David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 6

¹² King David was told, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.” So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy.

¹³ When those who bore Yahweh’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

¹⁴ David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up Yahweh’s ark with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies.

¹⁹ He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed, each to his own house.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Yahweh, over Israel. Therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh.

²² I will be yet more undignified than this, and will be worthless in my own sight. But the maids of whom you have spoken will honor me.”

²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

1 Chronicles 15

¹ David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.

² Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

³ David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴ David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵ of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;

⁶ of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;

⁷ of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;

⁸ of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;

⁹ of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;

¹⁰ of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.

¹¹ David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,

¹² and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³ For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”

¹⁴ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

¹⁵ The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.

¹⁶ David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with 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 rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

²⁰ and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;

²¹ and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

²² Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.

²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

²⁶ When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

²⁷ David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.

²⁸ Thus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.

²⁹ As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

1 Chronicles 16

¹ They brought in God’s ark, and set it in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

² When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in Yahweh’s name.

³ He gave to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites to minister before Yahweh’s ark, and to commemorate, to thank, and to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:

⁵ Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with stringed instruments and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

⁶ with Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

³⁷ So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required;

³⁸ and Obed-Edom with their sixty-eight relatives; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers;

³⁹ and Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests, before Yahweh’s tabernacle in the high place that was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in Yahweh’s law, which he commanded to Israel;

⁴¹ and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Yahweh, because his loving kindness endures forever;

⁴² and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.

⁴³ All the people departed, each man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.