1And David built houses for himself in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and set up a special tent for it. 2Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto Him forever.” 3And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring the ark of the LORD up to the place which he had prepared for it. 4And David assembled the priests, descendants of Aaron, and the Levites; and this is the number of them: 5Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader of his hundred twenty his brethren,; 6Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah, was the leader of his two hundred twenty his brethren,; 7Of the sons of Gershom: Joel, was the leader of his hundred thirty brethren,; 8Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, was the leader of his two hundred his brethren; 9Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel, was the leader of his eighty brethren,; 10Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, was the leader of his hundred twelve brethren.

11And David summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12And David told them, “You are the heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel up to the place that I have prepared for it. 13It was because you did not bring it up at the first, that the LORD our God broke forth upon us, because we did not ask Him how to properly move it.” 14So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with its staves, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

16And David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites to be singers, with musical instruments: psalteries, harps, and cymbals sounding, lifting their voice with joy. 17So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, his brothers; Asaph, son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan, son of Kushaiah; 18And with them their brothers of the second order: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemi-ramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the porters. 19So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of bronze; 20And Zechariah, Aziel, Shemi-ramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth (a high pitch instrument); 21And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith (an eight string, low pitch instrument) to lead, 22And Chenaniah led the Levites singing, because of his skill. 23Berechiah and Elkanah were chosen guards for the ark. 24And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah were also chosen guards for the ark.

25So David, the elders of Israel, and the officers over thousands, went with joy to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. 26And because God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD to do it properly; they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. 27And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers. musicians, and Chenaniah, the leader of the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. 29And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the city of David, Michal, David’s wife and daughter of Saul, looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.