Preparing Our Father's Ark Rightly
15 1 David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of our Father and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of our Father but the Levites, for our Father chose them to carry his ark and to minister before him forever."
3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of our Father to the place he had prepared for it. 4 He gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 from the sons of Kohath, Uriel the leader, with 120 of his relatives;
6 from the sons of Merari, Asaiah the leader, with 220 of his relatives;
7 from the sons of Gershom, Joel the leader, with 130 of his relatives;
8 from the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the leader, with 200 of his relatives;
9 from the sons of Hebron, Eliel the leader, with 80 of his relatives;
10 from the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the leader, with 112 of his relatives.
11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, along with the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and he said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of our Father, to the place I have prepared for it." 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, our Father broke out against us, for we did not seek him in the proper way."
Consecrated Hands Carry Our Father's Ark
14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of our Father. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of our Father on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of our Father.
16 David instructed the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers, raising their voices with joy to the music of lyres, harps, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their relatives of the second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.
19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth; 1 1 v20 Alamoth was a musical term, likely indicating a high or treble register. 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. 2 2 v21 Sheminith (meaning 'the eighth') was a musical term, likely indicating a lower or bass register. 22 Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he directed the music because he was skillful at it.
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of our Father. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also gatekeepers for the ark.
Our Father Helps Bring the Ark Home
25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of our Father's covenant from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. 26 And because our Father helped the Levites who carried the ark of our Father's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the singing; and David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of our Father's covenant with shouts of joy, with the blowing of horns and trumpets, and with cymbals, making music on harps and lyres.
Michal Scorns David Dancing for Our Father
29 As the ark of our Father's covenant entered the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.