¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(A) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(B) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(C) of mourning^(D) for his father.^(E)

¹¹ When the Canaanites^(A) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(B) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[a]

³⁷ look, I will place a wool fleece^(A) on the threshing floor.^(B) If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know^(C) that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative^(A) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.^{(B) 3} Wash,^(C) put on perfume,^(D) and get dressed in your best clothes.^(E) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.^{(F) 4} When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵ “I will do whatever you say,”^(G) Ruth answered. ⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor^(H) and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,^(I) he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.^(J) Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

⁹ “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment^(K) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer^[a](L) of our family.”

¹⁰ “The Lord bless you,^(M) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:^(N) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.^{(O) 12} Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,^(P) there is another who is more closely related than^(Q) I. ¹³ Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,^(R) good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives^(S) I will do it.^(T) Lie here until morning.”

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.^(U)”^(V)

David Saves Keilah

23 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah^(A) and are looting the threshing floors,”^(B)

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(A)(B)

6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. ² He and all his men went to Baalah^[a](C) in Judah to bring up from there the ark^(D) of God, which is called by the Name,^[b](E) the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned^(F) between the cherubim^(G) on the ark. ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart^(H) and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.^(I) Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God on it,^[c] and Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all Israel were celebrating^(J) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,^[d] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.^(K)

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of^(L) the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. ⁷ The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;^(M) therefore God struck him down,^(N) and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath^(O) had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.^[e](P)

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How^(Q) can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰ He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom^(R) the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.^(S)

¹² Now King David^(T) was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed^(U) a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ Wearing a linen ephod,^(V) David was dancing^(W) before the Lord with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts^(X) and the sound of trumpets.^(Y)

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David,^(Z) Michal^(AA) daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it,^(AB) and David sacrificed burnt offerings^(AC) and fellowship offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing^(AD) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(AE) the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins^(AF) to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.^(AG) And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked^(AH) in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed^(AI) me ruler^(AJ) over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.