1 Meʻa Hokohoko 15

1 Pea naʻe langa ʻe Tevita ʻae ngaahi fale moʻona ʻi hono kolo, pea naʻa ne teuteu ha potu ki he puha ʻoe fuakava ʻae ʻOtua, mo ne fokotuʻu ki ai ha fale fehikitaki.

David [commanded his workers to] build some houses for him in Jerusalem. He also told them to set up a tent in which to put the Sacred Chest.

2 Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe Tevita, “ʻOku ʻikai lelei ke fua ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻae ʻOtua ka ʻe he kau Livai pe: he ko kinautolu ia kuo fili ʻe Sihova ke fua ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻae ʻOtua, pea ke tauhi kiate ia ʻo taʻengata.”

He said, “Only the descendants of Levi are permitted to carry God’s Sacred Chest, because they are the ones whom God chose to carry it and to serve him forever.”

3 Pea naʻe tānaki fakataha ʻe Tevita ʻa ʻIsileli kātoa ki Selūsalema, koeʻuhi ke ʻohake ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova ki hono potu, ʻaia naʻa ne teuteu ki ai.

David summoned all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted the Sacred Chest of Yahweh to be put in the place that he had made for it.

4 Pea naʻe fakataha ʻe Tevita ʻae fānau ʻa ʻElone, mo e kau Livai:

He summoned the descendants of Aaron, [who was the first Supreme Priest, ] and the other descendants of Levi.

5 Mei he ngaahi foha ʻo Kohate; ʻa Ulieli ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko teau mo e toko uofulu:

120 descendants of Kohath, who was Levi’s second son, came, with Uriel their leader.

6 Pea ʻoe ngaahi foha ʻo Melali: ko ʻAsaia, ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko teau mo e toko uofulu:

There were 220 descendants of Merari, Levi’s third son, who came, with Asaiah their leader.

7 Pea ʻoe ngaahi foha ʻo Kesomi; ko Soeli ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko teau mo e toko tolungofulu:

There were 130 descendants of Gershon, Levi’s first son, who came, with Joel their leader.

8 Pea ʻoe ngaahi foha ʻo ʻElisafani; ko Simaia ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko uangeau:

There were 200 people from Elizaphan’s clan who came, with Shemaiah their leader.

9 Pea ʻoe ngaahi foha ʻo Hepeloni; ko Ilieli ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko valungofulu:

There were 80 people from Hebron’s clan who came, with Eliel their leader.

10 Pea ʻoe ngaahi foha ʻo ʻUsili; ko ʻAminitapi ko honau ʻeiki, pea mo hono kāinga ko e toko teau mo e toko hongofulu ma ua.

And there were 112 people from Uzziel’s clan who came, with Amminadab their leader.

11 Pea naʻe ui mai ʻe Tevita kia Satoki mo ʻApiata ko e ongo taulaʻeiki, pea mo e kau Livai, kia Ulieli, mo ʻAsaia, mo Soeli, mo Simaia, mo Elieli, pea mo ʻAminitapi,

David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these [other] descendants of Levi: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 ‌ʻo ne pehē kiate kinautolu, “Ko kimoutolu ko e kau tuʻukimuʻa ʻi he ngaahi tamai ʻae kakai Livai: mou fakamāʻoniʻoniʻi ʻakimoutolu, ʻio, ʻakimoutolu pea mo homou kāinga, koeʻuhi ke mou ʻomi ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ki he potu kuo u teuteu ki ai.

David said to them, “You are the leaders of the clans descended from Levi. You and the other descendants of Levi must purify yourselves, in order to [be able to do this special work for Yahweh. You must] bring the Sacred Chest of Yahweh, the God of us Israelis, up to the place that I have made for it [here in Jerusalem].

13 He ko e meʻa ʻi he ʻikai te mou fuofua [ʻomi ]ia, ko ia naʻe teʻia ai ʻakitautolu ʻe Sihova ko hotau ʻOtua, koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai te tau kumi kiate ia ʻo hangē ko hono anga ʻoku totonu.”

The first time that we tried to bring it, we did not ask Yahweh how we should carry it {it should be carried}. You [descendants of Levi] were not the ones who carried it, so Yahweh our God punished us.”

14 Ko ia naʻe fakamāʻoniʻoniʻi ʻakinautolu ʻe he kau taulaʻeiki mo e kau Livai ke nau ʻohake ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli.

Then the priests and the [other] descendants of Levi [performed the rituals to] purify themselves, in order that it would be proper for them to do the work of carrying the Sacred Chest of Yahweh, the God of us Israeli people.

15 Pea naʻe fua ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻae ʻOtua ʻe he fānau ʻa Livai ʻi honau uma ʻaki ʻa hono ngaahi kau haʻamo, ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻe Mōsese ʻo fakatatau mo e folofola ʻa Sihova.

The descendants of Levi [inserted] the poles [into the rings on] the Sacred Chest so that with them, they could carry the Sacred Chest on their shoulders, like Moses had commanded, and like Yahweh had said that they should.

16 Pea naʻe lea ʻa Tevita ki he ʻeiki ʻoe kau Livai ke ne vaheʻi honau kāinga niʻihi ke fai ʻae hiva ʻaki ʻae ngaahi meʻa hiva, ko e ngaahi ūtete, mo e ngaahi haʻape, mo e ngaahi ukamea pakihi, naʻe tatangi, ʻi he hiki hake ʻae leʻo ʻi he fiefia.

David told the leaders of the descendants of Levi to appoint some of their relatives to sing joyful songs and play lyres, harps, and cymbals [while they were carrying the Sacred Chest].

