1 Davi fez para si casas na cidade de Davi; preparou um lugar para a arca de Deus, e armou-lhe uma tenda.2 Então disse Davi: Ninguém deve levar a arca de Deus senão os levitas, porque os escolheu Jeová para levarem a arca de Deus e para serem seus ministros para sempre.3 Davi congregou todo o Israel em Jerusalém para fazerem subir a arca de Jeová ao lugar, que lhe tinha preparado.4 Davi reuniu os filhos de Arão, e os levitas;5 dos filhos de Coate: o chefe Uriel, e seus irmãos cento e vinte;6 dos filhos de Merari: o chefe Asaías, e seus irmãos duzentos e vinte;7 dos filhos de Gérson: o chefe Joel, e seus irmãos cento e trinta;8 dos filhos de Elisafã: o chefe Semaías, e seus irmãos duzentos;9 dos filhos de Hebrom: o chefe Eliel, e seus irmãos oitenta;10 dos filhos de Uziel: o chefe Aminadabe, e seus irmãos cento e doze.11 Davi mandou vir os sacerdotes Zadoque e Abiatar, e os levitas, Uriel, Asaías, Joel, Semaías, Eliel e Aminadabe.12 e disse-lhes: Vós sois os cabeças das famílias dos levitas; santificai-vos, vós e vossos irmãos, para que façais subir a arca de Jeová, Deus de Israel, ao lugar, que lhe preparei.13 Porquanto vós não a levastes no princípio, feriu-nos Jeová nosso Deus, porque não o buscamos segundo a ordenança.14 Santificaram-se os sacerdotes e os levitas para fazerem subir a arca de Jeová, Deus de Israel.15 Os filhos dos levitas levaram a arca de Deus aos ombros, pelas varas que nela estavam, como Moisés tinha ordenado conforme a palavra de Jeová.16 Davi disse aos príncipes dos levitas que de seus irmãos constituíssem os cantores, com instrumentos músicos, com alaúdes, harpas e címbalos, para que tocassem e levantassem a voz com alegria.17 Os levitas constituíram a Hemã, filho de Joel; e dentre seus irmãos, a Asafe, filho de Berequias; dos filhos de Merari seus irmãos a Etã, filho de Cusaías;18 e com eles a seus irmãos de segunda ordem, Zacarias, Bene, Jaaziel, Semiramote, Jeiel, Uni, Eliabe, Benaia, Maaséias, Matitias, Elifeleu, Micnéias, Obede-Edom e Jeiel que eram porteiros.19 Assim os cantores Hemã, Asafe e Etã foram constituídos, tendo os címbalos de bronze que se tocavam;20 Zacarias, Aziel, Semiramote, Jeiel, Uni, Eliabe, Maaséias e Benaia, tendo alaúdes afinados em alamote;21 Matitias, Elifeleu, Micnéias, Obede-Edom, Jeiel e Azazias, tendo harpas afinadas em seminite, para dirigirem.22 Quenanias, chefe dos levitas, estava encarregado dos cânticos, e os ensinava, porque era hábil.23 Berequias e Elcana eram porteiros da arca.24 Os sacerdotes Sebanias, Josafá, Natanael, Amasai, Zacarias, Benaia e Eliezer tocavam as trombetas diante da arca de Deus; e Obede-Edom e Jeías eram porteiros da arca.25 Foram Davi e os anciãos de Israel e os quiliarcas para, com alegria, fazer subir da casa de Obede-Edom a arca da aliança de Jeová,26 e tendo Deus ajudado os levitas que levavam a arca da aliança de Jeová, ofereceram em sacrifício sete novilhos e sete carneiros.27 Davi estava vestido de um manto de linho fino, e todos os levitas que levavam a arca, e os cantores, e Quenanias, diretor do canto, juntamente com os cantores: Davi estava vestido de um efode de linho.28 Assim todo o Israel fez subir a arca da aliança de Jeová com júbilo, e ao som de buzinas e com trombetas e com címbalos, que se tocavam bem alto juntamente com alaúdes e com harpas.29 Ao chegar a arca da aliança de Jeová à cidade de Davi, olhou da janela Mical, filha de Saul, e viu a Davi dançar e tocar; ela o desprezou no seu coração.

1 David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. Then he prepared a place for God’s Ark and pitched a tent for it.2 David insisted that only the Levites carry God’s Ark because Jehovah had chosen them to carry his Ark and to serve him from generation to generation.3 David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring Jehovah’s Ark to the place he had prepared for it.4 David also called together Aaron’s descendants and the Levites.5 Leading Kohath’s descendants were Uriel, who came with one hundred and twenty of his relatives.6 Leading Merari’s descendants were Asaiah, who came with two hundred and twenty of his relatives.7 Leading Gershom’s descendants were Joel, who came with one hundred and thirty of his relatives.8 Leading Elizaphan’s descendants were Shemaiah, who came with two hundred of his relatives.9 Leading Hebron’s descendants were Eliel, who came with eighty of his relatives.10 Leading Uzziel’s descendants were Amminadab, who came with one hundred and twelve of his relatives.11 David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.12 He said to them: »You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your brothers must perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the Ark of Jehovah the God of Israel to the place I prepared for it.13 »Because you Levites were not there the first time, Jehovah our God struck us. We had not dedicated our lives to serving him in the way he designated.«14 So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the Ark of Jehovah the God of Israel.15 The Levites carried God’s Ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to Jehovah’s instructions.16 David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their brothers to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing.17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph Berechiah’s son. From their own relatives, Merari’s descendants, they appointed Ethan son of Kushaiah.18 In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers.19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals.20 Zechariah, Jaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were appointed to play harps tuned according to alamoth.21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the eighth.22 Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it.23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God’s Ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.25 Thus David, the leaders of Israel, and the army’s commanders joyfully went to get the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant from Obed Edom’s house.26 Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Jehovah’s Covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.27 David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the Ark, the Levites who were singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians’ prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.28 All Israel brought the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres.29 When the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.