1 Chronicles 15
15
Getting Ready to Move the Covenant Box
1For his own use, David built houses in David's City.#15.1 David's city: That part of Jerusalem which David had captured from the original inhabitants, the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5.6–10). He also prepared a place for God's Covenant Box and put up a tent for it. 2#Deut 10.8Then he said, “Only Levites should carry the Covenant Box, because they are the ones the LORD chose to carry it and to serve him for ever.” 3So David summoned all the people of Israel to Jerusalem in order to bring the Covenant Box to the place he had prepared for it. 4Next he sent for the descendants of Aaron and for the Levites. 5From the Levite clan of Kohath came Uriel, in charge of 120 members of his clan; 6from the clan of Merari came Asaiah, in charge of 220; 7from the clan of Gershon, Joel, in charge of 130; 8from the clan of Elizaphan, Shemaiah, in charge of 200; 9from the clan of Hebron, Eliel, in charge of eighty; 10and from the clan of Uzziel, Amminadab, in charge of 112.
11David called in the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the six Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12He said to the Levites, “You are the leaders of the Levite clans. Purify yourselves and your fellow-Levites, so that you can bring the Covenant Box of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13Because you were not there to carry it the first time, the LORD our God punished us for not worshipping him as we should have done.”
14Then the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to move the Covenant Box of the LORD God of Israel. 15#Ex 25.14The Levites carried it on poles on their shoulders, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
16David commanded the leaders of the Levites to assign various Levites to sing and to play joyful music on harps and cymbals. 17-21From the clans of singers they chose the following men to play the brass cymbals: Heman son of Joel, his relative Asaph son of Berechiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah, of the clan of Merari. To assist them they chose the following Levites to play the high-pitched harps: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah.
To play the low-pitched harps they chose the following Levites: Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and the temple guards, Obed Edom and Jeiel.
22Because of his skill in music Chenaniah was chosen to be in charge of the levitical musicians. 23-24Berechiah and Elkanah, along with Obed Edom and Jehiah, were chosen as guards for the Covenant Box. The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer were chosen to blow trumpets in front of the Covenant Box.
Moving the Covenant Box to Jerusalem
(2 Sam 6.12–22)
25So King David, the leaders of Israel, and the military commanders went to the house of Obed Edom to fetch the Covenant Box, and they had a great celebration. 26They sacrificed seven bulls and seven sheep, to make sure that God would help the Levites who were carrying the Covenant Box. 27David was wearing a robe made of the finest linen, and so were the musicians, Chenaniah their leader, and the Levites who carried the Box. David also wore a linen ephod. 28So all the Israelites accompanied the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the sound of trumpets, horns, and cymbals, and the music of harps.
29As the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and leaping for joy, and she was disgusted with him.
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1 Chronicles 15: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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.