1 Chronicles 15

1 Once David had finished building houses for himself in the City of David, he made a place for the Ark of God and set up a tent there.

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 he gave orders: “Nobody is to carry the Ark of God except the Levites, for the Lord himself chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever.”

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 David summoned all of Israel to Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he'd 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 This is the list of the Levites, the sons of Aaron, that David called to attend:

And David got together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites;

5 From the sons of Kohath, Uriel (chief), and 120 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twenty;

6 from the sons of Merari, Asaiah (chief), with 220 of his relatives;

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

7 from the sons of Gershom, Joel (chief), with 130 of his relatives;

Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and thirty;

8 from the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah (chief), with 200 of his relatives;

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

9 from the sons of Hebron, Eliel (chief), with 80 of his relatives;

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

10 from the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab (chief), with 112 of his relatives.

Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twelve.

11 Then 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 He told them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You must make yourselves and your relatives ceremonially clean and pure before you bring back the Ark of God, the Lord of Israel to the place I have made 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 Because you weren't there the first time to carry the Ark the Lord our God burst out in violence against us. We didn't treat it in accordance with his instructions.”

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 So the priests and the Levites purified themselves so that they could bring back the Ark of the Lord, the 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 Then the Levites carried the Ark of God in the way that Moses had ordered, according to what God had said—on their shoulders using the special carrying poles.

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 David also instructed the leaders of the Levites to assign from their relatives singers who would sing loudly for joy, accompanied by musicians playing lyres, and harps, and cymbals.

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 So the Levites assigned Heman the son of Joel; and from his relatives Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari, their relatives, 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 The second group of Levites consisted of Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah; and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

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 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to strike the bronze cymbals;

So those who made melody, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were put in position, with brass instruments, sounding loudly;

20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps “according to alamoth,”

And Zechariah and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel, Unni and Eliab and Maaseiah and Benaiah, with corded instruments put to Alamoth.

21 while Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres “according to sheminith.”

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 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites in singing, was chosen to lead the music because of his ability.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was master of the music: he gave directions about the song, because he was expert.

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to guard the Ark.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark.

24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets in front of the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also appointed to guard 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 Then David, the elders of Israel, and the senior army commanders, went with great celebration to bring back the Ark of the Lord's Agreement from the home of Obed-Edom.

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 Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Lord's Agreement, they sacrificed 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 David wore a robe of fine linen like all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, and the singers and Kenaniah the leader of the music and singers. David also wore 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 So all of Israel brought back the Ark of the Lord's Agreement with a lot of shouting, accompanied by horns, trumpets, and cymbals, and music played on harps and lyres.

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 But as Ark of the Lord's Agreement entered the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from a window. Seeing David the king jumping and dancing for joy, she was full of contempt for him.

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.