[1] David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a
place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. [2] Then David said,
"No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them
to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him for ever." [3] And
David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to
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, Uri'el the
chief, with a hundred and twenty of his brethren; [6] of the sons of
Merar'i, Asai'ah the chief, with two hundred and twenty of his brethren;
[7] of the sons of Gershom, Jo'el the chief, with a hundred and thirty of
his brethren; [8] of the sons of Eli-za'phan, Shemai'ah the chief, with two
hundred of his brethren; [9] of the sons of Hebron, Eli'el the chief, with
eighty of his brethren; [10] of the sons of Uz'ziel, Ammin'adab the chief,
with a hundred and twelve of his brethren. [11] Then David summoned the
priests Zadok and Abi'athar, and the Levites Uri'el, Asai'ah, Jo'el,
Shemai'ah, Eli'el, and Ammin'adab, [12] and said to them, "You are the
heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and
your brethren, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of
Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. [13] Because you did not
carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke forth upon us, because we
did not care for it in the way that is ordained." [14] So the priests and
the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God
of Israel. [15] And the Levites carried the ark of God upon their shoulders
with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.
[16] David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their
brethren as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on
harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. [17] So the Levites
appointed Heman the son of Jo'el; and of his brethren Asaph the son of
Berechi'ah; and of the sons of Merar'i, their brethren, Ethan the son of
Kusha'iah; [18] and with them their brethren of the second order,
Zechari'ah, Ja-a'ziel, Shemi'ramoth, Jehi'el, Unni, Eli'ab, Benai'ah,
Ma-asei'ah, Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, and Miknei'ah, and the gatekeepers
O'bed-e'dom and Je-i'el. [19] The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to
sound bronze cymbals; [20] Zechari'ah, A'zi-el, Shemi'ramoth, Jehi'el,
Unni, Eli'ab, Ma-asei'ah, and Benai'ah were to play harps according to
Al'amoth; [21] but Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, Miknei'ah, O'bed-e'dom,
Je-i'el, and Azazi'ah were to lead with lyres according to the Shem'inith.
[22] Chenani'ah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music,
for he understood it. [23] Berechi'ah and Elka'nah were to be gatekeepers
for the ark. [24] Shebani'ah, Josh'aphat, Nethan'el, Ama'sai, Zechari'ah,
Benai'ah, and Elie'zer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the
ark of God. O'bed-e'dom and Jehi'ah also were to be gatekeepers for the
ark. [25] So David and the elders of Israel, and the commanders of
thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the
house of O'bed-e'dom with rejoicing. [26] And because God helped the
Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they
sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. [27] David was clothed with a robe
of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and
the singers, and Chenani'ah the leader of the music of the singers; and
David wore a linen ephod. [28] So all Israel brought up the ark of the
covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and
cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. [29] And as the ark of the
covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul
looked out of the window, and saw King David dancing and making merry; and
she despised him in her heart.