1 Chronicles 15
Expanded Bible
The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem(A)
15 David built ·houses [buildings] for himself in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. 2 David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to ·serve [minister to/for] him forever.”
3 David ·called [summoned; assembled] all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had ·made [prepared] for it. 4 David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. 5 There were one hundred twenty ·people from [L sons of] Kohath’s ·family group [clan], with Uriel as their ·leader [chief]. 6 There were two hundred twenty ·people from [L sons of] Merari’s ·family group [clan], with Asaiah as their ·leader [chief]. 7 There were one hundred thirty ·people from [L sons of] ·Gershon’s [or Gersom’s; 6:1] ·family group [clan], with Joel as their ·leader [chief]. 8 There were two hundred ·people from [L sons of] Elizaphan’s ·family group [clan], with Shemaiah as their ·leader [chief]. 9 There were eighty ·people from [L sons of] Hebron’s ·family group [clan], with Eliel as their ·leader [chief]. 10 And there were one hundred twelve ·people from [L sons of] Uzziel’s ·family group [clan], with Amminadab as their ·leader [chief].
11 Then David ·asked [called for; summoned] the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 David said to them, “You are the leaders of the ·families [clans] of Levi. You and the other Levites must ·give yourselves for service [consecrate/purify/sanctify yourselves] to the Lord, so that you can bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have ·made [prepared] for it. 13 The first time we did not ask the Lord ·how [the proper/lawful way] to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it, so the Lord our God ·punished [L burst/broke out against] us.”
14 Then the priests and Levites ·prepared themselves for service to the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves] so they could ·carry [bring up] the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses had ·commanded [ordered; instructed], ·just as the Lord had said they should [L according to the word of the Lord].
16 David ·told [commanded; ordered] the ·leaders [chiefs] of the Levites to appoint their ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers] as ·singers [musicians] to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and to ·sing happy songs [play/sing joyfully].
17 So the Levites appointed Heman and his ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers] Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari ·family group [clan], was Kushaiah’s son. 18 There was also a second ·group [rank; C possibly assistants] of Levites: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were the Levite ·guards [gatekeepers].
19 The ·singers [musicians] Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played ·the lyres [harps] according to alamoth [C possibly indicating to be sung by a soprano; Ps. 46:title]. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the ·harps [lyres] according to ·sheminith [L eighth; C a reference to an eight-stringed instrument or perhaps to the manner of singing; Ps. 12:title; Ps. 16:title]. 22 The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing, because he was ·very good at it [highly skilled; very knowledgeable].
23 Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark. 24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets ·in front of [before] the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark.
25 David, the ·leaders [elders] of Israel, and the ·commanders [captains] of a thousand soldiers went to ·get [bring up] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom’s house with great ·joy [celebration]. 26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams]. 27 All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a ·holy vest of fine linen [L ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. 28 So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.
29 As the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord entered the City of David [C Jerusalem], Saul’s daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David ·dancing [leaping] and celebrating, she hated him in her heart.
1 Chronicles 15
King James Version
15 And David 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, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:
5 Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:
6 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 brethren an hundred and thirty:
8 Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:
9 Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:
10 Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.
11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,
12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.
13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
18 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 Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.
19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;
20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;
21 And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.
22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.
23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
24 And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy.
26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.
27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
29 And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal, the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.
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