| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. | 1David 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. |
| 2Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” | 2Then 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.” |
| 3And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it. | 3And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. |
| 4Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: | 4Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites: |
| 5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren; | 5From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives; |
| 6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren; | 6from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives; |
| 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; | 7from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives; |
| 8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren; | 8from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives; |
| 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren; | 9from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives; |
| 10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren. | 10and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives. |
| 11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. | 11David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. |
| 12He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. | 12And 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. |
| 13For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” | 13It 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.” |
| 14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. | 14So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 15And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. | 15And 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. |
| 16Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy. | 16David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. |
| 17So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of their brethren, the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; | 17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; |
| 18and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers; | 18and 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. |
| 19the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze; | 19The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. |
| 20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings according to Alamoth; | 20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth. |
| 21Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the Sheminith; | 21And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith. |
| 22Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful; | 22Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled. |
| 23Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark; | 23Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark. |
| 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah, doorkeepers for the ark. | 24Shebaniah, 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. |
| 25So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. | 25So 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. |
| 26And so it was, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams. | 26And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. |
| 27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. | 27Now 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. |
| 28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps. | 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres. |
| 29And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart. | 29As 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. |
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