וַיַּעַשׂ־לוֹ בָתִּים בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וַיָּכֶן מָקוֹם לַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֶּט לוֹ אֹהֶל

He made houses for himself in the City of David, and, as part of this project, he prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

אָז אָמַר דָּוִיד לֹא לָשֵׂאת אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי אִם־הַלְוִיִּם כִּי־בָם בָּחַר ה' לָשֵׂאת אֶת־אֲרוֹן ה' וּלְשָׁרְתוֹ עַד־עוֹלָם

Then David said not to bear the Ark of God, by any other means, e.g., a cart, excepting the Levites, who should carry it on their shoulders; as the Lord has chosen them to bear the Ark of the Lord and to serve Him forever. Bearing the ark is a task exclusive to the Levites.

וַיַּקְהֵל דָּוִיד אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת־אֲרוֹן ה' אֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִין לוֹ

David again assembled all of Israel to gather in Jerusalem, to take up the Ark of the Lord to its place, the tent in Jerusalem that he had prepared for it.

וַיֶּאֱסֹף דָּוִיד אֶת־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־הַלְוִיִּם

David gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites, to prepare them to take up the ark;

לִבְנֵי קְהָת אוּרִיאֵל הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים

those who gathered from the sons of Kehat: Uriel the captain, who was in charge of them, and his brethren, the members of his patrilineal house, one hundred and twenty men;

לִבְנֵי מְרָרִי עֲשָׂיָה הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מָאתַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים

from the sons of Merari: Asaya the captain and his brethren, two hundred and twenty men;

לִבְנֵי גֵּרְשֹׁם יוֹאֵל הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים

from the sons of Gershom: Yoel the captain and his brethren, one hundred and thirty men;

לִבְנֵי אֱלִיצָפָן שְׁמַעְיָה הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מָאתָיִם

from the sons of Elitzafan: Shemaya the captain and his brethren, two hundred men;

לִבְנֵי חֶבְרוֹן אֱלִיאֵל הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו שְׁמוֹנִים

from the sons of Hevron: Eliel the captain and his brethren, eighty men;

לִבְנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל עַמִּינָדָב הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מֵאָה וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר

from the sons of Uziel: Aminadav the captain and his brethren, one hundred and twelve men.

וַיִּקְרָא דָוִיד לְצָדוֹק וּלְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים ול לְוִיִּם לְאוּרִיאֵל עֲשָׂיָה וְיוֹאֵל שְׁמַעְיָה וֶאֱלִיאֵל וְעַמִּינָדָב

David called for Tzadok and Evyatar the chief priests, and for the heads of the aforementioned families of Levites: For Uriel, Asaya, Yoel, Shemaya, Eliel, and Aminadav.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אַתֶּם רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לַלְוִיִּם הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ אַתֶּם וַאֲחֵיכֶם וְהַעֲלִיתֶם אֵת אֲרוֹן ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הֲכִינוֹתִי לוֹ

He said to them: You are the heads of the patrilineal houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, prepare and purify yourselves, you and your brethren, and you shall take up the Ark of the Lord, God of Israel, to that place which I have prepared for it.

כִּי לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא אַתֶּם פָּרַץ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ בָּנוּ כִּי־לֹא דְרַשְׁנֻהוּ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

Because you initially, on the first occasion, did not take it up; therefore, the Lord our God breached against us, killing Uza, because we did not seek Him appropriately. We failed to conduct ourselves properly, in accordance with protocol. Had we carried the ark in the correct manner from the outset, the tragedy would have been avoided.

וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת־אֲרוֹן ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The priests and the Levites sanctified themselves in order to take up the Ark of the Lord, God of Israel.

וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי־הַלְוִיִּם אֵת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה כִּדְבַר ה'בִּכְתֵפָם בַּמֹּטוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם

The children of the Levites carried the Ark of God as Moses had commanded in the Torah, in accordance with the word of the Lord, on their shoulders with the poles on them.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד לְשָׂרֵי הַלְוִיִּם לְהַעֲמִיד אֶת־אֲחֵיהֶם הַמְשֹׁרְרִים בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר נְבָלִים וְכִנֹּרוֹת וּמְצִלְתָּיִם מַשְׁמִיעִים לְהָרִים־בְּקוֹל לְשִׂמְחָה

David said to the captains of the Levites to stand their brethren the singers with the musical instruments, lyres, harps, and cymbals, playing loudly with joy.

וַיַּעֲמִידוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֵת הֵימָן בֶּן־יוֹאֵל וּמִן־אֶחָיו אָסָף בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ וּמִן־בְּנֵי מְרָרִי אֲחֵיהֶם אֵיתָן בֶּן־קוּשָׁיָהוּ

The Levites set as singer, Heiman son of Yoel, and from his brethren, Asaf son of Berekhyahu; and from the sons of Merari their brethren, Eitan son of Kushayahu; these individuals might be the psalmists Heiman, Asaf, and Eitan.

