1 Chronicles 15

1 And [David] made himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

2 Then said David, None shall carry the ark of God but the Levites; for of them hath the Lord made choice to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

3 And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

4 And David gathered together the children of Aaron, and the Levites.

David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

5 Of the sons of Kehath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twenty.

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

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

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

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

of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

8 Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shema'yah the chief, and his brethren two hundred.

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

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

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

10 Of the sons of 'Uzziel: 'Amminadab the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twelve.

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

11 And David called for Zadok and Ebyathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, 'Assayah, and Joel, Shema'yah, and Eliel, and 'Amminadab,

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

12 And he said unto them, Ye are the chiefs of the family divisions of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel unto [the place which] I have prepared for it.

and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to 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 among us; because we had not sought him after the prescribed manner.

For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”

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

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord, on their shoulders, by means of barrows placed upon them.

The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.

16 And David said to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, to sing aloud, by lifting up the voice for joy.

David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Assaph the son of Berechyahu, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushayahu;

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

18 And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zecharyahu, Ben, and Ja'aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, Eliab, and Benayahu, and Ma'asseyahu, and Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je'iel, the gatekeepers.

and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

19 Namely, the singers, Heman, Assaph, and Ethan, to play aloud with cymbals of copper;

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

20 And Zechariah, and 'Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, and Eliab, and Ma'asseyahu, and Benayahu, with psalteries on 'Alamoth;

and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

21 And Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je-iel, and 'Azazyahu, with harps on the Sheminith to play as leaders.

and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

22 And Kenanyahu was the chief of the Levites in conducting the singing: he instructed in conducting the singing, because he was skilful.

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

23 And Berechyah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

24 And Shebanyahu, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and 'Amassai, and Zecharyahu, and Benayahu, and Eli'ezer, the priests, did blow on the trumpets before the ark of God; and 'Obed-edom and Jechiyah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

25 And it was David, with the elders of Israel, and the officers over the thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of 'Obed-edom with joy.

So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and [so were] all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singers, and Kenanyahu the chief in conducting the singing of the singers; but David had also upon him an ephod of linen.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing aloud on psalteries and harps.

Thus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

29 And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came as far as the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.

As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.