Preparations to Move the Ark to Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 6:12-15; Philippians 1:1-2; Colossians 1:1-2)

1And David made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. 2Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. 3And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which he had prepared for it. 4And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites: 5of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: 6of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty: 7of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty: 8of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred: 9of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore: 10of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 12and said unto them, Ye are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, unto the place that I have prepared for it. 13For because ye bare it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not according to the ordinance. 14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark

15And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

16And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. 17So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers. 19So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed, with cymbals of brass to sound aloud; 20and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth; 21and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead. 22And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. 23And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. 24And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

25So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom with joy: 26And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams. 27And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: and David had upon him an ephod of linen. 28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with psalteries and harps.

29And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.