1Ch 15 | EE | STEP | David built houses for himself in David’s city. And he prepared a place for God’s Covenant Box. He put its tent there.

1 Chronicles 15

Levites bring the Covenant Box to Jerusalem

1 David built houses for himself in David’s city. And he prepared a place for God’s Covenant Box. He put its tent there. 2 Then David said, ‘Only Levites can carry God’s Covenant Box. That is because the LORD chose them to carry God’s Covenant Box. He chose them to work for him for all time.’ 3 David told all the Israelites that they should come to Jerusalem. They should bring the LORD‘s Covenant Box to the place that David had prepared for it. 4 Then David told the descendants of Aaron and the Levites that they must come together. 5 There were 120 people from Kohath’s clan. Uriel was their leader. 6 There were 220 people from Merari’s clan. Asaiah was their leader. 7 There were 130 people from Gershon’s clan. Joel was their leader. 8 There were 200 people from Elizaphan’s clan. Shemaiah was their leader. 9 There were 80 people from Hebron’s clan. Eliel was their leader. 10 And there were 112 people from Uzziel’s clan. Amminadab was their leader.

11 Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar to come to him. Also he asked certain Levites to come. They were Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. 12 David said to them, ‘You are the leaders of the Levites‘clans. You and the other Levites must make yourselves holy. Then bring the Covenant Box of the LORD, Israel’s God, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 You did not carry it the first time. And, because of that, the LORD our God was angry with us. We did not ask him how we should move it. So we did not do it in the way that he has said.’ 14 Then the priests and the Levites made themselves holy so that they could carry the LORD‘s Covenant Box. The LORD is Israel’s God. 15 The Levites carried God’s Covenant Box on their shoulders. And they used the long sticks, as Moses had told the Levites. The LORD had said that this was how to carry it.

Leaders choose some Levites to sing and to make music

16 David told the leaders of the Levites that they must choose some Levites. The men that they chose would sing. And they would make music. They would use lyres, harps and cymbals. And their songs would make people happy.

17 The Levites chose Joel’s son Heman. They also chose Asaph and Ethan. Those men were also Levites. Asaph was Berechiah’s son. Ethan was from the Merari clan and he was Kushaiah’s son. 18 With them, there was a second group of Levites. These were Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. All those men were guards at the gates.

19 The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan had cymbals of bronze that they could use. 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah had harps. They made the music called Alamoth.

21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah had lyres. They were leaders for the music called Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah was the leader of the singers. He taught singers how to sing. He did that because he was very good at it. He was the leader of the Levites. ^{▼▼15:22 ‘Sheminith’ means an 8th in music. It is a low sound that men can sing.}

Priests walk in front of the Covenant Box and they make sounds with trumpets

23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the Covenant Box. 24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer used trumpets in front of God’s Covenant Box. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the Covenant Box.

The Levites carry the Covenant Box to Jerusalem

25 So David, the leaders of Israel and the captains over 1000 soldiers went to fetch the Covenant Box. They all went to bring the LORD‘s Covenant Box from Obed-Edom’s house. And they were very happy. 26 And God helped the Levites who were carrying the LORD‘s Covenant Box. So, they sacrificed 7 male cows and 7 male sheep. 27 David wore clothes of good linen. All the Levites who were carrying the Covenant Box wore clothes of good linen. The singers and Chenaniah, their leader, also wore clothes of good linen. David also wore a special linen shirt. 28 So, all the Israelites brought the Covenant Box of the LORD. They shouted. They used different kinds of trumpets. And they made loud music with cymbals, lyres and harps.

Michal is angry with David

29 The Box of the LORD‘s special covenant reached David’s city. While it was coming into the city, Saul’s daughter Michal was watching. She was at a window and she saw King David. He was dancing and he was very happy. She thought that he should not do that. So, in her mind, she thought that he was silly.