1 Chronicles 15

1 And he made him houses, in the city of David, —and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

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, None must carry the ark of God, save the Levites, —for, of them, did Yahweh make choice, to bear the ark of Yahweh, and to attend it, unto times age-abiding.

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 So David convoked all Israel, unto Jerusalem, —to bring up the ark of Yahweh, unto the place thereof, 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, and the Levites:

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

5 Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren, one 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, Asaiah 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 Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and thirty;

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

8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah 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 Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brethren, eighty;

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

10 of the son of Uzziel, Amminadab 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 Then called David, for Zadok and for Abiathar, the priests, —and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel, and Amminadab;

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

12 and said unto them, Ye, are the chiefs of the fathers of the Levites, —Hallow yourselves, ye and your brethren, so shall ye bring up the ark of Yahweh—God of Israel, into [the place] 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 Because, at the first, ye, did not [bring it], Yahweh our God brake forth against us, because we sought him not in the appointed way.

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 hallowed themselves, —to bring up the ark of Yahweh, 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 bare the ark of God, just as Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, —on their shoulder, with the staves upon them.

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 spake to the chiefs of the Levites, to station their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, harps and lyres, and cymbals, —sounding aloud at the lifting up of the voice, for 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 caused to stand, Heman son of Joel, and, of his brethren, Asaph, son of Berechiah, —and, of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan, son of Kushaiah;

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 degree, —Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mickneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the door-keepers.

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, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, with cymbals of bronze, were to sound aloud;

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

20 and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah and Benaiah, —with harps, over the trebles;

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

21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel and Azaziah, —with lyres over the bass, to take the lead.

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, Chenaniah the leader of the Levites, in the service, used to give instructions in the service, because skilful was he.

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, Berechiah and Elkanah, were door-keepers to the ark.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.

24 And, Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were blowing with the trumpets, before the ark of God, —and, Obed-edom and Jehiah, were door-keepers, to the ark.

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 Thus, it was, David and the elders of Israel, and the rulers of thousands, who were going, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, out of the house of Obed-edom, with joy.

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 so it was that, when God helped the Levites, who were bearing the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bullocks 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 Now, David, was wrapped about with a robe of byssus, with all the Levites who were bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the service rendered by the singers, —but, upon David, was an ephod of white 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 So, all Israel, were bringing up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, with shouting, and with sound of the horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, —sounding aloud, with harps, and lyres.

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 so it was that, when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came in as far as the city of David, —and Michal daughter of Saul looked forth through the window, and saw King David, dancing and playing, that 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.