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1 Chronicles 15:1-16
New Catholic Bible
1 Chronicles 15:1-16
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 15
Carrying the Ark to Jerusalem. 1 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the Ark of God, pitching a tent for it.
2 David then said, “No one can carry the Ark of God except the Levites. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of God and to minister to him forever.”
3 David assembled all of Israel in Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place that he had prepared for it. 4 David assembled the descendants of Aaron and the Levites.
5 From the descendants of Kohath, there were Uriel, their leader, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren. 6 From the descendants of Merari, there were Asaiah, their leader, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren. 7 From the descendants of Gershon, there were Joel, their leader, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren. 8 From the descendants of Elizaphan, there were Shemaiah, their leader, and two hundred of his brethren. 9 From the descendants of Hebron, there were Eliel, their leader, and eighty of his brethren. 10 From the descendants of Uzziel, there were Amminadab, their leader, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.
11 David summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the leaders of the ancestral clans of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brethren so that you might bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 [a]It is because you did not bring it up the first time that the Lord burst forth against us, for we did not inquire of him about the proper order.”
14 The priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The descendants of the Levites carried the Ark of God by its poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Lord.
16 David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren as singers, lifting their voices up with joy, and accompanied by music played on the lyres, harps, and cymbals.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 15:13 Even with all his wisdom, David sometimes failed to follow God’s instructions. Although returning the Ark to Israel was the right thing to do, David was careless in following the prescribed method and was unsuccessful until he was obedient to God’s explicit instructions.
1 Chronicles 15:1-16
New International Version
1 Chronicles 15:1-16
New International Version
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(A)
15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared(B) a place for the ark of God and pitched(C) a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites(D) may carry(E) the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister(F) before him forever.”
3 David assembled all Israel(G) in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. 4 He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:(H)
5 From the descendants of Kohath,
Uriel(I) the leader and 120 relatives;
6 from the descendants of Merari,
Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;
7 from the descendants of Gershon,[a]
Joel the leader and 130 relatives;
8 from the descendants of Elizaphan,(J)
Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;
9 from the descendants of Hebron,(K)
Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;
10 from the descendants of Uzziel,
Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.
11 Then David summoned Zadok(L) and Abiathar(M) the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate(N) yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites,(O) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.(P) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.(Q)” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded(R) in accordance with the word of the Lord.(S)
16 David(T) told the leaders of the Levites(U) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians(V) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.(W)
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 15:7 Hebrew Gershom, a variant of Gershon
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