Plans to Move the Ark to Jerusalem
1Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.” 3And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place which he had prepared for it. 4David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his relatives; 6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives; 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives; 8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and 200 of his relatives; 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and 80 of his relatives; 10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives.
11Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, 12and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. 13Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” 14So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
16Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, 18and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. 19So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze; 20and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah, with harps tuned to alamoth; 21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, to lead with lyres tuned to the sheminith. 22Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful. 23Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.
25So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy. 26Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. 28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.
29It happened when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.
A Tent for the Ark
1And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake.
4He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: 5Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.
Psalm of Thanksgiving
8Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
10Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
11Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
15Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
16The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
17He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”
19When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,
20And they wandered about from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,
22“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
23Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
24Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
25For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.
26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.
28Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
30Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
33Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
34O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
35Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”
36Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.
Worship before the Ark
37So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; 38and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah as gatekeepers. 39He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon, 40to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel. 41With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His lovingkindness is everlasting. 42And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.
43Then all the people departed each to his house, and David returned to bless his household.