1 Chronicles 15

Revised Geneva Translation

15 And David made himself houses in the City of David, and prepared a place for the Ark of God, and pitched a tent for it.

² Then David said, “No one ought to carry the Ark of God except the Levites. For the LORD has chosen them to bear the Ark of the LORD, and to minister to Him forever.”

³ And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the LORD to its place which he had ordained for it.

⁴ And David assembled the sons of Aaron and the Levites.

⁵ Of the sons of Kohath were Uriel, the chief, and his brethren (one hundred twenty).

⁶ Of the sons of Merari were Asaiah, the chief, and his brethren (two hundred twenty).

⁷ Of the sons of Gershom were Joel, the chief, and his brethren (one hundred thirty).

⁸ Of the sons of Elizaphan were Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren (two hundred).

⁹ Of the sons of Hebron were Eliel, the chief, and his brethren (eighty).

¹⁰ Of the sons of Uzziel were Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren (one hundred twelve).

¹¹ And David called Zadok and Abiathar, the Priests. And of the Levites were Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab.

¹² And he said to them, “You are the chief fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, and your brethren, and bring up the Ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³ “For because you were not there at first, the LORD our God made an outburst among us. For we did not seek Him in proper order.”

¹⁴ So, the Priests and the Levites sanctified themselves, to bring up the Ark of the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁵ And the sons of the Levites bore the Ark of God upon their shoulders with the bars, as Moses had commanded, according to the Word of the LORD.

¹⁶ And David spoke to the chief of the Levites, so that they would appoint some of their brethren to sing with instruments of music, with viols and harps, and cymbals, so that they might make a sound and lift up their voice with joy.

¹⁷ So, the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel. And from his brethren came Asaph, the son of Berechiah. And from the sons of Merari (their brethren) came Ethan, the son of Kushaiah.

¹⁸ And with them came their brethren in 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 Obed-Edom and Jeiel (the gatekeepers).

¹⁹ So Heman, Asaph and Ethan were singers to make a sound with cymbals of bronze,

²⁰ and Zechariah and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni and Eliab and Maaseiah and Benaiah were to make a sound with viols on Alamoth,

²¹ and Mattithiah and Elipheleh and Mikneiah and Obed-Edom and Jeiel and Azaziah were to make a sound with harps upon Sheminith Jenazzeah.

²² But Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, was in charge of the music and gave instruction in the sound; for he was skillful.

²³ And Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark.

²⁴ And Shebaniah and Joshaphat and Nethanel and Amasai and Zechariah and Benaiah and Eliezer (the priests) blew with trumpets before the Ark of God. And Obed-Edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the Ark.

²⁵ So, David and the elders of Israel and the captains of thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

²⁶ And because God helped the Levites who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

²⁷ And David had on a linen garment, as did all the Levites who bore the Ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah who had the chief charge of the singers. And David had on a linen ephod.

²⁸ Thus, all Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant with shouting and sound of cornet and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a sound with viols and with harps.

²⁹ And when the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked out at a window and saw King David dancing and playing. And she despised him in her heart.