³ They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts^(A) and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”

⁶ So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites,^(B) as their work required, ⁸ and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites,^(C) as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

³ They set the ark of God on a new cart^(A) and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.^(B) Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God on it,^[a] and Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all Israel were celebrating^(C) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,^[b] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.^(D)

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of^(E) the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.