1 Chronicles 15

¹So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

⁵until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁴⁶who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

³And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.

¹After David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”

²And Nathan replied to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

²⁴But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king.

⁸At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.

⁹So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

¹So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.

²But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.

³and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

²⁴“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

²⁵But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

¹⁹In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.

²⁰But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

⁵So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

¹At that time Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Zion, the City of David.

¹²Now it was reported to King David, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

¹David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

¹⁷So they brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

¹²And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

¹⁶The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁷These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

⁴⁹But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁵⁰These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

¹⁶These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.

⁴Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

²⁶From Levi: 4,600,

²⁷including Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men,

²²The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

²³Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

²⁹The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,

³⁰Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

¹¹David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

⁸The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.

²²The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

³⁰From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king.

³¹As for the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites, according to the genealogies of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David’s reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among the Hebronites at Jazer in Gilead.

¹⁹The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

²³From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

⁵⁸These were the families of the Levites: The Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Now Kohath was the father of Amram,

²²The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

²²The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

²⁸and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family.

³⁵And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.

²⁰But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.

²¹And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.

²⁵Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

¹⁷Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;

²⁴Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had passed out of the city.

²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.

⁶Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the Lord given by Moses.”

¹⁴When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.

¹⁵“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”

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

¹Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

¹⁵And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord.

¹¹Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place,

³They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,

⁴⁰But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.

²Now I commend you for remembering me in everything and for maintaining the traditions, just as I passed them on to you.

⁸If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

⁷And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸Then David became angry because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

¹⁵When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

³⁴However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.

³Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.

¹⁵When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the Lord, according to the command of the king by the words of the Lord.

¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷Let the priests who minister before the Lord weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

¹⁵When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

⁹But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

²⁰Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.

¹²Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.

¹³And make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

³And he cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.

⁴Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

⁵Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.

⁶They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles.

⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁴²Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.

⁵4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”

¹³The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud

³⁶and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

²³Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

³⁹Heman’s kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,

³³These are the men who served, together with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,

⁴⁴On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

¹⁹The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.

²The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

¹A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

⁴And Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

⁸All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work—62 in all from Obed-edom.

⁹The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

¹⁰the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

²From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king.

³From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

¹⁴Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he owned.

¹⁵The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and the lot for the storehouses to his sons.

⁶All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.

⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁴²Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.

⁵Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals

¹⁶David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

¹Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:

¹For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas,

¹⁸and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

³Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.

¹For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

²Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

³with the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre.

¹For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.

²Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am frail; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are in agony.

⁶All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.

⁷Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the Lord, they numbered 288.

¹⁶David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

²⁷Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

⁷Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the Lord, they numbered 288.

⁸They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.

⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.

¹⁸The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

¹⁰For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

²¹Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

²²The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust.

⁶and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

²⁸So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.

⁸The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a permanent statute for you and the generations to come.

¹⁸and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

¹Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming; indeed, it is near—

²³Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark.

¹²Now it was reported to King David, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

¹³When those carrying the ark of the Lord had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

¹⁶Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

²But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

²⁷Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the Lord with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

¹¹Then David became angry because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

¹²That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”

²⁹Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

⁸So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”

¹³I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my vows to You—

¹⁴the vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke in my distress.

¹⁴But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.

²³Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord, along with a male goat for a sin offering.

¹²Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹⁴And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the Lord,

¹⁸Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.

⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

¹⁶David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

¹²all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.

¹³The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud

¹⁵while he and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sounding of the ram’s horn.

³Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.

⁴Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.

¹⁰When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as David king of Israel had prescribed.

¹¹And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord had been laid.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

²¹But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the Lord,

¹⁶As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹³“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

¹⁴Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

⁷For I have endured scorn for Your sake, and shame has covered my face.

⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,

¹¹You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

³When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the Lord brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”