Dual Panel1After they had brought the Ark of God, they put it inside the tent that David had set up for it, and they offered whole-offerings and shared-offerings before God.
2Having completed these sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD
3and distributed food, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins, to each Israelite, man or woman.
4He appointed certain Levites to serve before the Ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD the God of Israel.
5Their leader was Asaph; second to him was Zechariah; then came Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with lutes and lyres; Asaph, who sounded the cymbals;
6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests, who blew the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Covenant of God.
A song of thanksgiving
7IT was then that David first ordained the offering of thanks to the LORD by Asaph and his kinsmen:
8Give thanks to the LORD, invoke him by name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
9Pay him honour with song and psalm and tell of all his marvellous deeds.
10Exult in his hallowed name; let those who seek the LORD be joyful in heart.
11Look to the LORD and be strong; at all times seek his presence.
12Remember the marvels he has wrought, his portents and the judgements he has given,
13you descendants of Israel, his servants, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
14He is the LORD our God; his judgements cover the whole world.
15He is ever mindful of his covenant, the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,
16the covenant made with Abraham, his oath given to Isaac,
17and confirmed as a statute for Jacob, as an everlasting covenant for Israel:
18“I shall give you the land of Canaan”, he said, “as your allotted holding.”
19A small company it was, few in number, strangers in that land,
20wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another;
21but he let no one oppress them; on their account he rebuked kings:
22“Do not touch my anointed servants,” he said; “do no harm to my prophets.”
23Sing to the LORD, all the earth, proclaim his victory day by day.
24Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds to every people.
25Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is more to be feared than all gods.
26For the gods of the nations are idols every one; but the LORD made the heavens.
27Majesty and splendour attend him, might and joy are in his dwelling.
28Ascribe to the LORD, you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and might;
29ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name. Bring an offering and come before him. Worship the LORD in holy attire.
30Tremble before him, all the earth. He has established the earth immovably.
31Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; let it be declared among the nations, “The LORD is king.”
32Let the sea resound and everything in it, let the fields exult and all that is in them;
33let the trees of the forest shout for joy before the LORD, when he comes to judge the earth.
34It is good to give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures for ever.
35Cry, “Deliver us, God our saviour; gather us in and save us from the nations that we may give thanks to your holy name and make your praise our pride.”
36Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”
37David left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, to perform regular service before the Ark as each day's duty required.
38As door-keepers he left Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah. Obed-edom and his kinsmen were sixty-eight in number.
39He left Zadok the priest and his kinsmen the priests before the Tabernacle of the LORD at the shrine in Gibeon,
40to make offerings there to the LORD upon the altar of whole-offering regularly morning and evening, exactly as it is written in the law enjoined by the LORD on Israel.
41With them he left Heman and Jeduthun and the other men chosen by name to give thanks to the LORD, “for his love endures for ever”.
42They had trumpets and cymbals for the players, and the instruments used for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun kept the gate.
43So all the people went home, and David returned to greet his household.