1 Chronicles 15
Carried This Time on the Shoulders of Levites
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None May Lift the Ark but the Levites
15:1He made houses for himself in the City of David, prepared the place for God’s ark, and made a tent for it.
15:2Then David said, “No one may lift God’s ark except the Levites, for the Lord chose them to lift the Lord’s ark and to minister to Him forever.”
15:3David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the Lord’s ark up to the place he had prepared for it.
The Levites Gathered by Their Houses
15:4David gathered Aaron’s sons and the Levites.
15:5From Kaath’s sons: Ouriel the ruler and his brothers, one hundred twenty.
15:6From Merari’s sons: Asaia the ruler and his brothers, two hundred fifty.
15:7From Gersam’s sons: Joel the ruler and his brothers, one hundred fifty.
15:8From Elisaphan’s sons: Samaias the ruler and his brothers, two hundred.
15:9From Hebron’s sons: Eliel the ruler and his brothers, eighty.
15:10From Oziel’s sons: Amminadab the ruler and his brothers, one hundred twelve.
The Priests and Levites Purify Themselves
15:11David summoned Sadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Ouriel, Asaia, Joel, Samaia, Eliel, and Amminadab.
15:12He said to them, “You are rulers of the Levites’ ancestral houses. Purify yourselves, you and your brothers, and bring up the ark of Israel’s God to the place I have prepared for it.
15:13Because you were not there previously, our God cut among us, for we did not seek according to judgment.”
15:14The priests and Levites purified themselves to bring up the ark of Israel’s God.
15:15The Levites’ sons took God’s ark, as Moses had commanded by God’s word according to the writing, with carrying poles upon them.
The Singers and the Instruments Appointed
15:16David said to the Levites’ rulers, “Appoint their brothers the psalm singers with song instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to sound on high with a voice of gladness.”
15:17The Levites appointed Aiman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Barachia; and from Merari’s sons, his brothers, Aithan son of Kisaiou.
15:18With them were their brothers of the second rank: Zacharias, Oziel, Semiramoth, Jiiel, Oni, Eliab, Banaia, Maasaia, Mattathia, Eliphalia, Makenia, Abdedom, Jiiel, and Ozias, the gatekeepers.
15:19The psalm singers Aiman, Asaph, and Aithan were to make themselves heard with bronze cymbals.
15:20Zacharias, Oziel, Semiramoth, Jiiel, Oni, Eliab, Masaias, and Banaias played harps according to Alaimoth.
15:21Mattathias, Eliphalias, Makenias, Abdedom, Jiiel, and Ozias played lyres, Amasenith, to strengthen.
15:22Chonenia, ruler of the Levites, was ruler of the songs, for he was discerning.
15:23Barachia and Elkana were gatekeepers of the ark.
15:24The priests Sobnia, Josaphat, Nathanael, Amasai, Zacharia, Banai, and Eliezer sounded trumpets before God’s ark; Abdedom and Jia were gatekeepers of God’s ark.
The Ark Brought Up with Rejoicing
15:25David, Israel’s elders, and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Abdedom’s house with gladness.
15:26When God strengthened the Levites lifting the ark of the Lord’s covenant, they sacrificed seven calves and seven rams.
15:27David was girded in a fine-linen robe, as were all the Levites lifting the ark of the Lord’s covenant, the psalm singers, and Chonenias, leader of the singers’ songs. Upon David was a fine-linen robe.
15:28All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord’s covenant with signals, the sound of the sopher, trumpets, and cymbals, sounding out with harps and lyres.
Melchol Despises David
15:29As the ark of the Lord’s covenant came to the City of David, Melchol daughter of Saul peered through the window. She saw King David dancing and playing, and despised him in her soul.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.