The First Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

(2 Samuel 6:12–15)

David 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.

Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

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

Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;

from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;

from the Gershomites,(a) Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives;

from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;

from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives;

and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.

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

And 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.

It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark

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

And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.

David 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.

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

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

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

Zechariah, Aziel,(d) Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.(e)

And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.(f)

Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians (g) of the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—the priests—were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be guardians of the ark.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom.

And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

Now 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.

So 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.

Michal’s Contempt for David

(2 Samuel 6:16)

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

Footnotes

(a)15:7 Gershomites is a variant of Gershonites; see 1 Chronicles 23:7.

(b)15:18 Several Hebrew manuscripts and most LXX manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 1 Chronicles 16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Zechariah son of or Zechariah, Ben,

(d)15:20 Aziel is a variant of Jaaziel; see verse 18.

(e)15:20 Alamoth is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in Psalms 46:1.

(f)15:21 Sheminith is probably a musical term; here and in Psalms 6:1 and Psalms 12:1.

(g)15:23 Literally gatekeepers; also in verse 24

(2 Samuel 6:12–15)

David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For the LORD has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the LORD’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;

of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.

For because you didn’t carry it at first, the LORD our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”

The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to the LORD’s word.

David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

Thus all Israel brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

Michal’s Contempt for David

(2 Samuel 6:16)

As the ark of the LORD’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.