1 D avid made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

David made for himself houses in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

2 T hen David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.

3 D avid assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

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 D avid gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

5 o f the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 kinsmen;

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

Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 kinsmen;

7 o f the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 kinsmen;

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

Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 kinsmen;

9 o f the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 kinsmen;

10 o f the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 kinsmen.

11 D avid called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

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

12 a nd said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.

And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

13 F or because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”

For because you bore it not at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us—because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained.

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

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

15 T he children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.

The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord.

16 D avid spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.

David told the chief Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and lift up their voices with joy.

17 S o the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

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

18 a nd with them their brothers of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

And with them their brethren of the second class: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and also the gatekeepers, Obed-edom and Jeiel.

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

So the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound bronze cymbals;

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

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps set to Alamoth;

21 a nd Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith.

22 C henaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in singing, was put in charge of carrying the ark and lifting up song. He instructed about these matters because he was skilled and able.

23 B erechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24 S hebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark.

25 S o David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

So David, 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 Obed-edom with joy.

26 W hen God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

And when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered seven bulls and seven rams.

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 choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, director of the music of the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen.

28 T hus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, sound of the cornet, trumpets, and cymbals, sounding aloud with harps and lyres.

29 A s the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul, looking from a window, saw King David leaping as in sport, and she despised him in her heart.