The ark brought to Jerusalem
1After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said, ‘No-one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him for ever.’
3David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.
4He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5from the descendants of Kohath,
Uriel the leader and 120 relatives;
6from the descendants of Merari,
Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;
7from the descendants of Gershon,15:7 Hebrew Gershom, a variant of Gershon
Joel the leader and 130 relatives;
8from the descendants of Elizaphan,
Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;
9from the descendants of Hebron,
Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;
10from the descendants of Uzziel,
Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.
11Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12He said to them, ‘You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not enquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.’ 14So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.
16David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,15:18 Three Hebrew manuscripts and most Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Zechariah son and or Zechariah, Ben and Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel,15:18 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also verse 21) Jeiel and Azaziah the gatekeepers.
19The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20Zechariah, Jaaziel,15:20 See verse 18; Hebrew Aziel, a variant of Jaaziel. Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,15:20 Probably a musical term 21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith. 15:21 Probably a musical term 22Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skilful at it.
23Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.
25So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. 26Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.
29As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.
约柜被运到耶路撒冷
1大卫在大卫城为自己建造宫殿，并为上帝的约柜预备地方，支搭帐篷。 2大卫说：“除了利未人以外，谁也不可抬上帝的约柜，因为耶和华只拣选他们抬上帝的约柜，永远事奉祂。”
3大卫召集以色列人到耶路撒冷，要把耶和华的约柜抬到他所预备的地方。 4大卫又召集了亚伦的子孙和利未人： 5哥辖的后代乌列族长和他的一百二十个族人； 6米拉利的后代亚帅雅族长和他的二百二十个族人； 7革顺的后代约珥族长和他的一百三十个族人； 8以利撒番的后代示玛雅族长和他的二百个族人； 9希伯仑的后代以列族长和他的八十个族人； 10乌薛的后代亚米拿达族长和他的一百一十二个族人。
11大卫召来撒督和亚比亚他两位祭司以及利未人乌列、亚帅雅、约珥、示玛雅、以列、亚米拿达， 12对他们说：“你们是利未人的族长，你们和你们的族人都要洁净自己，好将以色列的上帝耶和华的约柜抬到我所预备的地方。 13先前你们没有抬约柜，我们也没有按规矩求问我们的上帝耶和华，以致祂向我们发怒。” 14于是祭司和利未人就洁净自己，好将以色列的上帝耶和华的约柜抬上来。 15利未人按照耶和华借摩西颁布的命令，用杠把上帝的约柜抬在肩上。
16大卫又吩咐利未人的族长去派他们的族人做歌乐手，伴着琴瑟和钹的乐声欢唱。 17于是，利未人指派约珥的儿子希幔和他的亲族比利迦的儿子亚萨，以及他的亲族米拉利的后代古沙雅的儿子以探。 18协助他们的亲族有撒迦利雅、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、乌尼、以利押、比拿雅、玛西雅、玛他提雅、以利斐利户、弥克尼雅，以及守门的俄别·以东和耶利。
19歌乐手希幔、亚萨和以探负责敲铜钹， 20撒迦利雅、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、乌尼、以利押、玛西雅、比拿雅负责鼓瑟，调用高音。 21玛他提雅、以利斐利户、弥克尼雅、俄别·以东、耶利、亚撒西雅负责带领弹琴，调用低音。 22利未人的族长基拿尼雅善于歌唱，是歌乐手的领班。 23比利迦和以利加拿负责看守约柜。 24祭司示巴尼、约沙法、拿坦业、亚玛赛、撒迦利雅、比拿亚和以利以谢负责在上帝的约柜前吹号，俄别·以东和耶希亚也负责看守约柜。
25大卫和以色列的长老以及千夫长去俄别·以东家，高高兴兴地将耶和华的约柜抬上来。 26耶和华上帝恩待抬约柜的利未人，他们就献上七头公牛和七只公羊为祭物。 27大卫和抬约柜的利未人、歌乐手及其领班基拿尼雅都穿上细麻衣，大卫还穿上细麻布的以弗得。 28以色列人把耶和华的约柜抬了上来，一路上欢呼吹角、鸣号、敲钹、鼓瑟、弹琴，大声奏乐。 29耶和华的约柜进大卫城的时候，扫罗的女儿米甲从窗户往外看，看见大卫王在兴高采烈地跳舞，心里就轻视他。
