A Tent for the Ark
(2 Samuel 6:17–19)

1And so they took the ark of God, and they set it in the midst of the tabernacle, which David had pitched for it. And they offered holocausts and peace offerings before God. 2And when David had completed offering holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3And he divided to every single one, from men even to women, a twist of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and fine wheat flour fried with oil.

4And he appointed some from the Levites who would minister before the ark of the Lord, and commemorate his works, and glorify and praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5Asaph was the leader, and second to him was Zechariah. In addition, there were Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom. And Jeiel was over the instruments of the psaltery and the harps. But Asaph sounded out with the cymbals. 6Truly, the priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, were to sound the trumpet continually before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving
(Psalm 105:1–15)

7In that day, David made Asaph the leader, in order to confess to the Lord with his brothers:

8“Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Make known his endeavors among the peoples.

9Sing to him, and sing psalms to him, and describe all his miracles.

10Praise his holy name! Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

11Seek the Lord and his virtue. Seek his face always.

12Remember his miracles, which he has accomplished, his signs, and the judgments of his mouth.

13O offspring of Israel, his servants! O sons of Jacob, his elect!

14He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout all the earth.

15Remember forever his covenant, the word that he instructed unto a thousand generations,

16the covenant that he formed with Abraham, and his oath with Isaac.

17And he appointed the same to Jacob as a precept, and to Israel as an everlasting pact,

18saying: ‘To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.’

19At that time, they were small in number, they were few and were settlers there.

20And they passed through, from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people.

21He did not permit anyone to falsely accuse them. Instead, he reproved kings on their behalf:

22‘Do not touch my Christ. And do not malign my prophets.’

Sing to the LORD, All the Earth
(Psalm 96:1–13)

23Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Announce his salvation, from day to day.

24Describe his glory among the Gentiles, his miracles among all the peoples.

25For the Lord is great and exceedingly praiseworthy. And he is terrible, above all gods.

26For all the gods of the peoples are idols. But the Lord made the heavens.

27Confession and magnificence are before him. Strength and gladness are in his place.

28Bring to the Lord, O families of the peoples, bring to the Lord glory and dominion.

29Give glory to the Lord, to his name. Lift up sacrifice, and approach before his sight. And adore the Lord in holy attire.

30Let all the earth be moved before his face. For he founded the globe immoveable.

31Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult. And let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord has reigned.’

32Let the sea roar, with all its plenitude. Let the fields exult, with all that is in them.

33Then the trees of the forest will give praise before the Lord. For he comes to judge the earth.

34Confess to the Lord, for he is good. For his mercy is eternal.

35And say: ‘Save us, O God our savior! And gather us together, and rescue us from the nations, so that we may confess to your holy name, and may exult in your songs.

36Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen,’ and let them sing a hymn to the Lord.”

Worship before the Ark

37And so, there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, he left Asaph and his brothers, so that they might minister in the sight of the ark continually, throughout each day, and in their turns. 38Now Obededom and his brothers were sixty-eight. And he appointed Obededom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah to be porters. 39But Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, were before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place, which was in Gibeon, 40so that they could offer holocausts to the Lord upon the altar of holocausts continually, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the law of the Lord, which he instructed to Israel. 41And after him, Heman, and Jeduthun, and the remainder of the elect, each one by his name, were appointed to confess to the Lord: “For his mercy endures forever.” 42Also Heman and Jeduthun sounded the trumpet, and they played upon the cymbals, and upon every kind of musical instrument, in order to sing praises to God. But the sons of Jeduthun he made to be porters.

43And all the people returned to their houses, and David also, so that he might bless his own house too.