1 Chronicles 15
Learning to read Hebrew? Start with the alphabet.
Preparing to Move the Ark
2אָ֚ז אָמַ֣ר דָּוִ֔יד לֹ֤א לָשֵׂאת֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־הַלְוִיִּ֑ם כִּי־בָ֣ם׀ בָּחַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לָשֵׂ֞את אֶת־אֲר֧וֹן יְהוָ֛ה וּֽלְשָׁרְת֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ס
2Then 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.”
12וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם אַתֶּ֛ם רָאשֵׁ֥י הָאָב֖וֹת לַלְוִיִּ֑ם הִֽתְקַדְּשׁוּ֙ אַתֶּ֣ם וַאֲחֵיכֶ֔ם וְהַֽעֲלִיתֶ֗ם אֵ֣ת אֲר֤וֹן יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־הֲכִינ֖וֹתִי לֽוֹ׃
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.
The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark
16וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִיד֮ לְשָׂרֵ֣י הַלְוִיִּם֒ לְהַֽעֲמִ֗יד אֶת־אֲחֵיהֶם֙ הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים בִּכְלֵי־שִׁ֛יר נְבָלִ֥ים וְכִנֹּר֖וֹת וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם מַשְׁמִיעִ֥ים לְהָרִֽים־בְּק֖וֹל לְשִׂמְחָֽה׃פ
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.
17וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֵ֚ת הֵימָ֣ן בֶּן־יוֹאֵ֔ל וּמִ֨ן־אֶחָ֔יו אָסָ֖ף בֶּן־בֶּֽרֶכְיָ֑הוּס וּמִן־בְּנֵ֤י מְרָרִי֙ אֲחֵיהֶ֔ם אֵיתָ֖ן בֶּן־קֽוּשָׁיָֽהוּ׃
17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
18וְעִמָּהֶ֖ם אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם הַמִּשְׁנִ֑ים זְכַרְיָ֡הוּ בֵּ֡ן וְיַֽעֲזִיאֵ֡ל וּשְׁמִֽירָמ֡וֹת וִיחִיאֵ֣ל׀ וְעֻנִּ֡י אֱלִיאָ֡ב וּבְנָיָ֡הוּ וּמַֽעֲשֵׂיָ֡הוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ֩ וֶאֱלִ֨יפְלֵ֜הוּ וּמִקְנֵיָ֨הוּ וְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם וִֽיעִיאֵ֖ל הַשֹּׁעֲרִֽים׃
18and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel,a Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.b
24וּשְׁבַנְיָ֡הוּ וְיֽוֹשָׁפָ֡ט וּנְתַנְאֵ֡ל וַעֲמָשַׂ֡י וּ֠זְכַרְיָהוּ וּבְנָיָ֤הוּ וֶֽאֱלִיעֶ֙זֶר֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מַחֲצֹצְרִים בַּחֲצֹ֣צְר֔וֹת לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְעֹבֵ֤ד אֱדֹם֙ וִֽיחִיָּ֔ה שֹׁעֲרִ֖ים לָאָרֽוֹן׃
24Shebaniah, 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
25וַיְהִ֥י דָוִ֛יד וְזִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְשָׂרֵ֣י הָאֲלָפִ֑ים הַהֹֽלְכִ֗ים לְֽהַעֲל֞וֹת אֶת־אֲר֧וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֛ה מִן־בֵּ֥ית עֹבֵֽד־אֱדֹ֖ם בְּשִׂמְחָֽה׃ס
25So 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.
27וְדָוִ֞יד מְכֻרְבָּ֣ל׀ בִּמְעִ֣יל בּ֗וּץ וְכָל־הַלְוִיִּם֙ הַנֹּשְׂאִ֣ים אֶת־הָאָר֔וֹן וְהַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים וּכְנַנְיָ֛ה הַשַּׂ֥ר הַמַּשָּׂ֖א הַמְשֹֽׁרְרִ֑ים וְעַל־דָּוִ֖יד אֵפ֥וֹד בָּֽד׃
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.
28וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מַעֲלִים֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֔ה בִּתְרוּעָה֙ וּבְק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָ֔ר וּבַחֲצֹצְר֖וֹת וּבִמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם מַשְׁמִעִ֕ים בִּנְבָלִ֖ים וְכִנֹּרֽוֹת׃
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.
Michal’s Contempt for David
29וַיְהִ֗י אֲרוֹן֙ בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה בָּ֖א עַד־עִ֣יר דָּוִ֑יד וּמִיכַ֨ל בַּת־שָׁא֜וּל נִשְׁקְפָ֣ה׀ בְּעַ֣ד הַחַלּ֗וֹן וַתֵּ֨רֶא אֶת־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ דָּוִיד֙ מְרַקֵּ֣ד וּמְשַׂחֵ֔ק וַתִּ֥בֶז ל֖וֹ בְּלִבָּֽהּ׃פ
29As 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.