1 Chronicles 15
1 Also, he made houses for himself in the City of David. And built a place for the ark of God, and he set up a tent for it.
And David made houses for himself in the town of David; and he got ready a place for the ark of God, and put up a tent for it.
2 Then David said: “It is illicit for anyone to carry the ark of God except the Levites, whom the Lord chose to carry it and to minister to himself, even unto eternity.”
Then David said, The ark of God may not be moved by any but the Levites, for they have been marked out by God to take the ark of God, and to do his work for ever.
3 And he gathered all of Israel in Jerusalem, so that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.
And David made all Israel come together at Jerusalem, to take the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had got ready for it.
4 Certainly, there were both the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
And David got together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites;
5 From the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twenty.
Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twenty;
6 From the sons of Merari: Asaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred twenty.
Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred and twenty;
7 From the sons of Gershom: Joel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred thirty.
Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and thirty;
8 From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred.
Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred;
9 From the sons of Hebron: Eliel was the leader, and his brothers were eighty.
Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brothers, eighty;
10 From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twelve.
Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twelve.
11 And David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
And David sent for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab,
12 And he said to them: “You who are the leaders of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brothers, and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that has been prepared for it.
And said to them, You are the heads of the families of the Levites: make yourselves holy, you and your brothers, so that you may take the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place which I have made ready for it.
13 Otherwise, as it was before, when the Lord struck us because you were not present, so also it might be now, if we do what is illicit.”
For because you did not take it at the first, the Lord our God sent punishment on us, because we did not get directions from him in the right way.
14 Therefore, the priests and the Levites were sanctified, so that they might carry the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy to take up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15 And the sons of Levi took the ark of God, just as Moses had instructed, in accord with the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders by the bars.
And the sons of the Levites took up the ark of God, lifting it by its rods, as the Lord had said to Moses.
16 And David spoke to the leaders of the Levites, so that they might appoint, from their brothers, singers with musical instruments, specifically, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, so that a joyful noise might resound on high.
And David gave orders to the chief of the Levites to put their brothers the music-makers in position, with instruments of music, corded instruments and brass, with glad voices making sounds of joy.
17 And they appointed from the Levites: Heman, the son of Joel; and from his brothers, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and truly, from their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan, the son of Kushaiah.
So 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, were put in position by the Levites;
18 And with them were their brothers in the second rank: Zechariah, and Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jahiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, who were gatekeepers.
And with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Bani and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab and Benaiah and Maaseiah and Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the door-keepers.
19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass.
So those who made melody, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were put in position, with brass instruments, sounding loudly;
20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah were singing mysteries with the psalteries.
And Zechariah and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel, Unni and Eliab and Maaseiah and Benaiah, with corded instruments put to Alamoth.
21 Then Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obededom, and Jeiel and Azaziah were singing a song of victory with the harps, for the octave.
And Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel and Azaziah, with corded instruments on the octave, to give the first note of the song.
22 Now Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was foremost over the prophecies, in order to mark out in advance the melodies. For indeed, he was very skillful.
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was master of the music: he gave directions about the song, because he was expert.
23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.
And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark.
24 And the priests, Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, were sounding the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obededom and Jehiah were porters of the ark.
And Shebaniah and Joshaphat and Nethanel and Amasai and Zechariah and Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, made music on the horns before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.
25 Therefore, David, and all those greater by birth of Israel, and the tribunes, went to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obededom with rejoicing.
So David, and the responsible men of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went with joy to get the ark of the agreement of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom.
26 And when God had assisted the Levites, who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they immolated seven bulls and seven rams.
And when God gave help to the Levites who were lifting up the ark of the agreement of the Lord, they made an offering of seven oxen and seven sheep.
27 Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the prophecy among the singers. But David was also clothed with a linen ephod.
And David was clothed with a robe of fair linen, as were all the Levites who took up the ark, and those who made melody, and Chenaniah the master of those who made melody; and David had on a linen ephod;
28 And all of Israel were leading back the ark of the covenant of the Lord with jubilation, sounding out with the noise of horns, and trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.
So all Israel took up the ark of the agreement of the Lord, with loud cries and with horns and brass and corded instruments sounding loudly.
29 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord had arrived in the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, gazing through a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
And when the ark of the agreement of the Lord came into the town of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looking out of the window, saw King David dancing and playing; and to her mind he seemed foolish.
