Open English Translation 1 CHR Chapter 15

15 David constructed houses for his wives in the city of David. He also prepared a place for God’s sacred box and erected a tent for it. 2 Then David ordered, “Only the Levites are allowed to carry God’s box, because Yahweh chose them to carry the box and to minister for him forever.”[ref] 3 David assembled all Yisrael in Yerushalem to bring Yahweh’s box uphill there to the place that he’d prepared for it. 4 Then he summoned Aharon’s descendants and these Levites:

• 5 From Kohat’s descendants (Levi’s second son): Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.
• 6 From Merari’s descendants (Levi’s third son): Asayah the leader and 220 of his relatives.
• 7 From Gershom’s descendants (Levi’s eldest son): Yoel the leader and 130 of his relatives.
• 8 From Elitsafan’s descendants: Shemayah the leader and 200 of his relatives.
• 9 From Hevron’s descendants: Eliel the leader and eighty of his relatives.
• 10 From Uzziyel’s descendants: Amminadav the leader and 112 of his relatives.

11 David summoned the priests Tsadok and Abiatar and these Levites: Uriel, Asayah, Yoel, Shemayah, Eliel, and Amminadav. 12 He told them, “You are the heads of the Levite clans. Consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, and bring the box of Yisrael’s god Yahweh up to where I’ve prepared a place for it. 13 The first time we tried, it wasn’t you Levites, so our god Yahweh burst out against us because we hadn’t requested his instruction.”

14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the sacred box of Yisrael’s god, Yahweh. 15 Then, following Yahweh’s instructed as given to Mosheh (Moses), Levi’s descendants carried God’s sacred chest with it’s poles on their shoulders.[ref]

16 Meanwhile, David instructed the Levite leaders to assign their brothers as the singers with instruments of song, harps, lyres, and cymbals—playing to raise a sound of celebration. 17 The Levites assigned Yoel’s son Heman and his relative Asaf (son of Berekyah) and Eytan (Kishayah’s son, a descendant of Merari), 18 along with their Levite cousins: Zekaryah, Ben, Yaaziel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Unni, Eliav, Benayah, Maaseyah, Mattityah, Elifelehu, Mikneyah, and two of the temple gatekeepers, Oved-Edom and Yeiel. 19 Heman, Asaf, and Etan sang and also played bronze cymbals. 20 Zekaryah, Aziel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Unni, Eliav, Maaseyah, and Benayah played harps in a certain musical style. 21 Mattityah, Elifelehu, Mikneyah, Oved-Edom, Yeiel, and Azazyah played lyres in a different musical style.

22 Kenanyah, the leader of the musical Levites, directed the singing because he was very capable. 23 Berekyah and Elkanah were two of the men who guarded the sacred chest. 24 The priests Shevanyah, Yoshafat, Netanel, Amasai, Zekaryah, Benayah, and Eliezer were the ones who blew trumpets in front of God’s sacred chest. Oved-Edom and Yehiyyah also guarded the sacred chest.

25 So David, and the Israeli elders, and the top army commanders were going to get the box containing Yahweh’s agreement from the house of Obed Edom with much celebration. 26 Indeed, God helped the Levites carrying the box containing Yahweh’s agreement, and they slaughtered seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed in a fine-linen robe, as well as all the Levites carrying the box, and the singers, and the choir director Kenanyah. In addition, David, wore a linen chestpiece. 28 So all Yisrael was bringing the box containing Yahweh’s agreement up the hill with happy shouting, and with a sound of a ram’s horn and with trumpets and cymbals, along with harps and lyres playing.

29 As the box containing Yahweh’s agreement was being brought inside the city of David, Mikal (Shaul’s daughter) looked out the window and saw her husband, King David dancing and celebrating, and she secretly despised him.