16:1 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings ¹  before God. 16:2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 16:3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 16:4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 16:5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; 16:6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.

16:7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:

16:8 Give thanks to the Lord!

Call on his name!

Make known his accomplishments among the nations!

16:9 Sing to him! Make music to him!

Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

16:10 Boast about his holy name!

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

16:11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!

Seek his presence ²  continually!

16:12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,

his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, ³ 

16:13 O children ⁴  of Israel, God’s ⁵  servant,

you descendants of Jacob, God’s ⁶  chosen ones!

16:14 He is the Lord our God;

he carries out judgment throughout the earth. ⁷ 

16:15 Remember ⁸  continually his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ⁹  to a thousand generations –

16:16 the promise ¹⁰  he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac! ¹¹ 

16:17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise, ¹² 

16:18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance.”

16:19 When they were few in number,

just a very few, and foreign residents within it,

16:20 they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another. ¹³ 

16:21 He let no one oppress them,

he disciplined kings for their sake,

16:22 saying, ¹⁴  “Don’t touch my anointed ones!

Don’t harm my prophets!”

16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Announce every day ¹⁵  how he delivers!

16:24 Tell the nations about his splendor,

tell ¹⁶  all the nations about his miraculous deeds!

16:25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,

he is more awesome than ¹⁷  all gods.

16:26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, ¹⁸ 

but the Lord made the heavens. ¹⁹ 

16:27 Majestic splendor emanates from him, ²⁰ 

he is the source of strength and joy. ²¹ 

16:28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! ²² 

Bring an offering and enter his presence!

Worship the Lord in holy attire! ²³ 

16:30 Tremble before him, all the earth!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

16:31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!

Let the nations say, ²⁴  ‘The Lord reigns!’

16:32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!

Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!

16:33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth!

16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good

and his loyal love endures. ²⁵ 

16:35 Say this prayer: ²⁶  “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!

Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!

Then we will give thanks ²⁷  to your holy name,

and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.” ²⁸ 

16:36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,

in the future and forevermore. ²⁹ 

Then all the people said, “We agree! ³⁰  Praise the Lord!”

16:37 David ³¹  left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements, ³²