17 Ko ia naʻe vaheʻi ʻe he kau Livai ʻa Hemani ko e foha ʻo Soeli; pea ʻi hono kāinga ʻoʻona, ʻa ʻAsafi ko e foha ʻo Pelekia; pea mei he ngaahi foha ʻo Melali ko honau kāinga, ʻa Etani ko e foha ʻo Kusaia;

So they appointed Heman and his relatives Asaph and Ethan. Heman was the son of Joel; Asaph was the son of Berekiah. Ethan, a descendant of Merari, was Kushaiah’s son.

18 Pea naʻe fakataha mo kinautolu ʻa honau kāinga ʻo hono ua ʻoe lakanga, ko Sakalia, mo Peni, mo Seseeli, mo Similamoti, mo Sehieli, mo Uni, mo ʻIliapi, mo Penaia, mo Maaseia, mo Matitia, mo Elifili, mo Mikineia, mo ʻOpeti-ʻItomi, mo Sieli, ko e kau leʻo matapā.

There was also another group of descendants of Levi who were appointed: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and two of the Sacred Tent gatekeepers, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.

19 Ko ia, naʻe vaheʻi ʻae kau hiva, ko Hemani, mo ʻAsafi, mo Etani, ke fakapakihi ʻaki ʻae ngaahi meʻa pakihi palasa;

Heman, Asaph and Ethan sang, and also played bronze cymbals.

20 Pea ko Sakalia, mo ʻAsieli, mo Similamoti, mo Sehieli, mo Uni, mo ʻIliapi, mo Māseia, mo Penaia, ki he ngaahi ūtete ʻo hangē ko e leʻo fakafefine;

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played lyres.

21 Pea ko Matitia, mo Elifili, mo Mikineia, mo ʻOpeti-itomi, mo Sieli, mo ʻAsasia, ki he ngaahi haʻape naʻe leʻo lahi hake.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played harps.

22 Pea naʻe ʻia Kinania ʻae fasi ʻoe hiva naʻe ekinaki ʻe ia ʻae hiva, he naʻa ne poto ai.

Kenaniah, the leader of the descendants of Levi, directed the singing because he was very skilled at doing that.

23 Pea ko Pelekia mo ʻElikena ko e ongo tauhi matapā ʻakinaua ki he puha ʻoe fuakava.

Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the men who guarded the Sacred Chest.

24 Pea ko Sipania, mo Sihosafate, mo Netanili, mo ʻAmasai, mo Sakalia, mo Penaia, mo ʻEliesa ko e kau taulaʻeiki, naʻe ifi ʻekinautolu ʻae ngaahi meʻalea ʻo muʻomuʻa ʻi he puha ʻoe fuakava ʻae ʻOtua: pea ko ʻOpeti-ʻItomi mo Sehia ko e ongo tauhi matapā ʻakinaua ki he puha ʻoe fuakava.

The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer were appointed to blow trumpets in front of the Sacred Chest. Obed-Edom and Jehiah also guarded the Sacred Chest.

25 Ko ia, naʻe ʻalu ʻa Tevita, mo e kau mātuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, mo e ngaahi ʻeikitau naʻe pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, koeʻuhi ke nau ʻohake ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova mei he fale ʻo ʻOpeti-ʻItomi, ʻi he fiefia.

David and the Israeli leaders and the officers who commanded 1,000 soldiers went to bring the Sacred Chest back from Obed-Edom’s house. They were very joyful as they brought it to Jerusalem.

26 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi heʻene tokoni ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae kau Livai naʻe fua ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova, naʻa nau feilaulau ʻaki ʻae fanga pulu ʻe fitu, mo e fanga sipitangata ʻe fitu.

God helped the descendants of Levi who carried the Sacred Chest of Yahweh; therefore David and the leaders sacrificed seven bulls and seven (rams/male sheep) [to thank him].

27 Pea naʻe kofuʻaki ʻa Tevita ʻae kofu ʻoe tupenu lelei, pea naʻe pehē mo e kau Livai kotoa pē naʻe fua ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava, mo e kau hiva, pea pehē mo Kinania ko e tangata taki hiva mo e kau hiva: naʻe kofuʻaki foki ʻe Tevita ʻae ʻefoti ʻoe tupenu lelei.

All the descendants of Levi who carried the Sacred Chest, all the singers, and Kenaniah, the man who directed those who sang, wore robes of fine white linen and sacred vests made of fine linen. David also wore a sacred vest made of white linen.

28 Naʻe pehē ʻae ʻomi ʻe ʻIsileli kātoa ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova ʻaki ʻae mavava, mo e ʻuʻulu ʻoe ngaahi nifoʻi manu, mo e ngaahi meʻalea, mo e ngaahi meʻa pakihi, mo e tatangi ʻoe ngaahi ūtete mo e ngaahi haʻape.

So all of the Israeli people joined in bringing the Sacred Chest up [to Jerusalem]. They shouted [joyfully, while the musicians] blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

29 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻI heʻene aʻu atu ʻae puha ʻoe fuakava ʻa Sihova ki he Kolo ʻo Tevita, naʻe sio ʻa Mikale ko e ʻofefine ʻo Saula mei he matapā sioʻata, mo ne mamata ki he tuʻi ko Tevita ʻoku meʻe mo tā meʻa faiva: pea naʻa ne manuki kiate ia ʻi hono loto.

While they were bringing the Sacred Chest into Jerusalem, Saul’s daughter Michal watched them, looking out of a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him.