¹⁶ David^(A) told the leaders of the Levites^(B) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians^(C) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.^(D)

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman^(E) son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph^(F) son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites,^(G) Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,^[a] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom^(H) and Jeiel,^[b] the gatekeepers.

¹⁹ The musicians Heman,^(I) Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel,^[c] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,^{[d] 21} and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.^{[e] 22} Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets^(J) before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark^(K) of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. ²⁶ Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams^(L) were sacrificed. ²⁷ Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.^{(M) 28} So all Israel^(N) brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts,^(O) with the sounding of rams’ horns^(P) and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.