David Gets Ready To Bring the Sacred Chest to Jerusalem
1 David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept. 2 He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever.”
3 Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it. 4 He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites that came were: 5 Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and 120 of his relatives; 6 Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and 220 of his relatives; 7 Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and 130 of his relatives; 8 Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and 200 of his relatives; 9 Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and 80 of his relatives; and 10 Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with 112 of his relatives.
11 David called together these six Levites and the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar. 12 He said to them, “You are the leaders of the clans in the Levi tribe. You and your relatives must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean and acceptable to the Lord. Then you may carry the sacred chest that belongs to the Lord God of Israel and bring it to the place I have prepared for it. 13 The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the Lord what he wanted us to do. He was angry with us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest.”
14 The priests and the Levites made themselves clean. They were now ready to carry the sacred chest 15 on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the Lord had told Moses to do.
16 David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed instruments, and cymbals. 17-21 The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.
22 Chenaniah was chosen to be the music director, because he was a skilled musician.
23-24 Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah.
Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer.
The Sacred Chest Is Brought to Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 6.12-22)25 David, the leaders of Israel, and the army commanders were very happy as they went to Obed-Edom's house to get the sacred chest. 26 God gave the Levites the strength they needed to carry the chest, and so they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 David, the Levites, Chenaniah the music director, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes, and David was also wearing a linen cloth. 28 While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.
29 Saul's daughter Michal looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honor of the Lord, she was disgusted.
1 And Dauid made him houses in the citie of Dauid, and prepared a place for the Arke of God, and pitched for it a tent. 2 Then Dauid saide, None ought to carie the Arke of God, but the Leuites: for the Lord hath chosen them to beare the Arke of the Lord, and to minister vnto him for euer. 3 And Dauid gathered all Israel together to Ierusalem to bring vp the Arke of the Lord vnto his place, which he had ordeined for it. 4 And Dauid assembled the sonnes of Aaron, and the Leuites. 5 Of the sonnes of Kohath, Vriel the chiefe, and his brethren sixe score. 6 Of the sonnes of Merari, Asaiah the chiefe, and his brethren two hundreth and twentie. 7 Of the sonnes of Gershom, Ioel the chiefe, and his brethren an hundreth and thirtie. 8 Of the sonnes of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chiefe, and his brethren two hundreth. 9 Of the sonnes of Hebron, Eliel the chiefe, and his brethren fourescore. 10 Of the sonnes of Vzziel, Amminadab the chiefe, and his brethren an hundreth and twelue. 11 And Dauid called Zadok and Abiathar the Priestes, and of the Leuites, Vriel, Asaiah and Ioel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab: 12 And he saide vnto them, Ye are the chiefe fathers of the Leuites: sanctifie your selues, and your brethren, and bring vp the Arke of the Lord God of Israel vnto the place that I haue prepared for it. 13 For because ye were not there at the first, the Lord our God made a breach among vs: for we sought him not after due order. 14 So the Priestes and the Leuites sanctified them selues to bring vp the Arke of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the sonnes of the Leuites bare the Arke of God vpon their shoulders with the barres, as Moses had commanded, according to the worde of the Lord. 16 And Dauid spake to the chiefe of the Leuites, that they should appoint certaine of their brethren to sing with instruments of musike, with violes and harpes, and cymbales, that they might make a sounde, and lift vp their voyce with ioye. 17 So the Leuites appointed Heman the sonne of Ioel, and of his brethren Asaph the sonne of Berechiah, and of the sonnes of Merari their brethren, Ethan the sonne of Kushaiah, 18 And with them their brethren in the seconde degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Iaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, and Vnni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneah, and Obed Edom, and Ieiel the porters. 19 So Heman, Asaph and Ethan were fingers to make a sounde with cymbales of brasse, 20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, and Vnni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah with violes on Alamoth, 21 And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneah, and Obed Edom, and Ieiel, and Azaziah, with harpes vpon Sheminith Ienazzeah. 22 But Chenaniah the chiefe of the Leuites had the charge, bearing ye burden in the charge, for he was able to instruct. 23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters for the Arke. 24 And Shecaniah and Iehoshaphat and Nethaneel and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the Priestes did blowe with trumpets before the Arke of God, and Obed Edom and Ieiiah were porters for the Arke. 25 So Dauid and the Elders of Israel and the captaines of thousandes went to bring vp the Arke of the couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom with ioye. 26 And because that God helped the Leuites that bare the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, they offered seuen bullockes and seuen rammes. 27 And Dauid had on him a linen garment, as all the Leuites that bare the Arke, and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chiefe charge of the singers: and vpon Dauid was a linnen Ephod. 28 Thus all Israel brought vp the Arke of the Lordes couenant with shouting and sounde of cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbales, making a sound with violes and with harpes. 29 And when the Arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the citie of Dauid, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at a windowe, and sawe King Dauid dauncing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.