1 D avid 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.

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, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.”

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 gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to 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 T hen David assembled the children 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 one hundred and twenty of his brethren;

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

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

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 one hundred and thirty of his brethren;

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 two hundred of his brethren;

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 eighty of his brethren;

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 one hundred and twelve of his brethren.

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, Joel, Shemaiah, 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 H e said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place 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 you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

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 the Lord 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 bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.

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 T hen David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding 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 their brethren, the sons of Merari, 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 rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers;

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 t he singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze;

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

20 Z echariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings according to Alamoth;

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

21 M attithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the Sheminith;

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

22 C henaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful;

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

23 B erechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark;

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

24 S hebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah, 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, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from 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 so it was, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bulls 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 D avid was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

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 the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments 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 happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; 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.