1 Chronicles, 15

1. 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.

1. David put up buildings for himself in the City of David and prepared a place for the ark of God, and he put up a tent for it.

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.

2. Then he said, "Only the Levites shall move the ark of God, since Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark and to serve him always."

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.

3. Then David gathered all Israel together in Jerusalem to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it.

4. And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

4. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi:

5. Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:

5. of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief and his hundred and twenty kinsmen;

6. Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

6. of the sons of Merari, Asaiah and his two hundred and twenty kinsmen;

7. Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:

7. of the sons of Gershom, Joel and his hundred and thirty kinsmen;

8. Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

8. of the sons of Elizaphah, Shemaiah and his two hundred kinsmen;

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

9. of the sons of Hebron, Eliel and eighty kinsmen;

10. Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

10. of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab and his hundred and twelve kinsmen.

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

11. David called in the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, 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.

12. He told them, "You are the heads of families of the Levites. Purify yourselves, you and your brothers, and bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place 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.

13. The first time you were not there to carry it and Yahweh our God punished us for not consulting him as we should have done."

14. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

14. So the priests and the Levites purified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the 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.

15. and the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered according to the command of Yahweh.

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.

16. David then told the leaders of the Levites to assign duties for some Levites to sing and play a joyful tune with their various musical instruments: harps and lyres and cymbals.

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;

17. The Levites then appointed Heman son of Joel, Asaph son of Berechiah, one of his brothers, Ethan son of Kushaiah, one of their Merarite kinsmen;

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.

18. and with them, next in rank, their kinsmen as keepers of the gate: Zechariah son of Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel.

19. So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [were appointed] to sound with cymbals of brass;

19. Heman, Asaph and Ethan the cantors, were to clash the cymbals of bronze;

20. And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

20. Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the keyed harp.

21. And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

21. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, giving the beat, were to play the octave lyre.

22. And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, [was] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.

22. Chenaniah was chosen to be in charge of the transportation, because he was very skillful at doing these things.

23. And Berechiah and Elkanah [were] doorkeepers for the ark.

23. Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers to 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.

24. The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasal, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer were to sound the trumpet before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers to 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.

25. So David, with the leaders of Israel and the commanders of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from Obed-edom's house with great rejoicing.

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.

26. And while God was securing the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven sheep.

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.

27. David was wearing a robe of fine linen, like all the Levites who carried the ark, as well as the cantors and Chenaniah, the officer in charge of its transportation. David also wore the 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.

28. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouts of joy to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, making music with harp and lyre.

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.

29. Now as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh entered the City of David, Michal the daughter of Saul was watching from the window and saw King David dancing and leaping with joy and she despised him.