1 Chronicles 15

1 David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

And [David] made himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

Then said David, None shall carry the ark of God but the Levites; for of them hath the Lord made choice to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

3 And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.

And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

4 Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

And David gathered together the children of Aaron, and the Levites.

5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Kehath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twenty.

6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Merari: 'Assayah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty.

7 from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty.

8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shema'yah the chief, and his brethren two hundred.

9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren eighty.

10 and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.

Of the sons of 'Uzziel: 'Amminadab the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twelve.

11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

And David called for Zadok and Ebyathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, 'Assayah, and Joel, Shema'yah, and Eliel, and 'Amminadab,

12 And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

And he said unto them, Ye are the chiefs of the family divisions of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel unto [the place which] I have prepared for it.

13 It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

For, because ye [did] it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach among us; because we had not sought him after the prescribed manner.

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

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel.

15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.

And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord, on their shoulders, by means of barrows placed upon them.

16 David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

And David said to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, to sing aloud, by lifting up the voice for joy.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Assaph the son of Berechyahu, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushayahu;

18 and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zecharyahu, Ben, and Ja'aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, Eliab, and Benayahu, and Ma'asseyahu, and Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je'iel, the gatekeepers.

19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.

Namely, the singers, Heman, Assaph, and Ethan, to play aloud with cymbals of copper;

20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.

And Zechariah, and 'Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, and Eliab, and Ma'asseyahu, and Benayahu, with psalteries on 'Alamoth;

21 And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.

And Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je-iel, and 'Azazyahu, with harps on the Sheminith to play as leaders.

22 Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

And Kenanyahu was the chief of the Levites in conducting the singing: he instructed in conducting the singing, because he was skilful.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark.

And Berechyah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24 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 also to be guardians of the ark.

And Shebanyahu, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and 'Amassai, and Zecharyahu, and Benayahu, and Eli'ezer, the priests, did blow on the trumpets before the ark of God; and 'Obed-edom and Jechiyah were gatekeepers for the ark.

25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom.

And it was David, with the elders of Israel, and the officers over the thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of 'Obed-edom with joy.

26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

27 Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and [so were] all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singers, and Kenanyahu the chief in conducting the singing of the singers; but David had also upon him an ephod of linen.

28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing aloud on psalteries and harps.

29 As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came as far as the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.