| New King James Version | NET 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 in the City of David; he then 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, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve before him perpetually. |
| 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. | 3David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD up to the place he had prepared for it. |
| 4Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: | 4David 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 descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives. |
| 6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren; | 6From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives. |
| 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; | 7From the descendants of Gershom: Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives. |
| 8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren; | 8From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives. |
| 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren; | 9From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives. |
| 10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren. | 10From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader 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, along with 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. | 12He told them: "You are the leaders of the Levites' families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel up 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.” | 13The first time you did not carry it; that is why the LORD God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it." |
| 14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. | 14The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the LORD 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. | 15The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command. |
| 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 told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. |
| 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; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, 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; | 18along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. |
| 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 the alamoth style; |
| 21Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the Sheminith; | 21Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style, as led by the director; |
| 22Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful; | 22Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter; |
| 23Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark; | 23Berechiah and Elkanah were 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 Jehiel were also 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 leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. |
| 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. | 26When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the LORD's covenant, 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. | 27David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians; 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. | 28All Israel brought up the ark of the LORD's covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments. |
| 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 LORD's covenant entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David jumping and celebrating, she despised him. |
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