The Ark Brought from Kiriath-Jearim
1 David consulted with the qcommanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. 3 Then let us bring again the rark of our God to us, for we did not seek it1 in the days of Saul.” 4 All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
Uzzah and the Ark
5 sSo David tassembled all Israel from the Nile2 of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God ufrom Kiriath-jearim. 6 And David and all Israel went up to vBaalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the wark of God, xwhich is called by the name of the Lord ywho sits enthroned above the cherubim. 7 And they carried the ark of God zon a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio3 were driving the cart. 8 And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and alyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.
9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to btake hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he cstruck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he ddied there before God. 11 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza4 to this day. 12 And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” 13 So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
1 David1 built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a qplace for the ark of God and pitched a rtent for it. 2 Then David said that no one but the Levites may scarry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. 3 And David tassembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 uAnd David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. 11 Then David summoned vthe priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 wBecause you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, xas Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16 yDavid also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on zharps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers of the second order, aZechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps baccording to Alamoth; 21 but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres caccording to the Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, dshould blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25 eSo David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of fObed-edom with rejoicing. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they gsacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David hwore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.
29 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, iMichal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.
The Ark Placed in a Tent
1 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the jtent that David had pitched for it, and they koffered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 lAnd when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat,2 and a cake of raisins.
4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 mAsaph was the chief, and second to him were nZechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests owere to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.
David’s Song of Thanks
8 pOh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 qGlory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rrejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
sseek his presence continually!
12 tRemember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
children of Jacob, uhis chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 vthe covenant that he made with Abraham,
whis sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he xconfirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the yland of Canaan,
as your portion for an inheritance.”
19 When you were few in number,
of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21 zhe allowed no one to oppress them;
ahe rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, b“Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
23 cSing to the Lord, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 dDeclare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For egreat is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and he is fto be feared gabove all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.
28 hAscribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the iglory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;3
30 jtremble before him, all the earth;
yes, kthe world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and llet the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The Lord mreigns!”
32 nLet the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest osing for joy
pbefore the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh qgive thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
35 Say also:
r“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and sgather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
36 tBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!”
Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Worship Before the Ark
37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required, 38 and also Obed-edom and his4 sixty-eight brothers, while Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at uGibeon 40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the valtar of burnt offering wregularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord that he commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate.
43 xThen all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household.
