1 Chronicles 15
15
David Gets Ready To Bring the Sacred Chest to Jerusalem
1David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept. 2#Dt 10.8. He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever.”
3Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it. 4He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites that came were: 5Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and 120 of his relatives; 6Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and 220 of his relatives; 7Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and 130 of his relatives; 8Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and 200 of his relatives; 9Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and 80 of his relatives; and 10Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with 112 of his relatives.
11David called together these six Levites and the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar. 12He said to them, “You are the leaders of the clans in the Levi tribe. You and your relatives must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean and acceptable to the Lord. Then you may carry the sacred chest that belongs to the Lord God of Israel and bring it to the place I have prepared for it. 13The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the Lord what he wanted us to do. He was angry with us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest.”
14The priests and the Levites made themselves clean. They were now ready to carry the sacred chest 15#Ex 25.14. on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the Lord had told Moses to do.
16David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed instruments, and cymbals. 17-21The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.
22Chenaniah was chosen to be the music director, because he was a skilled musician.
23-24Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah.
Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer.
The Sacred Chest Is Brought to Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 6.12-22)
25David, the leaders of Israel, and the army commanders were very happy as they went to Obed-Edom's house to get the sacred chest. 26God gave the Levites the strength they needed to carry the chest, and so they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27David, the Levites, Chenaniah the music director, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes, and David was also wearing a linen cloth.#15.27 a linen cloth: The Hebrew word is “ephod,” which can mean either a piece of clothing like a skirt that went from the waist to the knee or a garment like a vest or jacket that only the priests wore. 28While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.
29Saul's daughter Michal#15.29 Michal: One of David's wives. looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honor of the Lord, she was disgusted.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Chronicles 15
15
David prepares to bring the chest to Jerusalem
1After he had built houses for himself in David’s City, David prepared a place for God’s chest and pitched a tent for it. 2David said, “Only the Levites may carry God’s chest, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the LORD’s chest and to minister to him forever.”
3David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the LORD’s chest to the place he had prepared for it. 4David also gathered Aaron’s family and the Levites:
5Uriel, the leader of Kohath’s family, and 120 of his relatives;
6Asaiah, the leader of Merari’s family, and 220 of his relatives;
7Joel, the leader of Gershom’s family, and 130 of his relatives;
8Shemaiah, the leader of Elizaphan’s family, and 200 of his relatives;
9Eliel, the leader of Hebron’s family, and 80 of his relatives;
10and Amminadab, the leader of Uzziel’s family, and 112 of his relatives.
11David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12He said to them, “You are the household heads of the Levites. Make yourselves holy, you and your brothers, and then bring the chest of the LORD, Israel’s God, to the place I’ve prepared for it. 13When you weren’t with us the first time, the LORD our God burst out against us because we didn’t ask his advice properly.” 14So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy to bring up the chest of the LORD, Israel’s God. 15The Levites carried God’s chest with poles on their shoulders, just as Moses had commanded according to the LORD’s word.
16Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as singers to raise their voices joyfully, accompanied by musical instruments, including harps, lyres, and cymbals.
17So the Levites appointed Heman, Joel’s son; and from his relatives, Asaph, Berechiah’s son; and from their Merarite relatives, Ethan, Kushaiah’s son; 18and second in rank with them their relatives: Zechariah, Jaaziel,#15.18 LXX; MT Jaaziel’s son Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers.
19The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to make music with bronze cymbals.
20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps tuned to the Alamoth.
21Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres tuned to the Sheminith.
22Chenaniah was leader of the Levites who provided transportation,#15.22 Heb uncertain because he was skilled at it.
23Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the chest.
24The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer were to blow the trumpets before God’s chest. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were to be gatekeepers for the chest.
David brings the chest to Jerusalem
25Then David, along with Israel’s elders and the captains of the thousands, went with rejoicing to bring up the chest containing the LORD’s covenant from Obed-edom’s house. 26Since God had helped the Levites who were carrying the chest containing the LORD’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27David wore a fine-linen robe, as did the singers, all the Levites who were carrying the chest, and Chenaniah, the leader of transportation.#15.27 MT adds the singers. David also wore a linen priestly vest.#15.27 Heb ephod 28So all Israel brought up the chest containing the LORD’s covenant with shouts of joy, accompanied by the blast of the ram’s horn, by trumpets and cymbals, and playing on harps and lyres. 29As the chest containing the LORD’s covenant entered David’s City, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing, she lost all respect for him.
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