¹⁶ The following were established by David for the service of song^[a] in the Lord’s house at the time when the ark had a resting place. ¹⁷ They served as singers before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their services according to the order prescribed for them. ¹⁸ Those who so performed are the following, together with their sons.

Among the Kohathites: Heman, the chanter, son of Joel, son of Samuel, ¹⁹ son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, ²⁰ son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasi, ²¹ son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, ²² son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,^{(A) 23} son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

²⁴ His brother Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, ²⁵ son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, ²⁶ son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, ²⁷ son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,^(B) son of Shimei, ²⁸ son of Jahath, son of Gershon, son of Levi.

²⁹ Their brothers, the Merarites, stood at the left: Ethan, son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ³⁰ son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, ³¹ son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, ³² son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.^(C)

¹⁶ David commanded the commanders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers and to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to make a loud sound of rejoicing.^{(A) 17} Therefore the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and, among his brothers, Asaph, son of Berechiah; and among the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan, son of Kushaiah;^(B)

¹⁹ The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded brass cymbals.

³⁷ Then David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly according to the daily ritual;

¹² the Levites who were singers, all who belonged to Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and brothers, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets.

¹⁵ The singers, the sons of Asaph, were at their posts as commanded by David and by Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate; there was no need for them to leave their stations, for their fellow Levites prepared for them.

Dedication of the Wall. ^27 [a]At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out wherever they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate a joyful dedication with thanksgiving hymns and the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

⁴⁵ who carried out the ministry of their God and the ministry of purification (as did the singers and the gatekeepers) in accordance with the prescriptions of David and Solomon, his son.