1 David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, "No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever."
3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.
11 David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance."
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 15 The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.
16 David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers. 19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud; 20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth; 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead. 22 Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy. 26 When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him. 28 Thus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps. 29 As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.
1 大卫在大卫城为自己建造宫殿， 又为 神的约柜预备地方， 就是为它支搭帐幕。
2 那时大卫说： " 神的约柜， 除了利未人以外， 没有人可以抬， 因为耶和华拣选了他们抬 神的约柜， 并且永远事奉他。"
3 于是， 大卫把以色列人都招聚到耶路撒冷， 要把耶和华的约柜抬上来， 到大卫给它预备好的地方去。
4 大卫又聚集了亚伦的子孙和利未人：
5 哥辖子孙中有作领袖的乌列和他的亲族一百二十人；
6 米拉利子孙中有作领袖的亚帅雅和他的亲族二百二十人；
7 革顺的子孙中有作领袖的约珥和他的亲族一百三十人；
8 以利撒反的子孙中有作领袖的示玛雅和他的亲族二百人；
9 希伯仑子孙中有作领袖的以列和他的亲族八十人；
10 乌薛子孙中有作领袖的亚米拿达和他的亲族一百一十二人。
11 大卫把撒督和亚比亚他两位祭司， 以及乌列、亚帅雅、约珥、示玛雅、以列和亚米拿达几位利未人， 召了来，
12 对他们说： "你们是利未人各家族的首领， 你们和你们的亲族都要自洁， 好把以色列的 神耶和华的约柜抬上来， 到我为它预备的地方去。
13 先前没有你们， 耶和华我们的 神就击打我们， 因为我们没有按照定例寻求他。"
14 于是祭司和利未人自洁， 好把以色列的 神耶和华的约柜抬上来。
15 利未支派的子孙照着耶和华的话， 就是摩西所吩咐的， 用肩和杠来抬 神的约柜。
16 大卫又吩咐利未支派的领袖， 要指派他们的亲族负责歌唱， 用琴瑟响钹各种乐器， 欢欢喜喜高声歌唱。
17 于是利未人指派了约珥的儿子和他的亲族中比利家的儿子亚萨， 以及他们的亲族米拉利的子孙中古沙雅的儿子以探。
18 和他们一起的还有作第二班的， 他们的亲族： 撒迦利雅、便、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、乌尼、以利押、比拿雅、玛西雅、玛他提雅、以利斐利户、弥克尼雅， 以及守门的俄别．以东和耶利。
19 歌唱的希幔、亚萨和以探敲打铜钹， 发出响亮的声音；
20 撒迦利雅、雅薛、示米拉末、耶歇、乌尼、以利押、玛西雅和比拿雅敲瑟， 调用女高音；
21 玛他提雅、以利斐利户、弥克尼雅、俄别．以东、耶利和亚撒西雅弹琴领导， 调用男低音。
22 利未支派的领袖基拿尼雅专责音乐， 又教人音乐， 因为他精通音乐。
23 比利家、以利加拿作看守约柜的人。
24 示巴尼、约沙法、拿坦业、亚玛赛、撒迦利雅、比拿亚和以利以谢几位祭司， 在 神的约柜前吹号； 俄别．以东和耶希亚也作看守约柜的人。
25 于是大卫和以色列的众长老， 以及千夫长一起前去， 从俄别．以东的家欢欢喜喜地把耶和华的约柜抬上来。
26 神帮助了那些抬耶和华约柜的利未人， 他们就献上七头公牛和七只公绵羊。
27 大卫和所有抬约柜的利未人， 以及歌唱的人和歌唱的人的领袖基拿尼雅， 都穿上细麻布的外袍； 大卫另外穿上细麻布的以弗得。
28 这样， 以色列人欢呼、吹角、吹号、敲钹、鼓瑟、弹琴， 大声奏乐， 把耶和华的约柜抬了上来。
29 耶和华的约柜进了大卫城的时候， 扫罗的女儿米甲从窗户往下观看， 看见大卫王跳跃嬉笑， 心里就鄙视他。