Study Desk

They^(a) 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.

When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

David 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.

Asaph 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

and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

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

Give thanks^(c) to Yahweh; call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples.^(d)

Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works!

Honor His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.

Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.^(e)

Remember the wonderful works He has done,^(f) His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced,^[a](g)

you offspring of Israel His servant, Jacob's descendants—His chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God; His judgments govern the whole earth.^(h)

Remember His covenant forever— the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,

the covenant He made with Abraham, swore^[b] to Isaac,⁽ⁱ⁾

and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:^(j)

"I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion."^(k)

When they^[c] were few in number, very few indeed,^(l) and temporary residents in Canaan

wandering from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another,

He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf:^(m)

"Do not touch My anointed ones or harm My prophets."⁽ⁿ⁾

Sing^(o) to the Lord , all the earth. Proclaim His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples.

For the Lord is great and highly praised;^(p) He is feared above all gods.^(q)

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,^(r) but the Lord made the heavens.^(s)

Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place.

Ascribe to the Lord , families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness;^(t)

tremble^(u) before Him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,^(v) and let them say among the nations, "The Lord is King!"

Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult.^(w)

Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord , for He is coming to judge the earth.

Give thanks to the Lord , for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.^(x)

And say:^(y) "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.

May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised^(z) from everlasting to everlasting." Then all the people said, "Amen" and "Praise the Lord ."

So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord 's covenant to minister regularly^(aa) before the ark according to the daily requirements.^(ab)

He assigned Obed-edom^(ac) and his^[d] 68 relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah^(ad) were to be gatekeepers.

David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon^(ae)

to 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.^(af)

With them were Heman,^(ag) Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name^(ah) to give thanks to the Lord —for His faithful love endures forever.^(ai)

Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God.^(aj) Jeduthun's sons were at the gate.

Then all the people left for their homes, and David returned home to bless his household.^(ak)

When David^(a) had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the Lord 's covenant is under tent curtains."^(b)

So Nathan told David, "Do all that is on your heart, for God is with you."

But that night^(c) the word of God came to Nathan:

"Go to David My servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build Me a house to dwell in.^(d)

From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not lived in a house; instead, I have moved from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle.^(e)

In all My travels throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, asking: Why haven't you built Me a house of cedar?'^(f)

"Now this is what you will say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep to be ruler over My people Israel.^(g)

I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest in the land.

I will establish a place for My people Israel and plant them,^(h) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they formerly have

ever since the day I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies. "‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord Himself will build a house for you.

When your time comes to be with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

He will build a house for Me,⁽ⁱ⁾ and I will establish his throne forever.

I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^(j) I will not take away My faithful love from him as I took it from the one who was before you.^(k)

I will appoint him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.'"^(l)

Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

Then^(m) King David went in, sat in the Lord 's presence, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?

This was a little thing to You,^[a] God, for You have spoken about Your servant's house in the distant future. You regard me as a man of distinction,^[b] Lord God.

What more can David say to You for honoring Your servant? You know Your servant.

Lord , You have done all this greatness, making known all these great promises because of Your servant and according to Your will.⁽ⁿ⁾

Lord , there is no one like You, and there is no God besides You, as all we have heard confirms.

And who is like Your people Israel? God, You came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for Yourself, to make a name for Yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before Your people You redeemed from Egypt.^(o)

You made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Lord , have become their God.^(p)

Now, Lord , let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be confirmed forever, and do as You have promised.

Let Your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, "Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel, is God over Israel." May the house of Your servant David be established before You.

Since You, my God, have revealed to^[c](q) Your servant that You will build him a house, Your servant has found courage to pray in Your presence.

Yahweh, You indeed are God, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

So now, You have been pleased to bless Your servant's house that it may continue before You forever. For You, Lord , have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.