Chronicles I 15

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

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.

2 Then said David, It is not [lawful for any] to bear the ark of God, but the Levites; for the Lord has chosen them to bear the ark of the Lord, and to minister to him for ever.

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.”

3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place which he [had] prepared for it.

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.

4 And David gathered together the sons of Aaron the Levites.

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

5 Of the sons of Caath; [there was] Uriel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.

From the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twenty.

6 Of the sons of Merari; Asaia the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty.

From the sons of Merari: Asaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred twenty.

7 Of the sons of Gedson; Joel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and thirty.

From the sons of Gershom: Joel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred thirty.

8 Of the sons of Elisaphat; Semei the chief, and his brethren, two hundred.

From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred.

9 Of the sons of Chebrom; Eliel the chief, and his brethren eighty.

From the sons of Hebron: Eliel was the leader, and his brothers were eighty.

10 Of the sons of Oziel; Aminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twelve.

11 And David called Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites, Uriel, Asaia, and Joel, and Semaia, and Eliel, and Aminadab,

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

12 and said to them, You [are] the heads of the families of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, and you shall carry up the ark of the God of Israel, [to the place] which I have prepared for it.

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.

13 For because you were not [ready] at the first, our God made a breach upon us, because we sought him not according to the ordinance.

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.”

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

Therefore, the priests and the Levites were sanctified, so that they might carry the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

15 And the sons of the Levites took the ark of God, (as Moses commanded by the word of God according to the scripture) upon their shoulders with staves.

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.

16 And David said to the chiefs of the Levites, Set your brethren the singers with musical instruments, lutes, harps, and cymbals, to sound aloud with a voice of joy.

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.

17 So the Levites appointed Aeman the son of Joel; Asaph the son of Barachias [was one] of his brethren; and Aethan the son of Kisaeus was of the sons of Merari their brethren;

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.

18 and with them their brethren of the second rank, Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jeiel, and Elioel, and Eliab, and Banaia, and Maasaia, and Matthathia, and Eliphena, and Makellia, and Abdedom, and Jeiel, and Ozias, the porters.

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.

19 And the singers, Aeman, Asaph, and Aethan, with brazen cymbals to make [a sound] to be heard.

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

20 Zacharias, and Oziel, Semiramoth, Jeiel, Oni, Eliab, Maasaeas, Banaeas, with lutes, on alaemoth.

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah were singing mysteries with the psalteries.

21 And Mattathias, and Eliphalu, and Makenia, and Abdedom, and Jeiel, and Ozias, with harps of Amasenith, to make a loud noise.

Then Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obededom, and Jeiel and Azaziah were singing a song of victory with the harps, for the octave.

22 And Chonenia chief of the Levites [was] master of the bands, because he was skillful.

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.

23 And Barachia and Elcana [were] doorkeepers of the ark.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.

24 And Somnia, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharia, and Banaea, and Eliezer, the priests, were sounding with trumpets before the ark of God: and Abdedom and Jeia [were] doorkeepers of the ark of God.

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.

25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant from the house of Abdedom with gladness.

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.

26 And it came to pass when God strengthened the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they sacrificed seven calves and seven rams.

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.

27 And David [was] girded with a fine linen robe, and all the Levites [who were] bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the singers, and Chonenias the master of the band of singers; also upon David [there was] a robe of fine linen.

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.

28 And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing loudly on lutes and harps.

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.

29 And the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived, and came to the city of David; and Melchol the daughter of Saul looked down through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

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.