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David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

¹ David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. ² Then David said, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually." ³ David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. ⁴ David gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵ From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.

⁶ From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives.

⁷ From the descendants of Gershom: Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives.

⁸ From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives.

⁹ From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives.

¹⁰ From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

¹¹ David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, along with the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹² He told them: "You are the leaders of the Levites' families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it. ¹³ The first time you did not carry it; that is why the Lord God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it." ¹⁴ The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵ The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command.

¹⁶ David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

¹⁹ The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style; ²¹ Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style, as led by the director; ²² Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter; ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians of the ark; ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians of the ark.

²⁵ So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord's covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. ²⁶ When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the Lord's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷ David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians; David also wore a linen ephod. ²⁸ All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord's covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments. ²⁹ As the ark of the Lord's covenant entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David jumping and celebrating, she despised him.