The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

¹Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

³And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

⁴And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

⁶And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

⁷And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

⁸And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez–uzzah to this day.

⁹And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?

¹⁰So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed–edom the Gittite.

¹¹And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed–edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed–edom, and all his household.

¹²And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed–edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed–edom into the city of David with gladness.

¹³And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

¹⁴And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

¹⁹And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

²¹And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.

²²And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

²³Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

¹And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

²And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:

³And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.

⁴And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath–jearim.

⁶And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath–jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

⁷And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

⁹And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

¹⁰And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

¹¹And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez–uzza to this day.

¹²And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

¹³So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed–edom the Gittite.

¹⁴And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed–edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed–edom, and all that he had.

¹And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

²Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

³And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

⁵Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:

⁶Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

⁷Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:

⁸Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

⁹Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

¹⁰Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

¹¹And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

¹²And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

¹⁴So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

¹⁵And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed–edom, and Jeiel, the porters.

¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

²⁰And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

²¹And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed–edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

²²And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

²³And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed–edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed–edom with joy.

²⁶And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

²⁷And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

²⁹And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

¹So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

²And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

³And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

⁴And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed–edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

⁶Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

⁸Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

⁹Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

¹⁰Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

¹¹Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.

¹²Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

¹³O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

¹⁴He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

¹⁶Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

¹⁷And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;

¹⁹When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

²⁰And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;

²¹He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

²²Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

²³Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.

²⁴Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

²⁵For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

²⁷Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

²⁸Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

²⁹Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

³⁰Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.

³²Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

³³Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth.

³⁴O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

³⁵And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

³⁶Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.

³⁷So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required:

³⁸And Obed–edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed–edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:

³⁹And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰To offer burnt offerings unto the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel;

⁴¹And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever;

⁴²And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

⁴³And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.