanded Israel . 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun , and the rest who were chosen , who were designated by name , to give thanks to the Lord , because His lovingkindness is everlasting . 42 And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God , and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate . 43 Then all the people departed each to his house , and David returned to bless his household .
God's Covenant with David
17 1 And it came about, when David dwelt in his house , that David said to Nathan the prophet , "Behold , I am dwelling in a house of cedar , but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under curtains ." 2 Then Nathan said to David , "Do all that is in your heart , for God is with you." 3 It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan , saying , 4 "Go and tell David My servant , 'Thus says the Lord , " You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day , but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. 6 "In all places where I have walked with all Israel , have I spoken a word with any of the judges of Israel , whom I commanded to shepherd My people , saying , 'Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar ?' "' 7 "Now , therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David , 'Thus says the Lord of hosts , "I took you from the pasture , from following the sheep , to be leader over My people Israel . 8 "I have been with you wherever e you have gone , and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth . 9 "I will appoint a place for My people Israel , and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again ; and the wicked e will not waste them anymore as formerly , 10 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel . And I will subdue all your enemies . Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. 11 "When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers , that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons ; and I will establish his kingdom . 12 "He shall build for Me a house , and I will establish his throne forever e . 13 " I will be his father and he shall be My son ; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever e , and his throne shall be established forever e .""' 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision , so Nathan spoke to David .
16 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said , " Who am I, O Lord God , and what is my house that You have brought me this far ? 17 "This was a small thing in Your eyes , O God ; but You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come , and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree , O Lord God . 18 "What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant ? For You know Your servant . 19 "O Lord , for Your servant's sake , and according to Your own heart , You have wrought all this greatness , to make known all these great things . 20 "O Lord , there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears . 21 "And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel , whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people , to make You a name by great and terrible things , in driving out nations from before Your people , whom You redeemed out of Egypt ? 22 " For Your people Israel You made Your own people forever e , and You, O Lord , became their God . 23 "Now , O Lord , let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever e , and do as You have spoken . 24 "Let Your name be established and magnified forever e , saying , 'The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel , even a God to Israel ; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.' 25 "For You, O my God , have revealed e to Your servant that You will build for him a house ; therefore e Your servant has found courage to pray before You. 26 "Now , O Lord , You are God , and have promised this good thing to Your servant . 27 "And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant , that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord , have blessed , and it is blessed forever ."