¹² Then it was reported to King David saying, “Adonai has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy.

Ark Enters Jerusalem

15 David built houses made for himself in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched a tent for it. ² Then David said, “No one should carry the Ark of God except the Levites, for Adonai has chosen them to carry the Ark of Adonai and to serve Him forever.” ³ David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the Ark of Adonai up to its place that he had prepared for it. ⁴ David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵ from the sons of Kohath:

Uriel the leader and 120 of his kinsmen;

⁶ from the sons of Merari:

Asaiah the leader and 220 of his kinsmen;

⁷ from the sons of Gershom:

Joel the leader with 130 of his kinsmen;

⁸ from the sons of Elizaphan:

Shemaiah the leader with 200 of his kinsmen;

⁹ from the sons of Hebron:

Eliel the leader with 80 of his kinsmen;

¹⁰ from the sons of Uzziel:

Amminadab the leader and 112 of his kinsmen.

¹¹ David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim, along with the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. ¹² He told them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. Sanctify yourselves, you and your kinsmen, so that you may bring up the Ark of Adonai, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. ¹³ Because you were not there the first time, Adonai our God burst out upon us, for we did not seek Him regarding the prescribed way.”

¹⁴ So the kohanim and the Levites sanctified themselves in order to bring up the Ark of Adonai, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ The Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses commanded according to the word of Adonai.

¹⁶ David ordered the leaders of the Levites to appoint their kinsmen, the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to joyfully make their voices heard. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the descendants of Merari, Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphalehu and Mikneiahu, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

¹⁹ The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoh, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play harps according to alamoth^[a], ²¹ but Mattitiah, Eliphalehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jehiel and Azaziah were to lead with lyres, according to the sheminith^[b]. ²² Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was a master. ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark. ²⁴ The kohanim Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezez were to blow the trumpets before the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the Ark.

²⁵ So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of the thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai out of the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. ²⁶ Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷ Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, and as were the singers and Henaniah the leader of the songs of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. ²⁸ Thus all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai with shouting, with the sound of the shofar, trumpets and cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

¹² Then it was reported to King David saying, “Adonai has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. ¹³ Now when the bearers of the ark of Adonai had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ Meanwhile, David was dancing before Adonai with all his might while he was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and with the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ But as the ark of Adonai entered the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Adonai, so she despised him in her heart.

²⁹ As the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai came to the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of Adonai and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people—to the whole multitude of Israel, men and women alike—to everyone a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his home.

Worship in David’s Tent

16 They brought the Ark of God and set it in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. ² After David finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai. ³ He then distributed to everyone in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a date cake and a raisin cake.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the Ark of Adonai, to petition, to thank and to praise Adonai, the God of Israel. ⁵ Asaph was the chief and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jehiel. They were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, ⁶ and the kohanim Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets continually before the Ark of the Covenant of God.

⁷ On that day David first appointed Asaph and his kinsmen to give thanks to Adonai:

the word that He commanded for a thousand generations—

³⁷ So David left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, to minister before the Ark continually, according to each day’s requirements, ³⁸ including Obed-edom and his 68 kinsmen. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. ³⁹ Also he left Zadok the kohen and his fellow kohanim before the Tabernacle of Adonai in the high place that was at Gibeon ⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to Adonai on the altar of burnt offering, regularly morning and evening, according to all that is written in the Torah of Adonai that He commanded Israel. ⁴¹ Along with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, designated by name to give thanks to Adonai—for His mercy endures forever. ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for music and other instruments for praising God. The sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people departed each one to his home, and David returned to bless his household.

¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people—to the whole multitude of Israel, men and women alike—to everyone a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his home.

²⁰ David returned to bless his own household. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today, when he uncovered himself today in the eyes of the slave girls of his subjects, as any vulgar fellow would shamelessly uncover himself!”

²¹ “It was before Adonai,” David said to Michal, “who chose me instead of your father and all his household, appointing me ruler over the people of Adonai, over Israel! So I danced Before Adonai, ²² and will dishonor myself even more than this, and will be low in my own eyes. Yet in the eyes of the slave girls whom you mentioned, I will be honored.” ²³ So Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day of her death.