I Chronicles 15

¹Also, 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.

²Then 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.”

³And 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.

⁴Certainly, there were both the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵From the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twenty.

⁶From the sons of Merari: Asaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred twenty.

⁷From the sons of Gershom: Joel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred thirty.

⁸From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred.

⁹From the sons of Hebron: Eliel was the leader, and his brothers were eighty.

¹⁰From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twelve.

¹¹And David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

¹²And 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.

¹³Otherwise, 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.”

¹⁴Therefore, the priests and the Levites were sanctified, so that they might carry the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass.

²⁰And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah were singing mysteries with the psalteries.

²¹Then Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obededom, and Jeiel and Azaziah were singing a song of victory with the harps, for the octave.

²²Now 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.

²³And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark.

²⁴And 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.

²⁵Therefore, 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.

²⁶And when God had assisted the Levites, who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they immolated seven bulls and seven rams.

²⁷Now 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.

²⁸And 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.

²⁹And 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.

I Chronicles 15

¹He 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.

²Then 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.

³And he gathered all Israel together into Jerusalem, that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites.

⁵Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty.

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

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

⁸Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias the chief: and his brethren two hundred.

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

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

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

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

¹³Lest 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.

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

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

²⁴And 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.

²⁵So 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.

²⁶And 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.

²⁷And 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.

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

²⁹And 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.