The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem^(A)

15 David built ·houses [buildings] for himself in the City of David [^CJerusalem]. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. ² David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to ·serve [minister to/for] him forever.”

³ David ·called [summoned; assembled] all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had ·made [prepared] for it. ⁴ David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. ⁵ There were one hundred twenty ·people from [^Lsons of] Kohath’s ·family group [clan], with Uriel as their ·leader [chief]. ⁶ There were two hundred twenty ·people from [^Lsons of] Merari’s ·family group [clan], with Asaiah as their ·leader [chief]. ⁷ There were one hundred thirty ·people from [^Lsons of] ·Gershon’s [or Gersom’s; 6:1] ·family group [clan], with Joel as their ·leader [chief]. ⁸ There were two hundred ·people from [^Lsons of] Elizaphan’s ·family group [clan], with Shemaiah as their ·leader [chief]. ⁹ There were eighty ·people from [^Lsons of] Hebron’s ·family group [clan], with Eliel as their ·leader [chief]. ¹⁰ And there were one hundred twelve ·people from [^Lsons of] Uzziel’s ·family group [clan], with Amminadab as their ·leader [chief].

¹¹ Then David ·asked [called for; summoned] the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹² David said to them, “You are the leaders of the ·families [clans] of Levi. You and the other Levites must ·give yourselves for service [consecrate/purify/sanctify yourselves] to the Lord, so that you can bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have ·made [prepared] for it. ¹³ The first time we did not ask the Lord ·how [the proper/lawful way] to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it, so the Lord our God ·punished [^Lburst/broke out against] us.”

¹⁴ Then the priests and Levites ·prepared themselves for service to the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves] so they could ·carry [bring up] the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses had ·commanded [ordered; instructed], ·just as the Lord had said they should [^Laccording to the word of the Lord].

¹⁶ David ·told [commanded; ordered] the ·leaders [chiefs] of the Levites to appoint their ·relatives [kinsmen; ^Lbrothers] as ·singers [musicians] to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and to ·sing happy songs [play/sing joyfully].

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman and his ·relatives [kinsmen; ^Lbrothers] Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari ·family group [clan], was Kushaiah’s son. ¹⁸ There was also a second ·group [rank; ^Cpossibly assistants] of Levites: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were the Levite ·guards [gatekeepers].

¹⁹ The ·singers [musicians] Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals. ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played ·the lyres [harps] according to alamoth [^Cpossibly indicating to be sung by a soprano; Ps. 46:title]. ²¹ Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the ·harps [lyres] according to ·sheminith [^Leighth; ^Ca reference to an eight-stringed instrument or perhaps to the manner of singing; Ps. 12:title; Ps. 16:title]. ²² The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing, because he was ·very good at it [highly skilled; very knowledgeable].

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark. ²⁴ The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets ·in front of [before] the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also ·guards [gatekeepers] for the Ark.

²⁵ David, the ·leaders [elders] of Israel, and the ·commanders [captains] of a thousand soldiers went to ·get [bring up] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom’s house with great ·joy [celebration]. ²⁶ Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams]. ²⁷ All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a ·holy vest of fine linen [^Lephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. ²⁸ So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

²⁹ As the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord entered the City of David [^CJerusalem], Saul’s daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David ·dancing [leaping] and celebrating, she hated him in her heart.

16 They brought the Ark of God and put it ·inside [in the middle of] the tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to God. ² When David had finished ·giving [sacrificing; offering] the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³ He gave a loaf of bread, some ·dates [or meat], and raisins to every Israelite man and woman.

¹² The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the ·family [household] of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with ·joy [gladness; a great celebration]. ¹³ When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a ·fat calf [fat sheep; ^Lfatling]. ¹⁴ Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen ·vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. ¹⁵ David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

¹⁶ As the Ark of the Lord came into the city [^Lof David], Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David ·jumping [leaping] and ·dancing [whirling] in the presence of the Lord, she ·hated him [^Ldespised/had contempt for him in her heart].

¹⁷ David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], he blessed the people in the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ¹⁹ David gave a loaf of bread, a ·cake [cluster] of dates, and a ·cake [cluster] of raisins to ·every Israelite [^Lthe whole multitude/crowd of Israel], both men and women. Then all the people went home.