1And 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. 2Then 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 . 3And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem , to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place , which he had prepared for it .
The Role of the Levites
4And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites : 5of the sons of Kohath , Uriel the chief , and his brethren a hundred and twenty ; 6of the sons of Merari , Asaiah the chief , and his brethren two hundred and twenty ; 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief , and his brethren a hundred and thirty ; 8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief , and his brethren two hundred ; 9of the sons of Hebron , Eliel the chief , and his brethren fourscore ; 10of the sons of Uzziel , Amminadab the chief , and his brethren a hundred and twelve .
The Joyful Procession
11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests , and for the Levites , for Uriel, Asaiah , and Joel , Shemaiah , and Eliel, and Amminadab , 12and 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 . 13For 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 . 14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Jehovah , the God of Israel . 15And 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 . 16And 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 . 17So 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 ; 18and 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 . 19So the singers , Heman , Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed , with cymbals of brass to sound aloud ; 20and Zechariah , and Aziel , and Shemiramoth , and Jehiel , and Unni , and Eliab, and Maaseiah , and Benaiah , with psalteries set to Alamoth ; 21and Mattithiah , and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah , and Obed-edom , and Jeiel , and Azaziah , with harps set to the Sheminith , to lead . 22And Chenaniah , chief of the Levites , was over the song : he instructed about the song , because he was skilful. 23And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. 24And 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. 25So 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 .
The Ark's Arrival and Worship
26And 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. 27And 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. 28Thus 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 . 29And 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 .