1 Chronicles 15

1David built houses for himself in the City of David. He prepared a place for the ark of God and set up a tent for it.

2Then David said: No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to serve him forever.

3David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.

4David assembled the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

5From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and one hundred twenty of his relatives.

6From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and two hundred twenty of his relatives.

7From the descendants of Gershom: Joel the chief, and one hundred thirty of his relatives.

8From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his relatives.

9From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and eighty of his relatives.

10From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and one hundred twelve of his relatives.

11David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

12And said to them: You are the heads of the Levite families. Purify yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

13Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out in anger against us, because we did not seek him in the proper way.

14So the priests and the Levites purified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

15The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, just as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the LORD.

16David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers, with musical instruments — lyres, harps, and cymbals — to raise their voices in joyful song.

17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

18And with them their fellow Levites of second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom and Jeiel, who were gatekeepers.

19The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound bronze cymbals.

20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth,

21While Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led with lyres according to Sheminith.

22Kenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was in charge of the singing. He gave instructions about the singing, because he was skilled at it.

23Berekiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of the ark of God, and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also gatekeepers for the ark.

25So David, 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 Obed-Edom, with great joy.

26Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, who directed the singing. David also wore a linen ephod.

28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, the sound of horns and trumpets, and cymbals, and the music of harps and lyres.

29As the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.