1
David consulted with every officer who commanded a regiment or battalion.
2
Then he told the whole assembly of Israel, "If you approve and if the LORD our God has consented, we will send [an invitation] to the rest of our relatives in every region of Israel and to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands so that they may join us.
3
Then we'll bring back our God's ark, which we ignored while Saul was king."
4
The whole assembly agreed to this because the people considered it the right thing to do.
5
So David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River near Egypt to the border of Hamath in order to bring God's ark from Kiriath Jearim.
6
David and all Israel went to Baalah in Kiriath Jearim, which is in Judah, to bring God's ark [to Jerusalem]. (The LORD is enthroned over the angels [on the ark] where his name is used.)
7
David and his men put God's ark on a new cart from Abinadab's home. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart.
8
David and all Israel were celebrating in God's presence with all their might, with songs, with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.