1 David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. 1 2 Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. 3 It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do.