David fører arken til Jerusalem
2.Sam. 6,12-19
1Efter at David havde bygget et stort palads til sig selv i Davidsbyen, indrettede han et telt, hvor Guds Ark kunne stå. 2Derpå sagde han: „Kun levitterne må røre Guds Ark, for det er dem, Herren en gang for alle har udvalgt til at bære arken og gøre tjeneste for ham.”
3Derefter samlede David alle Israels ledere i Jerusalem, for at de skulle overvære højtideligheden, når arken blev ført ind i det telt, som var indrettet til den. 4Følgende præster og levitter var til stede: 5Fra Kehats slægt: 120 mænd anført af Uriel; 6fra Meraris slægt: 220 mænd anført af Asaja; 7fra Gershons slægt: 130 mænd anført af Joel; 8fra Elitzafans slægt: 200 mænd anført af Shemaja; 9fra Hebrons slægt: 80 mænd anført af Eliel; 10og fra Uzziels slægt: 112 mænd anført af Amminadab.
11David tilkaldte nu ypperstepræsterne Zadok og Ebjatar samt de levitiske ledere Uriel, Asaja, Joel, Shemaja, Eliel og Amminadab.
12„I er overhoveder for de levitiske slægter,” sagde han til dem. „Sørg nu for, at I selv og jeres folk gennemgår renselsesritualet, så I kan føre Herrens, Israels Guds, Ark ind i teltet. 13Sidste gang, da I ikke var med, straffede Herren os, fordi vi ikke rådførte os med ham om, hvordan arken skulle flyttes.”
14Derefter gennemgik præsterne og levitterne renselsesritualet, så de kunne flytte Israels Guds Ark på den rigtige måde. 15På den måde blev levitterne klar til at kunne løfte Guds Ark op i bærestængerne og bære den på skuldrene, sådan som Herren havde befalet Moses.
16David gav de levitiske ledere ordre til at organisere et orkester og et kor, som kunne synge af hjertens fryd og spille på lyrer, harper og bækkener. 17Levitternes ledere udpegede følgende musikere som ledere: Heman, Joels søn; Asaf, Berekjas søn; og Etan, Kushajas søn fra Meraris slægt.15,17 Fra 1.Krøn. 6,18-28 ved vi, at Heman var fra Kehat-slægten og Asaf fra Gershon-slægten. Alle tre grene af Levi-stammen er således repræsenteret.
18Følgende mænd blev udpeget som deres medhjælpere: Zekarja, Ja’aziel, Shemiramot, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaja, Ma’aseja, Mattitja, Elifelehu, Mikneja og tempelvagterne Obed-Edom og Jeiel.
19Heman, Asaf og Etan fik til opgave at slå på bronzebækkenerne. 20Zekarja, Aziel, Shemiramot, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Ma’aseja og Benaja skulle spille på harpe, 21og Mattitja, Elifelehu, Mikneja, Obed-Edom, Jeiel og Azazja skulle spille på lyre. 22Kenanja blev udpeget som instruktør for musikerne, for det var han særlig uddannet til.
23-24Berekja, Elkana, Obed-Edom og Jehija skulle holde vagt omkring arken, og præsterne Shebanja, Joshafat, Netanel, Amasaj, Zekarja, Benaja og Eliezer skulle blæse i trompet foran Guds Ark.
25Under stor jubel gik David nu i spidsen for Israels ledere og officerer til Obed-Edoms hus for at føre Herrens Pagts Ark til Jerusalem. 26Da levitterne nu kunne bære Herrens Pagts Ark uden problemer, ofrede man i taknemmelighed til Gud syv unge tyre og syv væddere. 27Både David, de levitter, der bar arken, deres leder, Kenanja, og sangerne var iført dragter af fintvævet linned. David bar desuden en efod af linned, den særlige præstedragt. 28Under stor festjubel førte Israels ledere derpå Herrens Pagts Ark til Jerusalem til akkompagnement af vædderhorn og trompeter, bækkener, harper og lyrer.
29Men da processionen nåede ind til Davidsbyen, og Davids kone Mikal, Sauls datter, fra sit vindue så kong David hoppe rundt og danse af glæde, følte hun foragt for ham.
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
1David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. Then he prepared a place for the ark of God. He set up a tent for it. 2He said, “Only Levites can carry the ark of God. That’s because the Lord chose them to carry his ark. He chose them to serve him forever in front of the place where his throne is.”
3David gathered the whole community of Israel together in Jerusalem. He wanted to carry up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.
4He called together the members of the family line of Aaron. He also called the Levites together. Here are the men who came from the families of the Levites.
5From the families of Kohath
came the leader Uriel and 120 relatives.
6From the families of Merari
came the leader Asaiah and 220 relatives.
7From the families of Gershon
came the leader Joel and 130 relatives.
8From the families of Elizaphan
came the leader Shemaiah and 200 relatives.
9From the families of Hebron
came the leader Eliel and 80 relatives.
10From the families of Uzziel
came the leader Amminadab and 112 relatives.
11David sent for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. He also sent for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. They were Levites. 12He said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must set yourselves apart to serve the Lord and his people. You must carry up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. Put the ark in the place I’ve prepared for it. 13Remember when the anger of the Lord our God broke out against us? That’s because it wasn’t you Levites who tried to carry up the ark the first time. We didn’t ask the Lord how to do it in the way the law requires.” 14So the priests and Levites set themselves apart. Then they carried up the ark of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. 15This time the Levites used the poles to carry on their shoulders the ark of God. That’s what Moses had commanded in keeping with the word of the Lord.
16David told the Levite leaders to appoint other Levites as musicians. He wanted them to make a joyful sound with lyres, harps and cymbals.
17So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel. From his relatives they chose Asaph, the son of Berekiah. Other relatives were from the family of Merari. From them they chose Ethan, the son of Kushaiah. 18Along with them they chose their relatives who were next in rank. Their names were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They guarded the gates.
19Heman, Asaph and Ethan played the bronze cymbals. 20Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah played the lyres according to alamoth. 21Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played the harps according to sheminith. 22Kenaniah was the leader of the Levites. He was in charge of the singing because he was good at it.
23Berekiah and Elkanah guarded the ark. 24Some of the priests blew trumpets in front of the ark of God. Their names were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer. Obed-Edom and Jehiah also helped guard the ark.
25David and the elders of Israel went to carry up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So did the commanders of military groups of 1,000 men. With great joy they carried up the ark from the house of Obed-Edom. 26God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. So seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27David was wearing a robe made out of fine linen. So were all the Levites who were carrying the ark. And so were the musicians and the choir director Kenaniah. David was also wearing a sacred linen apron. 28So the whole community of Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They shouted. They blew rams’ horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, lyres and harps.
29The ark of the covenant of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. That made her hate him in her heart.
