Study Desk

Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites ^(C1)to appoint their relatives as the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, playing to raise sounds of joy.

So ^(C1)the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, ^(F1)Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

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

and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps tuned to ^(F1)alamoth;

and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to lead with lyres tuned to ^(F1)the sheminith.

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful.

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, ^(C1)blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.

^(C1)So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains of thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from ^(C2)the house of Obed-edom with joy.

Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed ^(C1)seven bulls and seven rams.

Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. ^(C1)David also wore an ephod of linen.

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres.