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15 And David made to him(self) houses in the city of David, and he builded a place to the ark of the Lord, and arrayed a tabernacle to it. (And David prepared quarters for himself in the City of David, and he built a place for the Ark of the Lord, and prepared a Tent for it.)

Then David said, It is unleaveful, that the ark of God be borne about of any others, no but of the deacons, which the Lord chose to bear it, and for to minister to him into without end. (Then David said, It is unlawful, for the Ark of God to be carried about by any others, except the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to serve him forevermore.)

And David gathered together all Israel into Jerusalem, that the ark of God should be brought into his place, which he had made ready to it; (And David gathered together all Israel into Jerusalem, so that the Ark of God could be brought to the place, which he had prepared for it;)

also and he gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the deacons; (and he also gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites;)

of the sons of Kohath, Uriel was prince, and his brethren two hundred and twenty; (of the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, with one hundred and twenty of his kinsmen;)

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah was prince, and his brethren two hundred and thirty; (of the sons of Merari, Asaiah was the leader, with two hundred and twenty of his kinsmen;)

of the sons of Gershon[a], the prince was Joel, and his brethren an hundred and thirty; (of the sons of Gershon, Joel was the leader, with one hundred and thirty of his kinsmen;)

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah was prince, and his brethren two hundred; (of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah was the leader, with two hundred of his kinsmen;)

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel was prince, and his brethren fourscore; (of the sons of Hebron, Eliel was the leader, with eighty of his kinsmen;)

10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab was prince, and his brethren an hundred and twelve. (of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab was the leader, with one hundred and twelve of his kinsmen.)

11 And David called (for) Zadok and Abiathar (the) priests, and the deacons (and the Levites), Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab;

12 and said to them, Ye that be princes of the families of Levi, be ye hallowed with your brethren, and bring ye the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place, that is made ready to it; (and said to them, Ye who be the leaders of the families of the Levites, be ye consecrated, or purified, along with your kinsmen, and bring ye the Ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place, that was prepared for it;)

13 lest, as at the beginning, for ye were not present, the Lord smote us, so and now it be done, if we do any unleaveful thing. (because the first time, for ye were not present, the Lord struck us down, and so now it could be done to us again, if we do any unlawful thing.)

14 Therefore the priests and deacons were hallowed, that they should bear the ark of the Lord God of Israel. (And so the priests and the Levites purified themselves, so that they could carry the Ark of the Lord God of Israel.)

15 And the sons of Levi took the ark of God with bars upon their shoulders, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord. (And the Levites took the Ark of God on bars upon their shoulders, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord.)

16 And David said to the princes of (the) deacons, that they should ordain of their brethren singers in organs of musics, that is, in gitterns, and harps, and cymbals; that the sound of gladness should sound on high. (And David said to the leaders of the Levites, that they should ordain among their kinsmen singers, and players of musical instruments, that is, of lutes, and harps, and cymbals; so that the sound of gladness could be heard on high.)

17 And they ordained deacons, Heman, the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; soothly of the sons of Merari, [the] brethren of them, they ordained Ethan, the son of Kushaiah, (And the Levites ordained Heman, the son of Joel, and of his kinsmen, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their kinsmen, they ordained Ethan, the son of Kushaiah;)

18 and the brethren of them with them; in the second order Zechariah, and Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, porters; (and with them, their kinsmen of the second order, or degree, Zechariah, and Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, Obededom, and Jeiel;)

19 and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounding in brazen cymbals; (and the musicians, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounding with brass cymbals;)

20 and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, these sang privates in gitterns (these played lutes in Alamoth);

21 and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, sang in harps for the eighth (played harps for the eighth), and (also the) epinicion, that is, thankings that ought to be done to God, (the) overcomer and (the) victor;

22 and Chenaniah, the prince of deacons, and of prophecy, was sovereign to before-sing [the] melody, for he was full wise; (and Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites, led the singing by the singers, for he was very wise;)

23 and Berechiah, and Elkanah, were porters of the ark; (and Berechiah, and Elkanah, were the guards, or the doorkeepers, for the Ark;)

24 and Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, (the) priests, sounded with trumps before the ark of the Lord; and Obededom, and Jehiah, were porters of the ark (and Obededom, and Jehiah, were also guards, or doorkeepers, for the Ark).

25 Therefore David, and the greater men in birth of Israel, and the tribunes, went to bring the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord from the house of Obededom with gladness. (And so David, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Israel, and the tribunes, went with great gladness to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obededom.)

26 And when God had helped the deacons that bare the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were offered. (And because God had helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, they offered seven bulls and seven rams.)

27 And David was clothed with a white stole, and all the deacons that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the prince of the prophecy among [the] singers, were clothed in white stoles (too); and also David was clothed with a linen surplice. (And David was clothed with a white robe, and all the Levites who carried the Ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the singing by the singers, were also clothed in white robes; and David was also clothed with a linen ephod.)

28 And all Israel led forth the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, and sounded in joyful song, and in sound of clarions, and in trumps, and in cymbals, and in gitterns, and harps. (And all Israel brought forth the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and sounded with joyful song, and with the sound of horns, and trumpets, and cymbals, and lutes, and harps.)

29 And when the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord had come into the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, beheld forth by a window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart. (And when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord had come into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, watched from a window, and saw King David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 15:7 Also known as Gershom.

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