1 Chronicles
Chapter 15

1

David built houses for himself in the City of David and prepared a place for the ark of God, pitching a tent for it there.

2

At that time he said, "No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever."

3

Then David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place which he had prepared for it.

4

David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

5

of the sons of Kohath, Uriel, their chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren;

6

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah, their chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren;

7

of the sons of Gershon, Joel, their chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren;

8

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah, their chief, and two hundred of his brethren;

9

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel, their chief, and eighty of his brethren;

10

of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab, their chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.

11

David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

12

and said to them: "You, the heads of the levitical families, must sanctify yourselves along with your brethren and bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place which I have prepared for it.

13

Because you were not with us the first time, the wrath of the LORD our God burst upon us, for we did not seek him aright."

14

Accordingly, the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

15

The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD.

16

David commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren as chanters, to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to make a loud sound of rejoicing.

17

Therefore the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and, among his brethren, Asaph, son of Berechiah; and among the sons of Merari, their brethren, Ethan, son of Kushaiah;

18

and, together with these, their brethren of the second rank: the gatekeepers Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel.

19

The chanters, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded brass cymbals.

20

¹ Zechariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played on harps set to "Alamoth."

21

But Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel led the chant on lyres set to "the eighth."

22

Chenaniah was the chief of the Levites in the chanting; he directed the chanting, for he was skillful.

23

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers before the ark.

24

The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, sounded the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jeiel were also gatekeepers before the ark.

25

Thus David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with joy from the house of Obed-edom.

26

While the Levites, with God's help, were bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.

27

David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the chant; David was also wearing a linen ephod.

28

Thus all Israel brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD with joyful shouting, to the sound of horns, trumpets, and cymbals, and the music of harps and lyres.

29

But as the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David leaping and dancing, she despised him in her heart.

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Footnotes

¹ [20] Alamoth: a musical term (literally, "young women") of uncertain meaning, occurring also in Psalm 46:1 where it is rendered as virgins. Perhaps it may mean something like "soprano," whereas the term "eighth" (Hebrew sheminith, 1 Chron 15:21) may then mean "bass"; cf Psalm 6:1; 12:1.

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