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15 He made also houses for himself in the city of David: and built a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tabernacle for it.

Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.

And he gathered all Israel together into Jerusalem, that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.

And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites.

Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty.

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

Of the sons of Gersom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty.

Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias the chief: and his brethren two hundred.

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

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

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

12 And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brethren, and brine the ark of the Lord the God of Israel to the place, which is prepared for it:

13 Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present, the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law.

14 So the priests and the Levites were sanctified, to carry the ark of the Lord the God of Israel.

15 And the sons of Levi took the ark of God as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders, with the staves.

16 And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites, to appoint some of their brethren to be singers with musical instruments, to wit, on psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, that the joyful noise might resound on high.

17 And they appointed Levites, Hemam the son of Joel, and of his brethren Asaph the son of Barachias: and of the sons of Merari, their brethren: Ethan the son of Casaia.

18 And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben, and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.

19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded with cymbals of brass.

20 And Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Maasias, and Banaias, sung mysteries upon psalteries.

21 And Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias and Obededom, and Jehiel and Ozaziu, sung a song of victory for the octave upon harps.

22 And Chonenias chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to give out the tunes: for he was very skillful.

23 And Barachias, and Elcana, were doorkeepers of the ark.

24 And Sebenias, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharias, and Banaias, and Eliezer the priests, sounded with trumpets, before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehias were porters of the ark.

25 So David and all the ancients of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy.

26 And when God had helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered in sacrifice seven oxen, and seven rams.

27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had on him an ephod of linen.

28 And all Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and sounding with the sound of the comet, and with trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.

29 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come to the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul looking out at a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(A)

15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared(B) a place for the ark of God and pitched(C) a tent for it. Then David said, “No one but the Levites(D) may carry(E) the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister(F) before him forever.”

David assembled all Israel(G) in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:(H)

From the descendants of Kohath,

Uriel(I) the leader and 120 relatives;

from the descendants of Merari,

Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;

from the descendants of Gershon,[a]

Joel the leader and 130 relatives;

from the descendants of Elizaphan,(J)

Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;

from the descendants of Hebron,(K)

Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;

10 from the descendants of Uzziel,

Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.

11 Then David summoned Zadok(L) and Abiathar(M) the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate(N) yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites,(O) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.(P) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.(Q) 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded(R) in accordance with the word of the Lord.(S)

16 David(T) told the leaders of the Levites(U) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians(V) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.(W)

17 So the Levites appointed Heman(X) son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph(Y) son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites,(Z) Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,[b] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom(AA) and Jeiel,[c] the gatekeepers.

19 The musicians Heman,(AB) Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Jaaziel,[d] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,[e] 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.[f] 22 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

23 Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets(AC) before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark(AD) of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. 26 Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams(AE) were sacrificed. 27 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.(AF) 28 So all Israel(AG) brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts,(AH) with the sounding of rams’ horns(AI) and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 15:7 Hebrew Gershom, a variant of Gershon
  2. 1 Chronicles 15:18 Three Hebrew manuscripts and most Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Zechariah son and or Zechariah, Ben and
  3. 1 Chronicles 15:18 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also verse 21) Jeiel and Azaziah
  4. 1 Chronicles 15:20 See verse 18; Hebrew Aziel, a variant of Jaaziel.
  5. 1 Chronicles 15:20 Probably a musical term
  6. 1 Chronicles 15:21 Probably a musical term