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The Ark of the Covenant Brought to Jerusalem

15 David built houses for himself in Jerusalem. Then he built a place for the Ark of the Covenant of God. And he set up a tent for it. Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of the Covenant of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. He chose them to serve him forever.”

David called all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to the place he had made for it. David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. There were 120 people from Kohath’s family group. Uriel was their leader. There were 220 people from Merari’s family group. Asaiah was their leader. There were 130 people from Gershon’s family group. Joel was their leader. There were 200 people from Elizaphan’s family group. Shemaiah was their leader. There were 80 people from Hebron’s family group. Eliel was their leader. 10 There were 112 people from Uzziel’s family group. Amminadab was their leader.

11 Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar to come to him. He also asked these Levites to come: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. 12 David said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for service to the Lord. Then bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the God of Israel. Bring it to the place I have made for it. 13 The last time we did not ask the Lord how to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it. So the Lord our God punished us.”

14 Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves for service to the Lord. They did this so they could carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of the Covenant of God on their shoulders. This was the way Moses had commanded. They carried it just as the Lord had said they should.

16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers. The singers were to play their lyres, harps and cymbals. And they were to sing happy songs.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman and his relatives Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari family group, was Kushaiah’s son. 18 There was also a second group of Levites. They were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were the Levite guards.

19 The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan played bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah played the high-pitched lyres. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played the low-pitched harps. 22 The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing. He had this job because he was very good at singing.

23 Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the Ark of the Covenant. 24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets. They did this in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the Ark of the Covenant.

25 David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders went to get the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. Each of the commanders was over a group of 1,000 soldiers. They all went to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Edom’s house. And they were very happy. 26 God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. So they sacrificed seven bulls and seven male sheep. 27 All the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant wore robes of fine linen. Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David wore a robe of fine linen. And he also wore a holy vest of fine linen. 28 So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. They shouted and blew sheep horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

29 So the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord entered Jerusalem. As it entered, Saul’s daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she hated him.

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