11. Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar to come to him. He also asked these Levites to come: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab.
12. David said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for service to the Lord. Then bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the God of Israel. Bring it to the place I have made for it.
13. The last time we did not ask the Lord how to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it. So the Lord our God punished us.”
14. Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves for service to the Lord. They did this so they could carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15. The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of the Covenant of God on their shoulders. This was the way Moses had commanded. They carried it just as the Lord had said they should.
16. David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers. The singers were to play their lyres, harps and cymbals. And they were to sing happy songs.
17. So the Levites appointed Heman and his relatives Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari family group, was Kushaiah’s son.
18. There was also a second group of Levites. They were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were the Levite guards.
19. The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan played bronze cymbals.