1 Chronicles 15

1 And he maketh for himself houses in the city of David, and prepareth a place for the ark of God, and stretcheth out for it a tent.

David built houses for himself in the city of David. He prepared a place for the ark of God and set up a tent for it.

2 Then said David, 'None [are] to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him — unto the age.'

Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for they had been chosen by Yahweh to carry the ark of Yahweh, and to serve him forever.”

3 And David assembleth all Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place that he had prepared for it.

Then David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh to the place he had prepared for it.

4 And David gathereth the sons of Aaron, and the Levites.

David gathered together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

5 Of sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.

From the descendants of Kohath, there was Uriel the leader and his relatives, 120 men.

6 Of sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty.

From the descendants of Merari, there was Asaiah the leader and his relatives, 220 men.

7 Of sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and thirty.

From the descendants of Gershom, there was Joel the leader and his relatives, 130 men.

8 Of sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred.

From the descendants of Elizaphan, there was Shemaiah the leader and his relatives, 200 men.

9 Of sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren, eighty.

From the descendants of Hebron, there was Eliel the leader and his relatives, eighty men.

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

From the descendants of Uzziel, there was Amminadab the leader and his relatives, 112 men.

11 And David calleth to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, and to the Levites, to Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

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

12 and saith to them, 'Ye [are] heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and ye have brought up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel, unto [the place] I have prepared for it;

He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

13 because at the first [it was] not ye, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, because we sought Him not according to the ordinance.'

You did not carry it the first time. That is why Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek him or obey his decree.”

14 And the priests and the Levites sanctify themselves, to bring up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel;

So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

15 and sons of the Levites bear the ark of God, as Moses commanded, according to the word of Jehovah, on their shoulder, with staves, above them.

So the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded—following the rules given by the word of Yahweh.

16 And David saith to the heads of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice for joy.

David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to assign their brothers to be musicians with musical instruments, stringed instruments, harps and cymbals, playing loudly and joyfully lifting up their voices.

17 And the Levites appoint Heman son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph son of Berechiah, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel and one of his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah. They also appointed kinsmen from Merari's descendants and Ethan son of Kushaiah.

18 and with them their brethren, the seconds [in rank], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah; and Obed-Edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers;

With them were their kinsmen of second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

19 and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to sound,

The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play loud bronze cymbals.

20 and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jeheil, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries besides virgins,

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the stringed instruments, set to Alamoth.

21 and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps, on the octave, to oversee.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led the way with harps set to the Sheminith.

22 And Chenaniah, head of the Levites, [is] over the burden; he instructeth about the burden, for he [is] intelligent.

Kenaniah, leader of the Levites, was the director of the singing because he was a teacher of music.

23 And Berechiah and Elkanah [are] gatekeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the ark.

24 And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests, are blowing with trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah [are] gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed Edom and Jehiah were guards for the ark.

25 And it is David, and the elders of Israel, and the heads of the thousands, who are going to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the house of Obed-Edom with joy;

So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Obed Edom's house with rejoicing.

26 and it cometh to pass, in God's helping the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams.

While God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 And David is wrapped in an upper robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who are bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah head of the burden of the singers; and on David [is] an Ephod of linen.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the leader of the song with the singers. David was wearing a linen ephod.

28 And all Israel are bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of a cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding with psalteries and harps,

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with joyful shouting, and with the sound of horns and trumpets, with cymbals, and with stringed instruments and harps.

29 and it cometh to pass, the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is entering in unto the city of David, and Michal daughter of Saul is looking through the window, and seeth king David dancing and playing, and despiseth him in her heart.

But as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul, looked out the window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. Then she despised him in her heart.