1And [David] made himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

2Then said David, None shall carry the ark of God but the Levites; for of them hath the Lord made choice to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

3And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

4And David gathered together the children of Aaron, and the Levites.

5Of the sons of Kehath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twenty.

6Of the sons of Merari: 'Assayah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty.

7Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty.

8Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shema'yah the chief, and his brethren two hundred.

9Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren eighty.

10Of the sons of 'Uzziel: 'Amminadab the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twelve.

11And David called for Zadok and Ebyathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, 'Assayah, and Joel, Shema'yah, and Eliel, and 'Amminadab,

12And he said unto them, Ye are the chiefs of the family divisions of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel unto [the place which] I have prepared for it.

13For, because ye [did] it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach among us; because we had not sought him after the prescribed manner.

14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel.

15And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord, on their shoulders, by means of barrows placed upon them.

16And David said to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, to sing aloud, by lifting up the voice for joy.

17So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Assaph the son of Berechyahu, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushayahu;

18And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zecharyahu, Ben, and Ja'aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, Eliab, and Benayahu, and Ma'asseyahu, and Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je'iel, the gatekeepers.

19Namely, the singers, Heman, Assaph, and Ethan, to play aloud with cymbals of copper;

20And Zechariah, and 'Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, and Eliab, and Ma'asseyahu, and Benayahu, with psalteries on 'Alamoth;

21And Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je-iel, and 'Azazyahu, with harps on the Sheminith to play as leaders.

22And Kenanyahu was the chief of the Levites in conducting the singing: he instructed in conducting the singing, because he was skilful.

23And Berechyah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24And Shebanyahu, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and 'Amassai, and Zecharyahu, and Benayahu, and Eli'ezer, the priests, did blow on the trumpets before the ark of God; and 'Obed-edom and Jechiyah were gatekeepers for the ark.

25And it was David, with the elders of Israel, and the officers over the thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of 'Obed-edom with joy.

26And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who carried 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 [so were] all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singers, and Kenanyahu the chief in conducting the singing of the singers; but David had also upon him an ephod of linen.

28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing aloud on psalteries and harps.

29And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came as far as the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.