Preparing to Move the Ark
(2 Samuel 6:12–15)

1Also, he made houses for himself in the City of David. And built a place for the ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. 2Then David said: “It is illicit for anyone to carry the ark of God except the Levites, whom the Lord chose to carry it and to minister to himself, even unto eternity.” 3And he gathered all of Israel in Jerusalem, so that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it. 4Certainly, there were both the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5From the sons of Kohath, Uriel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twenty. 6From the sons of Merari: Asaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred twenty. 7From the sons of Gershom: Joel was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred thirty. 8From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah was the leader, and his brothers were two hundred. 9From the sons of Hebron: Eliel was the leader, and his brothers were eighty. 10From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab was the leader, and his brothers were one hundred twelve.

11And David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12And he said to them: “You who are the leaders of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brothers, and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that has been prepared for it. 13Otherwise, as it was before, when the Lord struck us because you were not present, so also it might be now, if we do what is illicit.”

The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark

14Therefore, the priests and the Levites were sanctified, so that they might carry the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

15And the sons of Levi took the ark of God, just as Moses had instructed, in accord with the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders by the bars.

16And David spoke to the leaders of the Levites, so that they might appoint, from their brothers, singers with musical instruments, specifically, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, so that a joyful noise might resound on high. 17And they appointed from the Levites: Heman, the son of Joel; and from his brothers, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and truly, from their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan, the son of Kushaiah. 18And with them were their brothers in the second rank: Zechariah, and Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jahiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, who were gatekeepers. 19Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass. 20And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah were singing mysteries with the psalteries. 21Then Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah and Obededom, and Jeiel and Azaziah were singing a song of victory with the harps, for the octave. 22Now Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was foremost over the prophecies, in order to mark out in advance the melodies. For indeed, he was very skillful. 23And Berechiah and Elkanah were porters of the ark. 24And the priests, Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, were sounding the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obededom and Jehiah were porters of the ark.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

25Therefore, David, and all those greater by birth of Israel, and the tribunes, went to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obededom with rejoicing. 26And when God had assisted the Levites, who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they immolated seven bulls and seven rams. 27Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the prophecy among the singers. But David was also clothed with a linen ephod. 28And all of Israel were leading back the ark of the covenant of the Lord with jubilation, sounding out with the noise of horns, and trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.

Michal’s Contempt for David
(2 Samuel 6:16)

29And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord had arrived in the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, gazing through a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.