| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 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. | 1After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, 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 chose 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. | 3David 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: | 4He called 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 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 relatives; |
| 7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; | 7from the descendants of Gershon, Joel the leader and 130 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 relatives; |
| 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren; | 9from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the leader and 80 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 relatives. |
| 11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. | 11Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. |
| 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 said to them, "You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up 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, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." |
| 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 in order 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 with the poles on their shoulders, 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 told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps 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 relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives 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 relatives next in rank: 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, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres 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 play the harps, directing according to sheminith. |
| 22Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful; | 22Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it. |
| 23Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark; | 23Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for 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 trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for 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 and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. |
| 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. | 26Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. |
| 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 clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. 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 shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. |
| 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, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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