CHAPTER 15
David constructed
buildings
for himself
in the City
of David,
and he prepared
a place
for the ark
of God
and pitched
a tent
for it.
Then
David
said,
“No
one but
the Levites
may carry
the ark
of God,
because
the LORD
has chosen
them to carry
the ark
of the LORD
and to minister
before Him
forever.”
And David
assembled
all
Israel
in
Jerusalem
to bring up
the ark
of the LORD
to
the place
he had prepared
for it.
David
summoned
the priests
Zadok
and Abiathar
and the Levites
Uriel,
Asaiah,
Joel,
Shemaiah,
Eliel,
and Amminadab.
And he said to them,
“You
are the heads
of the Levitical
families.
You
and your relatives
must consecrate yourselves
so that you may bring
the ark
of the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
to the place
I have prepared
for it.
It was because
you Levites
were not with us
the first time
that the LORD
our God
burst forth in anger
against us.
For
we did not
consult Him
about the proper order.”
So the priests
and Levites
consecrated themselves
to bring up
the ark
of the LORD,
the God
of Israel.
And the Levites
carried
the ark
of God
on their shoulders
with the poles,
as
Moses
had commanded
in accordance with the word
of the LORD.
David also
told
the leaders
of the Levites
to appoint
their relatives
as singers
to raise
their voices
with joy,
accompanied by musical
instruments—
harps,
lyres,
and cymbals.
So the Levites
appointed
Heman
son
of Joel;
from
his brothers,
Asaph
son
of Berechiah;
and from
their brothers
the Merarites,
Ethan
son
of Kushaiah;
and with them
their brothers
next in rank:
Zechariah,
Jaaziel,
Shemiramoth,
Jehiel,
Unni,
Eliab,
Benaiah,
Maaseiah,
Mattithiah,
Eliphelehu,
Mikneiah,
and the gatekeepers
Obed-edom
and Jeiel.
Zechariah,
Aziel,
Shemiramoth,
Jehiel,
Unni,
Eliab,
Maaseiah,
and Benaiah
were to play the harps
according to
Alamoth;
and Mattithiah,
Eliphelehu,
Mikneiah,
Obed-edom,
Jeiel,
and Azaziah
were to lead the music
with lyres
according to
Sheminith.
Shebaniah,
Joshaphat,
Nethanel,
Amasai,
Zechariah,
Benaiah,
and Eliezer
the priests
were to blow
the trumpets
before
the ark
of God.
Obed-edom
and Jehiah
were also to be guardians
of the ark.
So
David,
the elders
of Israel,
and the commanders
of thousands
went
with rejoicing
to bring
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
from
the house
of Obed-edom.
And because God
had helped
the Levites
who were carrying
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD,
they sacrificed
seven
bulls
and seven
rams.
Now David
was dressed
in a robe
of fine linen,
as were all
the Levites
who were carrying
the ark,
as well as the singers
and Chenaniah,
the director
of music
for the singers.
David
also wore a linen
ephod.
So all
Israel
brought up
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
with shouting,
with the sounding
of ram’s horns
and trumpets,
and with cymbals
and the music
of harps
and lyres.
As the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
was
entering
the City
of David,
Saul’s
daughter
Michal
looked down
from
a window
and saw
King
David
dancing
and celebrating,
and she despised
him
in her heart.