1 Chronicles 13-16

American Standard Version

13 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader. ² And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad every where unto our brethren that are left in all the ^[a]land of Israel, ^[b]with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have ^[c]suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us; ³ and let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul. ⁴ And all the assembly said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. ⁵ So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor the brook of Egypt even unto the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God Jehovah that ^[d]sitteth above the cherubim, ^[e]that is called by the Name. ⁷ And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. ⁸ And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

⁹ And when they came unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen ^[f]stumbled. ¹⁰ And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God. ¹¹ And David was displeased, because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzza: and he called that place ^[g]Perez-uzza, unto this day. ¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? ¹³ So David removed not the ark unto him into the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months: and Jehovah blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

14 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house. ² And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel; for his kingdom was exalted on high, for his people Israel’s sake.

³ And David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begat more sons and daughters. ⁴ And these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, ⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet, ⁶ and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, ⁷ and Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸ And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out ^[h]against them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thy hand. ¹¹ So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and David said, God hath ^[i]broken mine enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place ^[j]Baal-perazim. ¹² And they left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire.

¹³ And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴ And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the ^[k]mulberry-trees. ¹⁵ And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God is gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. ¹⁶ And David did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from ^[l]Gibeon even to Gezer. ¹⁷ And the fame of David went out into all lands; and Jehovah brought the fear of him upon all nations.

15 And David made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. ² Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. ³ And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place, which he had prepared for it. ⁴ And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites: ⁵ of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty; ⁶ of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty; ⁷ of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty; ⁸ of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred; ⁹ of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore; ¹⁰ of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve. ¹¹ And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, ¹² and said unto them, Ye are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto the place that I have prepared for it. ¹³ For because ye bare it not at the first, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not according to the ordinance. ¹⁴ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of Jehovah.

¹⁶ And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers. ¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed, with cymbals of brass to sound aloud; ²⁰ and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth; ²¹ and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead. ²² And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over ^[m]the song: he instructed about ^[n]the song, because he was skilful. ²³ And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the house of Obed-edom with joy. ²⁶ And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams. ²⁷ And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of ^[o]the song with the singers: and David had upon him an ephod of linen. ²⁸ Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with psalteries and harps.

²⁹ And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

16 And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God. ² And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah. ³ And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion ^[p]of flesh, and a cake of raisins.

⁴ And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Jehovah, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Jehovah, the God of Israel: ⁵ Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, ^[q]Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; ⁶ and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ Then on that day did David ^[r]first ordain to give thanks unto Jehovah, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

And all the people said, Amen, and praised Jehovah.

³⁷ So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; ³⁸ and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; ³⁹ and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of Jehovah in the high place that was at Gibeon, ⁴⁰ to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah upon the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Jehovah, which he commanded unto Israel; ⁴¹ and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, because his lovingkindness endureth for ever; ⁴² and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate. ⁴³ And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.