Preparations to Move the Ark to Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 6:12-15; Philippians 1:1-2; Colossians 1:1-2)

1And he made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and spread a tent for it. 2Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to serve him for ever. 3And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah to its place that he had prepared for it. 4And David gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren a 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 a 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 eighty; 10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab; 12and he said to them, Ye are the chief fathers of the Levites; hallow yourselves, ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of Jehovah the God of Israel to [the place that] I have prepared for it. 13For because ye did [it] not at the first, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. 14So the priests and the Levites hallowed themselves to bring up the ark of Jehovah the God of Israel.

The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark

15And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves upon them, as Moses had commanded according to the word of Jehovah.

16And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren, the singers, with instruments of music, lutes, and harps, and cymbals, that they should sound aloud, lifting up the voice with joy. 17And 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 [rank], 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 doorkeepers; 19and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, to sound aloud with cymbals of brass; 20and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with lutes on Alamoth; 21and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to lead [the singing]. 22And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites for the music, gave instruction in music, for 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, blew with the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehijah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

25And David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy. 26And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams. 27And David was clothed with a robe of byssus, and all the Levites that bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah chief of the music of the singers; and David had upon him a linen ephod. 28And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with sound of the trumpet, and with clarions, and with cymbals, playing aloud with lutes and harps.

29And it came to pass as the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through a window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.