1 Chronicles 15

1 David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

David built houses for himself in the city of David. He prepared a place for the ark of God and set up a tent for it.

2 Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For the LORD has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for they had been chosen by Yahweh to carry the ark of Yahweh, and to serve him forever.”

3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the LORD’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

Then David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh to the place he had prepared for it.

4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

David gathered together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

From the descendants of Kohath, there was Uriel the leader and his relatives, 120 men.

6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;

From the descendants of Merari, there was Asaiah the leader and his relatives, 220 men.

7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

From the descendants of Gershom, there was Joel the leader and his relatives, 130 men.

8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;

From the descendants of Elizaphan, there was Shemaiah the leader and his relatives, 200 men.

9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

From the descendants of Hebron, there was Eliel the leader and his relatives, eighty men.

10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

From the descendants of Uzziel, there was Amminadab the leader and his relatives, 112 men.

11 David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.

He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

13 For because you did not carry it at first, the LORD our God broke out in anger against us, because we did not seek him according to the ordinance.”

You did not carry it the first time. That is why Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek him or obey his decree.”

14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

15 The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to the LORD’s word.

So the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded—following the rules given by the word of Yahweh.

16 David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.

David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to assign their brothers to be musicians with musical instruments, stringed instruments, harps and cymbals, playing loudly and joyfully lifting up their voices.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel and one of his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah. They also appointed kinsmen from Merari's descendants and Ethan son of Kushaiah.

18 and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

With them were their kinsmen of second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play loud bronze cymbals.

20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the stringed instruments, set to Alamoth.

21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led the way with harps set to the Sheminith.

22 Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

Kenaniah, leader of the Levites, was the director of the singing because he was a teacher of music.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the ark.

24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed Edom and Jehiah were guards for the ark.

25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Obed Edom's house with rejoicing.

26 When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

While God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the leader of the song with the singers. David was wearing a linen ephod.

28 Thus all Israel brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with joyful shouting, and with the sound of horns and trumpets, with cymbals, and with stringed instruments and harps.

29 As the ark of the LORD’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

But as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul, looked out the window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. Then she despised him in her heart.