1 D avid 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.

¶ And David made houses for himself in the city of David and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

2 T hen 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.”

Then David said, The ark of God should not be brought except by the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him perpetually.

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

And David gathered all Israel together in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

4 H e gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites.

And David assembled the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

5 U riel became leader of the sons of Kohath, and 120 of his brothers.

of the sons of Kohath: Uriel, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twenty;

6 A saiah became the leader of the sons of Merari, and 220 of his brothers.

of the sons of Merari: Asaiah, the chief and his brethren, two hundred and twenty;

7 J oel became the leader of the sons of Gershom, and 130 of his brothers.

of the sons of Gershon: Joel, the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty;

8 S hemaiah became the leader of the sons of Elizaphan, and 200 of his brothers.

of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren, two hundred;

9 E liel became the leader of the sons of Hebron, and 80 of his brothers.

of the sons of Hebron: Eliel, the chief and his brethren, eighty;

10 A mminadab became the leader of the sons of Uzziel, and 112 of his brothers.

of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twelve.

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

And David also called for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab

12 H e 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.

and said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers among the Levites; sanctify yourselves and your brethren and bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it,

13 T he 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.”

for because ye did not do it thus at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us because we did not seek him according to his ordinance.

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

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

15 T he 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.

And the sons of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

16 T hen 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.

And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint of their brethren as singers with instruments of music, with psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding, and to lift up their voice with joy.

17 S o 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.

So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari and of their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

18 W ith 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.

and with them their brethren of the second order, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

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

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass;

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

and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth.

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

And Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

22 C henaniah, head of the Levites, was to lead the singing. He taught the singing because he was able.

And Chenaniah, prince of the Levites in prophecy, for he presided in prophecy, because he had understanding.

23 B erechiah and Elkanah were to watch the gate for the special box.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

24 S hebaniah, 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.

And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obededom and Jehiah were also doorkeepers for the ark.

25 S o 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.

¶ So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

26 G od 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.

And with God helping the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

27 D avid 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.

And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and also all the Levites that bore the ark and the singers and Chenaniah, the prince of the prophecy of the singers. David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

28 S o 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.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the shofar and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

29 W hen 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.

And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.