CHAPTER – 15
1 David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
2 Then David commanded that no one but the Levites were to carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.
3 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 Then David gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with one hundred twenty of his kindred;
6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with two hundred twenty of his kindred;
7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with one hundred thirty of his kindred;
8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with two hundred of his kindred;
9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with eighty of his kindred;
10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with one hundred twelve of his kindred.
11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 He said to them, "You are the heads of families of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your kindred, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.
13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God burst out against us, because we did not give it proper care."
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their kindred as the singers to play on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise loud sounds of joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; and of his kindred Asaph son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their kindred, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
18 and with them their kindred of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound bronze cymbals;
20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth;
21 but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith.
22Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music, for he understood it.
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25 So David and the elders of Israel, and the commanders of the thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing.
26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers; and David wore a linen ephod.
28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.
29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing; and she despised him in her heart.
CHAPTER – 16
1 They brought in the ark of God, and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before God.
2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord;
3 and he distributed to every person in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.
4 He appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals,
6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly, before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the Lord by Asaph and his kindred.
8 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works.
10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually.
12 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of his servant Israel, children 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 that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
19 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in the land,
20 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor 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 splendor;
30 tremble before him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The Lord is king!"
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it.
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
35 Say also: "Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and rescue us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting." Then all the people said "Amen!" and praised the Lord.
37 David left Asaph and his kinsfolk there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required,
38 and also Obed-edom and his sixty-eight kinsfolk; while Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.
39 And he left the priest Zadok and his kindred the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon,
40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord that he commanded Israel.
41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to render thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.
42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music, and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.
43 Then all the people departed to their homes, and David went home to bless his household.
CHAPTER – 17
1 Now when David settled in his house, David said to the prophet Nathan, "I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent."
2 Nathan said to David, "Do all that you have in mind, for God is with you."
3 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
4 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build me a house to live in.
5 For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought out Israel to this very day, but I have lived in a tent and a tabernacle.
6 Wherever I have moved about among all Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
7 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel;
8 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies before you; and I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
9 I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall wear them down no more, as they did formerly,
10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house.
11 When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,
14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.
15 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
16 Then King David 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 thus far?
17 And even this was a small thing in your sight, O God; you have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come. You regard me as someone of high rank, O Lord God!
18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant.
19 For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, making known all these great things.
20 There is no one like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
21 Who is like your people Israel, one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and terrible things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt?
22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever; and you, O Lord, became their God.
23 "And now, O Lord, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as you have promised.
24 Thus your name will be established and magnified forever in the saying, "The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God'; and the house of your servant David will be established in your presence.
25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your servant has found it possible to pray before you.
26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;
27 therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord, have blessed and are blessed forever."
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