וְעִמָּהֶם אֲחֵיהֶם הַמִּשְׁנִים זְכַרְיָהוּ בֵּן וְיַעֲזִיאֵל וּשְׁמִירָמוֹת וִיחִיאֵל וְעֻנִּי אֱלִיאָב וּבְנָיָהוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ וֶאֱלִיפְלֵהוּ וּמִקְנֵיָהוּ וְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם וִיעִיאֵל הַשֹּׁעֲרִים

Those were the chief singers, and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zekharyahu, Ben, and Yaaziel, and Shemiramot, and Yehiel, and Uni, Eliav, and Benayahu, and Maaseyahu, and Matityahu, and Elifelehu, and Mikneyahu, and Oved Edom, and Ye’iel, who were the gatekeepers.

וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים הֵימָן אָסָף וְאֵיתָן בִּמְצִלְתַּיִם נְחֹשֶׁת לְהַשְׁמִיעַ

The singers, Heiman, Asaf, and Eitan, were designated for playing bronze cymbals;

וּזְכַרְיָה וַעֲזִיאֵל וּשְׁמִירָמוֹת וִיחִיאֵל וְעֻנִּי וֶאֱלִיאָב וּמַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ וּבְנָיָהוּ בִּנְבָלִים עַל־עֲלָמוֹת

Zekharya, Aziel, Shemiramot, Yehiel, Uni, Eliav, Maaseyahu, and Benayahu, who generally served as gatekeepers, played music in this procession, and were with lyres on alamot, either another type of musical instrument, or perhaps lyres, which were generally played by young women [alamot];

וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ וֶאֱלִיפְלֵהוּ וּמִקְנֵיָהוּ וְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם וִיעִיאֵל וַעֲזַזְיָהוּ בְּכִנֹּרוֹת עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית לְנַצֵּחַ

Matityahu, Elifelehu, Mikneyahu, Oved Edom, Ye’iel, and Azazyahu, were with harps on the sheminit, playing.

וּכְנַנְיָהוּ שַׂר־הַלְוִיִּם בְּמַשָּׂא יָסֹר בַּמַּשָּׂא כִּי מֵבִין הוּא

Kenanyahu was captain of the Levites in song. He himself did not sing, perhaps because he was too old or his voice was not pleasant; rather, he was conductor and arranger of the song, because he was an expert. He conducted the choir and arranged the singing.

וּבֶרֶכְיָה וְאֶלְקָנָה שֹׁעֲרִים לָאָרוֹן

Berekhya and Elkana were gatekeepers for the ark. These Levites stood alongside the ark.

וּשְׁבַנְיָהוּ וְיוֹשָׁפָט וּנְתַנְאֵל וַעֲמָשַׂי וּזְכַרְיָהוּ וּבְנָיָהוּ וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר הַכֹּהֲנִים מַחְצְרִים בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם וִיחִיָּה שֹׁעֲרִים לָאָרוֹן

Shevanyahu, Yoshafat, Netanel, Amasai, Zekharyahu, Benayahu, and Eliezer, the priests, sounded the trumpets, as they proceeded before the Ark of God; and Oved Edom and Yehiya were gatekeepers for the ark. They too walked alongside the ark, on the side of the priests.

וַיְהִי דָוִיד וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים הַהֹלְכִים לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־ה' מִן־בֵּית עֹבֵד־אֱדֹם בְּשִׂמְחָה

David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains of thousands, who were walking to take up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Oved Edom, were joyful. The ark was transported from the house of Oved Edom, who was himself a Levite, and taken up to Jerusalem in a great procession that included dignitaries and which was led by the king.

וַיְהִי בֶּעְזֹר הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם נֹשְׂאֵי אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־ה' וַיִּזְבְּחוּ שִׁבְעָה־פָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה אֵילִים

It was as God helped the Levites, carriers of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams, in joy and thanksgiving to God that everything was progressing smoothly.

וְדָוִיד מְכֻרְבָּל בִּמְעִיל בּוּץ וְכָל־הַלְוִיִּם הַנֹּשְׂאִים אֶת־הָאָרוֹן וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים וּכְנַנְיָה הַשַּׂר הַמַּשָּׂא הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְעַל־דָּוִיד אֵפוֹד בָּד

David was wrapped in a fine linen robe, an unadorned white garment, along with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Kenanya the captain of the song of the singers; upon David there was also an ephod of linen, a short cloak like an apron, fastened with a belt and perhaps supported with shoulder straps.

וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מַעֲלִים אֶת־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה' בִּתְרוּעָה וּבְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר וּבַחֲצֹצְרוֹת וּבִמְצִלְתָּיִם מַשְׁמִעִים בִּנְבָלִים וְכִנֹּרוֹת

All Israel were taking up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouts, and with the sound of a shofar, and with trumpets, and with the sounding of cymbals, and with lyres and harps.

וַיְהִי אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־ה' בָּא עַד־עִיר דָּוִיד וּמִיכַל בַּת־שָׁאוּל נִשְׁקְפָה בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד מְרַקֵּד וּמְשַׂחֵק וַתִּבֶז לוֹ בְּלִבָּהּ

It was as the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Mikhal daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw King David dancing and reveling together with the entire assembly, and with the free movements of a dancer, and she despised him in her heart. He looked like a common man, and Mikhal, the daughter of a king, could not bear that conduct, which in her mind was undignified.