1 Chronicles 15

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

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1David now built several palaces for himself in Jerusalem, and he also built a new Tabernacle to house the Ark of God,

2and issued these instructions: “ When we transfer the Ark to its new home, no one except the Levites may carry it, for God has chosen them for this purpose; they are to minister to him forever.“

3Then David summoned all Israel to Jerusalem to celebrate the bringing of the Ark into the new Tabernacle.

4These were the priests and Levites present:

5120 from the clan of Kohath; with Uriel as their leader;“

6220 from the clan of Merari; with Asaiah as their leader;“

7130 from the clan of Gershom; with Joel as their leader;“

8200 from the subclan of Elizaphan; with Shemaiah as their leader;“

980 from the subclan of Hebron; with Eliel as their leader;“

10112 from the subclan of Uzziel; with Amminadab as their leader.“

11Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar, the High Priests, and for the Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12“You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites,“ he told them. “Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

13The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly—you were not carrying it.“

14So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

15Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

16King David also ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and they played loudly and joyously upon psalteries, harps, and cymbals.

17Heman (son of Joel), Asaph (son of Berechiah), and Ethan (son of Kushaiah) from the clan of Merari were the heads of the musicians.

18The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

19Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals;

20and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah comprised an octet accompanied by harps.

21Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were the harpists.

22The song leader was Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, who was selected for his skill.

23Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the Ark.

24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—all of whom were priests—formed a bugle corps to march at the head of the procession. And Obed-edom and Jehiah guarded the Ark.

25Then David and the elders of Israel and the high officers of the army went with great joy to the home of Obed-edom to take the Ark to Jerusalem.

26And because God didn't destroy the Levites who were carrying the Ark, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven lambs.

27David, the Levites carrying the Ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the song leader were all dressed in linen robes. David also wore a linen ephod.

28So the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers.

29(But as the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, David's wife Michal, the daughter of King Saul, felt a deep disgust for David as she watched from the window and saw him dancing like a madman.)

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