1 Chronicles 15
15
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
1David#15:1 Hebrew He built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and #ch. 16:1pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry #ver. 15, 26; Num. 4:2, 15the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. 3#ch. 13:5; [1 Kgs. 8:1] And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord #ver. 1, 12; 2 Sam. 6:17to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and #See ch. 6:16-30the Levites: 5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; 6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; 8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; 10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. 11Then David summoned the priests #ch. 6:8; 16:39 Zadok and #1 Sam. 22:20; 1 Kgs. 2:26Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. #2 Chr. 35:6 Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, #ver. 1, 3to the place that I have prepared for it. 13#ch. 13:7; 2 Sam. 6:3Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” 14So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders #Ex. 25:14 with the poles, #Num. 4:15; 7:9as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on #[ch. 13:8; 16:5, 42]musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17So the Levites appointed #ch. 6:33 Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers #ch. 6:39 Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, #ch. 6:44Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20Zechariah, #[ver. 18] Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to #See Ps. 46, titleAlamoth; 21but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, #ch. 26:4 Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to #See Ps. 6, titlethe Sheminith. 22Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should #ver. 28; ch. 16:6; Num. 10:8 blow the trumpets before the ark of God. #[See ver. 21 above]Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25 # For ver. 25-28, see 2 Sam. 6:12-15 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of #[See ver. 21 above]Obed-edom with rejoicing. 26And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed #Num. 23:1; Job 42:8seven bulls and seven rams. 27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, #[ver. 24] trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on #ver. 16harps and lyres.
29And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: