1 Chronicles 15

1 David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

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.

2 Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

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.

3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

So David convoked all Israel, unto Jerusalem, —to bring up the ark of Yahweh, unto the place thereof, which he had prepared for it.

4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twenty;

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

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty;

7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and thirty;

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

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred;

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

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

10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

of the son of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twelve.

11 David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

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

12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.

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.

13 For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”

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.

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

So the priests and the Levites hallowed themselves, —to bring up the ark of Yahweh, God of Israel.

15 The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.

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.

16 David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.

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.

17 So the Levites appointed 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;

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;

18 and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

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.

19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

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

20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

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

21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

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

22 Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

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

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

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

24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

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.

25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

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.

26 When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

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.

27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

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.

28 Thus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

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.

29 As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

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.