1. David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept.
2. He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him for ever.”
3. Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it.
4. He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites who came were:
5. Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and one hundred and twenty of his relatives;
6. Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and two hundred and twenty of his relatives;
7. Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and one hundred and thirty of his relatives;
8. Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and two hundred of his relatives;
17-21. The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel.
23-24. Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah.Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer.