1 Chronicles 15
Expanded Bible
The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem(A)
15 David built ·houses [buildings] for himself in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. 2 David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to ·serve [minister to/for] him forever.”
3 David ·called [summoned; assembled] all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had ·made [prepared] for it. 4 David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. 5 There were one hundred twenty ·people from [L sons of] Kohath’s ·family group [clan], with Uriel as their ·leader [chief]. 6 There were two hundred twenty ·people from [L sons of] Merari’s ·family group [clan], with Asaiah as their ·leader [chief]. 7 There were one hundred thirty ·people from [L sons of] ·Gershon’s [or Gersom’s; 6:1] ·family group [clan], with Joel as their ·leader [chief]. 8 There were two hundred ·people from [L sons of] Elizaphan’s ·family group [clan], with Shemaiah as their ·leader [chief]. 9 There were eighty ·people from [L sons of] Hebron’s ·family group [clan], with Eliel as their ·leader [chief]. 10 And there were one hundred twelve ·people from [L sons of] Uzziel’s ·family group [clan], with Amminadab as their ·leader [chief].
11 Then David ·asked [called for; summoned] the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 David said to them, “You are the leaders of the ·families [clans] of Levi. You and the other Levites must ·give yourselves for service [consecrate/purify/sanctify yourselves] to the Lord, so that you can bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have ·made [prepared] for it. 13 The first time we did not ask the Lord ·how [the proper/lawful way] to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it, so the Lord our God ·punished [L burst/broke out against] us.”
14 Then the priests and Levites ·prepared themselves for service to the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves] so they could ·carry [bring up] the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses had ·commanded [ordered; instructed], ·just as the Lord had said they should [L according to the word of the Lord].
16 David ·told [commanded; ordered] the ·leaders [chiefs] of the Levites to appoint their ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers] as ·singers [musicians] to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and to ·sing happy songs [play/sing joyfully].
17 So the Levites appointed Heman and his ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers] Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari ·family group [clan], was Kushaiah’s son. 18 There was also a second ·group [rank; C possibly assistants] of Levites: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were the Levite ·guards [gatekeepers].
19 The ·singers [musicians] Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played ·the lyres [harps] according to alamoth [C possibly indicating to be sung by a soprano; Ps. 46:title]. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the ·harps [lyres] according to ·sheminith [L eighth; C a reference to an eight-stringed instrument or perhaps to the manner of singing; Ps. 12:title; Ps. 16:title]. 22 The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing, because he was ·very good at it [highly skilled; very knowledgeable].
23 Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark. 24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets ·in front of [before] the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark.
25 David, the ·leaders [elders] of Israel, and the ·commanders [captains] of a thousand soldiers went to ·get [bring up] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom’s house with great ·joy [celebration]. 26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams]. 27 All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a ·holy vest of fine linen [L ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. 28 So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.
29 As the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord entered the City of David [C Jerusalem], Saul’s daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David ·dancing [leaping] and celebrating, she hated him in her heart.
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1 Chronicles 15
Amplified Bible
Plans to Move the Ark to Jerusalem
15 David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.” 3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place which he had prepared for it. 4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his relatives; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his relatives; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his relatives; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his relatives; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his relatives; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his relatives.
11 Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites—Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and he said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not [carry it as God directed] the first time, the Lord our God made an [angry] outburst against us, for we did not seek Him in accordance with the ordinance.”(A) 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated (dedicated) themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.
16 Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives as the singers, with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and to raise sounds of joy [with their voices]. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, 18 and with them their relatives of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. 19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud the bronze cymbals; 20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah [were to play] with [a]harps tuned to Alamoth [that is, a high pitch]; 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith [that is, the eighth string, a low pitch]. 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skilled. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark.
25 So David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy. 26 Because God was helping the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord [to do it carefully and safely], they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah, director of the music of the singers. David also wore an ephod (a priestly upper garment) of linen. 28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.
29 It happened that as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal [David’s wife] the daughter of Saul, looking down through a window, saw King David leaping and dancing [in celebration]; and [b]she despised him in her heart.
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- 1 Chronicles 15:20 Or harps of maiden-like tone, i.e. soprano. This particular instrument may have resembled a guitar.
- 1 Chronicles 15:29 Michal strongly disapproved of David’s undignified entry into the city wearing the ephod instead of his royal robes (see note 2 Sam 6:20).
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