Preparing to Move the Ark (2 Samuel 6:12–15)
3 RV And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which 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 RV And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites: BSB BSB: Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 RV of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: BSB BSB: From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;
6 RV of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty: BSB BSB: from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;
7 RV of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty: BSB BSB: from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives;
8 RV of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred: BSB BSB: from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;
9 RV of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore: BSB BSB: from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives;
10 RV of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve. BSB BSB: and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.
11 RV And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, BSB BSB: David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 RV and said unto them, Ye are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, unto 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 RV So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, 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 RV And 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. 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 RV And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. 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 RV So 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; 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 RV and 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 Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers. 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 RV So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed , with cymbals of brass to sound aloud; BSB BSB: The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.
20 RV and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth; BSB BSB: Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.
21 RV and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead. BSB BSB: And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.
22 RV And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. BSB BSB: Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.
23 RV And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. BSB BSB: Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark.
24 RV And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, 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. 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 RV So 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: 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 RV And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they sacrificed seven bullocks 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 RV And 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: and David had upon him an ephod of linen. 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 RV Thus 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, sounding aloud with psalteries 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 RV And 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 looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and 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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