Preparing to Move the Ark (2 Samuel 6:12–15)
3 UEB Then David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh to the place he had prepared for it. BSB BSB: And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.
4 UEB David gathered together Aaron's descendants and the Levites. BSB BSB: Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 UEB From the descendants of Kohath, there was Uriel the leader and his relatives, 120 men. BSB BSB: From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;
6 UEB From the descendants of Merari, there was Asaiah the leader and his relatives, 220 men. BSB BSB: from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;
7 UEB From the descendants of Gershom, there was Joel the leader and his relatives, 130 men. BSB BSB: from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives;
8 UEB From the descendants of Elizaphan, there was Shemaiah the leader and his relatives, 200 men. BSB BSB: from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;
9 UEB From the descendants of Hebron, there was Eliel the leader and his relatives, eighty men. BSB BSB: from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives;
10 UEB From the descendants of Uzziel, there was Amminadab the leader and his relatives, 112 men. BSB BSB: and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.
11 UEB David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. BSB BSB: David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 UEB He said to them, "You are the leaders of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. BSB BSB: And 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.
The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark 14 UEB So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel. BSB BSB: So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.
15 UEB So the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded—following the rules given by the word of Yahweh. BSB BSB: And 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.
16 UEB David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to assign their brothers to be musicians with musical instruments, stringed instruments, harps and cymbals, playing loudly and joyfully lifting up their voices. BSB BSB: David 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.
17 UEB So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel and one of his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah. They also appointed kinsmen from Merari's descendants and Ethan son of Kushaiah. BSB BSB: So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
18 UEB With them were their kinsmen of second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. BSB BSB: and 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.
19 UEB The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play loud bronze cymbals. BSB BSB: The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.
20 UEB Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the stringed instruments, set to Alamoth. BSB BSB: Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.
21 UEB Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led the way with harps set to the Sheminith. BSB BSB: And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.
22 UEB Kenaniah, leader of the Levites, was the director of the singing because he was a teacher of music. BSB BSB: Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.
23 UEB Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the ark. BSB BSB: Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark.
24 UEB Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed Edom and Jehiah were guards for the ark. BSB BSB: Shebaniah, 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.
Moving the Ark to Jerusalem 25 UEB So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Obed Edom's house with rejoicing. BSB BSB: So 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.
26 UEB While God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. BSB BSB: And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 UEB David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the leader of the song with the singers. David was wearing a linen ephod. BSB BSB: Now 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.
28 UEB So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with joyful shouting, and with the sound of horns and trumpets, with cymbals, and with stringed instruments and harps. BSB BSB: So 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.
Michal’s Contempt for David (2 Samuel 6:16)
29 UEB But as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul, looked out the window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. Then she despised him in her heart. BSB BSB: As 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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