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The Ark of the Covenant Is Brought to Jerusalem

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel. There were 30,000 of them. Then David and all his people went to Baalah in Judah.[a] They took the Ark of the Covenant of God from Baalah in Judah and moved it to Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant is called by the Name, the name of the Lord of heaven’s armies. His throne is between the gold creatures with wings that are on the Ark of the Covenant. David’s men put the Ark of the Covenant of God on a new cart. Then they brought the Ark of the Covenant out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, led the new cart. This cart had the Ark of the Covenant of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all the Israelites were playing all kinds of musical instruments before the Lord. They were made of pine wood. There were lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. The Ark of the Covenant of God began to fall off the cart. So Uzzah reached out and took hold of it. The Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him. Uzzah had not honored God when he touched the Ark of the Covenant. So Uzzah died there beside it. David was angry because the Lord had killed Uzzah. So that place is called The Punishment of Uzzah even today.

David was afraid of the Lord that day. He said, “How can the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord come to me now?” 10 So David would not move the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to be with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath. 11 The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

12 The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom. And all his things are blessed. This is because the Ark of the Covenant of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with joy. 13 When the men carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. 14 Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen vest. 15 David and all the Israelites shouted with joy. They blew the trumpets as they brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to the city.

16 Saul’s daughter Michal was looking out the window. She watched as the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the city. When she saw David jumping and dancing before the Lord, she hated him.

17 David put up a tent for the Ark of the Covenant. Then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of heaven’s armies. 19 David gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to everyone. He gave them to all the Israelites, both men and women. Then all the people went home.

20 David went back to bless the people in his home. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers. You were like a foolish man who takes off his clothes without shame!”

21 Then David said to Michal, “I did it before the Lord. The Lord chose me, not your father. He didn’t choose anyone from Saul’s family. The Lord appointed me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will celebrate in front of the Lord. 22 Maybe I will lose even more honor. And you may think little of me. But the girls you talk about will honor me!”

23 And Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.

Footnotes

  1. 6:2 Baalah in Judah Another name for Kiriath Jearim.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(A)(B)

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 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. 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 with the ark of God on it,[c] and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating(J) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,[d] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.(K)

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. 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.

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)

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 That is, Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Chron. 13:6)
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate do not have the Name.
  3. 2 Samuel 6:4 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text cart and they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 13:8) songs
  5. 2 Samuel 6:8 Perez Uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah.