David Proposes to Bring the Ark to Jerusalem

131 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. 3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we neglected it in the days of Saul." 4 All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

David Goes to Get the Ark

5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kir'iath-je'arim. 6 And David and all Israel went up to Ba'alah, that is, to Kir'iath-je'arim which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim. 7 And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, from the house of Abin'adab, and Uzzah and Ahi'o were driving the cart. 8 And David and all Israel were making merry before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and he smote him because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 11 And David was angry because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe'rez-uz'za to this day. 12 And David was afraid of God that day; and he said, "How can I bring the ark of God home to me?" 13 So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of O'bed-e'dom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of God remained with the household of O'bed-e'dom in his house three months; and the Lord blessed the household of O'bed-e'dom and all that he had.

Hiram's Recognition of David

141 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. 2 And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

David's Children Born at Jerusalem

3 And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammu'a, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Eli'shu-a, El'pelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhi'a, 7 Eli'shama, Beeli'ada, and Eliph'elet.

David Defeats the Philistines

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Reph'aim. 10 And David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into my hand?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand." 11 And he went up to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated them there; and David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Ba'al-pera'zim. 12 And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned. 13 And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. 14 And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; go around and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. 15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines." 16 And David did as God commanded him, and they smote the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

151 David 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. 2 Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him for ever." 3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uri'el the chief, with a hundred and twenty of his brethren; 6 of the sons of Merar'i, Asai'ah the chief, with two hundred and twenty of his brethren; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Jo'el the chief, with a hundred and thirty of his brethren; 8 of the sons of Eli-za'phan, Shemai'ah the chief, with two hundred of his brethren; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eli'el the chief, with eighty of his brethren; 10 of the sons of Uz'ziel, Ammin'adab the chief, with a hundred and twelve of his brethren. 11 Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abi'athar, and the Levites Uri'el, Asai'ah, Jo'el, Shemai'ah, Eli'el, and Ammin'adab, 12 and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke forth upon us, because we did not care for it in the way that is ordained." 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God upon their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. 16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Jo'el; and of his brethren Asaph the son of Berechi'ah; and of the sons of Merar'i, their brethren, Ethan the son of Kusha'iah; 18 and with them their brethren of the second order, Zechari'ah, Ja-a'ziel, Shemi'ramoth, Jehi'el, Unni, Eli'ab, Benai'ah, Ma-asei'ah, Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, and Miknei'ah, and the gatekeepers O'bed-e'dom and Je-i'el. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20 Zechari'ah, A'zi-el, Shemi'ramoth, Jehi'el, Unni, Eli'ab, Ma-asei'ah, and Benai'ah were to play harps according to Al'amoth; 21 but Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, Miknei'ah, O'bed-e'dom, Je-i'el, and Azazi'ah were to lead with lyres according to the Shem'inith. 22 Chenani'ah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23 Berechi'ah and Elka'nah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebani'ah, Josh'aphat, Nethan'el, Ama'sai, Zechari'ah, Benai'ah, and Elie'zer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. O'bed-e'dom and Jehi'ah also were to be gatekeepers for the ark.

25 So David and the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of O'bed-e'dom with rejoicing. 26 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 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenani'ah the leader of the music of the singers; and David wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. 29 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David dancing and making merry; and she despised him in her heart.