1 Chronicles 15

1 And Dauid made him houses in the citie of Dauid, and prepared a place for the Arke of God, and pitched for it a tent.

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.

2 Then Dauid saide, None ought to carie the Arke of God, but the Leuites: for the Lord hath chosen them to beare the Arke of the Lord, and to minister vnto him for euer.

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.”

3 And Dauid gathered all Israel together to Ierusalem to bring vp the Arke of the Lord vnto his place, which he had ordeined for it.

David summoned all of Israel to Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he'd prepared for it.

4 And Dauid assembled the sonnes of Aaron, and the Leuites.

This is the list of the Levites, the sons of Aaron, that David called to attend:

5 Of the sonnes of Kohath, Vriel the chiefe, and his brethren sixe score.

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

6 Of the sonnes of Merari, Asaiah the chiefe, and his brethren two hundreth and twentie.

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

7 Of the sonnes of Gershom, Ioel the chiefe, and his brethren an hundreth and thirtie.

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

8 Of the sonnes of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chiefe, and his brethren two hundreth.

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

9 Of the sonnes of Hebron, Eliel the chiefe, and his brethren fourescore.

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

10 Of the sonnes of Vzziel, Amminadab the chiefe, and his brethren an hundreth and twelue.

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

11 And Dauid called Zadok and Abiathar the Priestes, and of the Leuites, Vriel, Asaiah and Ioel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab:

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

12 And he saide vnto them, Ye are the chiefe fathers of the Leuites: sanctifie your selues, and your brethren, and bring vp the Arke of the Lord God of Israel vnto the place that I haue prepared for it.

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.

13 For because ye were not there at the first, the Lord our God made a breach among vs: for we sought him not after due order.

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.”

14 So the Priestes and the Leuites sanctified them selues to bring vp the Arke of the Lord God of Israel.

So the priests and the Levites purified themselves so that they could bring back the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.

15 And the sonnes of the Leuites bare the Arke of God vpon their shoulders with the barres, as Moses had commanded, according to the worde of the Lord.

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.

16 And Dauid spake to the chiefe of the Leuites, that they should appoint certaine of their brethren to sing with instruments of musike, with violes and harpes, and cymbales, that they might make a sounde, and lift vp their voyce with ioye.

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.

17 So the Leuites appointed Heman the sonne of Ioel, and of his brethren Asaph the sonne of Berechiah, and of the sonnes of Merari their brethren, Ethan the sonne of Kushaiah,

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.

18 And with them their brethren in the seconde degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Iaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, and Vnni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneah, and Obed Edom, and Ieiel the porters.

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.

19 So Heman, Asaph and Ethan were fingers to make a sounde with cymbales of brasse,

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

20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, and Vnni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah with violes on Alamoth,

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

21 And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneah, and Obed Edom, and Ieiel, and Azaziah, with harpes vpon Sheminith Ienazzeah.

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

22 But Chenaniah the chiefe of the Leuites had the charge, bearing ye burden in the charge, for he was able to instruct.

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

23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters for the Arke.

Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to guard the Ark.

24 And Shecaniah and Iehoshaphat and Nethaneel and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the Priestes did blowe with trumpets before the Arke of God, and Obed Edom and Ieiiah were porters for the Arke.

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.

25 So Dauid and the Elders of Israel and the captaines of thousandes went to bring vp the Arke of the couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom with ioye.

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.

26 And because that God helped the Leuites that bare the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, they offered seuen bullockes and seuen rammes.

Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Lord's Agreement, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 And Dauid had on him a linen garment, as all the Leuites that bare the Arke, and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chiefe charge of the singers: and vpon Dauid was a linnen Ephod.

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.

28 Thus all Israel brought vp the Arke of the Lordes couenant with shouting and sounde of cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbales, making a sound with violes and with harpes.

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.

29 And when the Arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the citie of Dauid, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at a windowe, and sawe King Dauid dauncing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.

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.