1And David made him houses in the city of David , and 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 the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God , and to minister unto him for ever . 3And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem , to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place , which he had prepared for it.
The Role of the Levites
4And David assembled the children of Aaron , and the Levites : 5Of the sons of Kohath ; Uriel the chief , and his brethren an 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 an 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 an 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 chief of the fathers of the Levites : sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren , that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 13For because ye did it not at the first , the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order . 14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD 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 the LORD . 16And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick , psalteries and harps and cymbals , sounding , by 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 Elipheleh , and Mikneiah , and Obed-edom , and Jeiel , the porters . 19So the singers , Heman , Asaph , and Ethan , were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass ; 20And Zechariah , and Aziel , and Shemiramoth , and Jehiel , and Unni , and Eliab , and Maaseiah , and Benaiah , with psalteries on Alamoth ; 21And Mattithiah , and Elipheleh , and Mikneiah , and Obed-edom , and Jeiel , and Azaziah , with harps on the Sheminith to excel . 22And Chenaniah , chief of the Levites , was for song : he instructed about the song , because he was skilful . 23And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark . 24And Shebaniah , and Jehoshaphat , and Nethaneel , and Amasai , and Zechariah , and Benaiah , and Eliezer , the priests , did blow with 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 the LORD 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 the LORD , that they offered 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 : David also had upon him an ephod of linen . 28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting , and with sound of the cornet , and with trumpets , and with cymbals , making a noise with psalteries and harps . 29And 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 .