1 Chronicles 13–16: The Ark Comes Home, and the Song Beneath the Tent

Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us. Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him in the days of Saul.”

And because this proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to it. So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name. So they carried the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding the cart.

David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen had stumbled. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

Then David became angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah; so he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” So he did not move the ark with him to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he owned.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters, to build a palace for him. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had highly exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

And David took more wives in Jerusalem and became the father of more sons and daughters. These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them.

Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of God, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?”

“Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will deliver them into your hand.”

So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that place Baal-perazim. There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

Once again the Philistines raided the valley. So David again inquired of God, who answered him, “Do not march up after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”

So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. And David’s fame went out into every land, and the LORD caused all nations to fear him.

David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever.”

And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives;
from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;
from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives;
from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;
from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives;
and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.

David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 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. It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult him about the proper order.”

So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 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.

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. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 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.

The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth. And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith. Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark. 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.

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. And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

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. 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.

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.

So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Then he distributed to every man and woman of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

On that day David first committed to Asaph and his brothers this song of thanksgiving to the LORD:

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!”

So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to minister there regularly according to the daily requirements, along with Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.

And David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon to regularly present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the Law of the LORD, which he had commanded Israel to keep. With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “His loving devotion endures forever.”

Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.

Then all the people departed for their homes, and David returned home to bless his household.