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 him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

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, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him 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 gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

4 Certainly, there were both the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

And David assembled the children 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 brethren an 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 brethren 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 brethren an 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 brethren 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 brethren fourscore:

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 brethren an hundred and twelve.

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

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for 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 unto them, Ye [are] the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, [both] ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto [the place that] I have prepared 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 ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

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 sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD 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 children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

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 spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren [to be] the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with 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 the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

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 brethren of the second [degree], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the porters.

19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [were appointed] to sound with cymbals of brass;

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, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on 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 Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

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] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.

23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.

And Berechiah and Elkanah [were] doorkeepers 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 Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah [were] doorkeepers 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 elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

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 it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

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 fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also [had] upon him an ephod of linen.

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.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

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 it came to pass, [as] the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.