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 forever.”
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 inquire 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 skillful 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.
約櫃被運到耶路撒冷
1大衛在大衛城為自己建造宮殿，並為上帝的約櫃預備地方，支搭帳幕。 2大衛說：「除了利未人以外，誰也不可抬上帝的約櫃，因為耶和華只揀選他們抬上帝的約櫃，永遠事奉祂。」
3大衛召集以色列人到耶路撒冷，要把耶和華的約櫃抬到他所預備的地方。 4大衛又召集了亞倫的子孫和利未人： 5哥轄的後代烏列族長和他的一百二十個族人； 6米拉利的後代亞帥雅族長和他的二百二十個族人； 7革順的後代約珥族長和他的一百三十個族人； 8以利撒反的後代示瑪雅族長和他的二百個族人； 9希伯倫的後代以利業族長和他的八十個族人； 10烏薛的後代亞米拿達族長和他的一百一十二個族人。
11大衛召來撒督和亞比亞他兩位祭司以及利未人烏列、亞帥雅、約珥、示瑪雅、以利業、亞米拿達， 12對他們說：「你們是利未人的族長，你們和你們的族人都要潔淨自己，好將以色列的上帝耶和華的約櫃抬到我所預備的地方。 13先前你們沒有抬約櫃，我們也沒有按規矩求問我們的上帝耶和華，以致祂向我們發怒。」 14於是祭司和利未人就潔淨自己，好將以色列的上帝耶和華的約櫃抬上來。 15利未人按照耶和華藉摩西頒佈的命令，用槓把上帝的約櫃抬在肩上。
16大衛又吩咐利未人的族長去派他們的族人做歌樂手，伴著琴瑟和鈸的樂聲歡唱。 17於是，利未人指派約珥的兒子希幔和他的親族比利迦的兒子亞薩，以及他的親族米拉利的後代古沙雅的兒子以探。 18協助他們的親族有撒迦利雅、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、烏尼、以利押、比拿雅、瑪西雅、瑪他提雅、以利斐利戶、彌克尼雅，以及守門的俄別·以東和耶利。
19歌樂手希幔、亞薩和以探負責敲銅鈸， 20撒迦利雅、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、烏尼、以利押、瑪西雅、比拿雅負責鼓瑟，調用高音。 21瑪他提雅、以利斐利戶、彌克尼雅、俄別·以東、耶利、亞撒西雅負責帶領彈琴，調用低音。 22利未人的族長基拿尼雅善於歌唱，是歌樂手的領班。 23比利迦和以利加拿負責看守約櫃。 24祭司示巴尼、約沙法、拿坦業、亞瑪賽、撒迦利雅、比拿亞和以利以謝負責在上帝的約櫃前吹號，俄別·以東和耶希亞也負責看守約櫃。
25大衛和以色列的長老以及千夫長去俄別·以東家，歡歡喜喜地把耶和華的約櫃抬上來。 26耶和華上帝恩待抬約櫃的利未人，他們就獻上七頭公牛和七隻公羊為祭物。 27大衛和抬約櫃的利未人、歌樂手及其領班基拿尼雅都穿上細麻布外袍，大衛也穿上細麻布的以弗得。 28以色列人把耶和華的約櫃抬了上來，一路上歡呼、吹角、鳴號、敲鈸、鼓瑟、彈琴，大聲奏樂。 29耶和華的約櫃進大衛城的時候，掃羅的女兒米甲從窗戶往外觀看，見大衛王在興高采烈地跳舞，心裡就輕視他。
