1 A nd 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.

David built houses for himself in the city of David. He made a place ready for the special box of God. And he set up a tent for it.

2 T hen 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.

Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the special box of God. For the Lord chose them to carry the special box of the agreement and to serve Him forever.”

3 A nd David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the special box of the Lord to the place he had made for it.

4 A nd David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

He gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites.

5 o f the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty;

Uriel became leader of the sons of Kohath, and 120 of his brothers.

6 o f the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty;

Asaiah became the leader of the sons of Merari, and 220 of his brothers.

7 o f the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty;

Joel became the leader of the sons of Gershom, and 130 of his brothers.

8 o f the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred;

Shemaiah became the leader of the sons of Elizaphan, and 200 of his brothers.

9 o f the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore;

Eliel became the leader of the sons of Hebron, and 80 of his brothers.

10 o f the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

Amminadab became the leader of the sons of Uzziel, and 112 of his brothers.

11 A nd David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the religious leaders. And he called for the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab.

12 a nd 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.

He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Make yourselves and your brothers holy, that you may bring up the special box of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have made for it.

13 F or 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.

The Lord our God brought trouble upon us because you did not carry it the first time. We did not care for it the way He had told us.”

14 S o the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

So the religious leaders and the Levites made themselves holy, to bring up the special box of the Lord God of Israel.

15 A nd 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.

The sons of the Levites carried the special box of God on their shoulders with the long pieces of wood. They did as Moses had told them by the Word of the Lord.

16 A nd 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.

Then David told the heads of the Levites to choose their brothers who sing and play music. They were to play harps and timbrels and make sounds of joy.

17 S o 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;

So the Levites chose Heman the son of Joel. From his brothers they chose Asaph the son of Berechiah. From the sons of Merari their brothers, they chose Ethan the son of Kushaiah.

18 a nd 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.

With them they chose their brothers of the second group. These were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gate-keepers.

19 S o the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed with cymbals of brass to sound aloud;

The singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were chosen to make sounds of joy with objects of brass.

20 a nd Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth;

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were chosen to play the high sounds on harps.

21 a nd Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were chosen to lead by playing the deep sounds on different kinds of harps.

22 A nd Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

Chenaniah, head of the Levites, was to lead the singing. He taught the singing because he was able.

23 A nd Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were to watch the gate for the special box.

24 A nd 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.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the religious leaders, were to blow the horns in front of the special box of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were gate-keepers for the special box of God also.

25 S o 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.

So David, the leaders of Israel and the captains of thousands went to bring up the special box with the Law of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy.

26 A nd 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.

God was helping the Levites who were carrying the special box of the agreement of the Lord. So they killed seven bulls and seven rams on the altar in worship.

27 A nd 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 the song with the singers: and David had upon him an ephod of linen.

David was dressed in a long piece of clothing of fine linen. So were all the Levites who were carrying the special box of God. And so were the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing. David wore a linen vest also.

28 T hus 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.

So all Israel brought up the special box with the Law of the Lord. They brought it up with a loud voice, the sound of horns, and with loud-sounding timbrels and harps.

29 A nd 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.

When the special box with the Law of the Lord came to the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window. She saw King David dancing and jumping for joy. And she hated him in her heart.