1 Chronicles 13
Christian Standard Bible
David and the Ark
13 David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. 2 Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let’s spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands,(A) that they should gather together with us. 3 Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him[a](B) in Saul’s days.” 4 Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.
5 So David assembled all Israel,(C) from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,[b](D) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.(E) 6 David(F) and all Israel went to Baalah(G) (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim.(H) 7 At Abinadab’s house(I) they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio[c] were guiding the cart.
8 David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.(J) 9 When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,(K) Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. 10 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark.(L) So he died there in the presence of God.(M)
11 David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,[d] as it is still named today. 12 David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 So David did not bring the ark of God home[e] to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.(N) 14 The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.
1 Chronicles 13
The Message
David Goes to Get the Chest of God
13 1-14 David consulted with all of his leaders, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds. Then David addressed the entire assembly of Israel, “If it seems right to you, and it is God’s will, let’s invite all our relatives wherever they are throughout Israel, along with their relatives, including their priests and Levites from their cities and surrounding pastures, to join us. And let’s bring the Chest of our God back—the Chest that was out of sight, out of mind during the days of Saul.” The entire assembly of Israel agreed—everybody agreed that it was the right thing to do. So David gathered all Israel together, from Egypt’s Pond of Horus in the southwest to the Pass of Hamath in the northeast, to go and get the Chest of God from Kiriath Jearim. Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring back the Chest of God, the “Cherubim-Throne-of-God,” where God’s Name is invoked. They moved the Chest of God on a brand-new cart from the house of Abinadab with Uzzah and Ahio in charge. In procession with the Chest of God, David and all Israel worshiped exuberantly in song and dance, with a marching band of all kinds of instruments. When they were at the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah grabbed the Chest to keep it from falling off. God erupted in anger against Uzzah and killed him because he grabbed the Chest. He died on the spot—in the presence of God. David lost his temper, angry because God exploded against Uzzah; the place is still called Perez Uzzah (Exploded Uzzah). David was terrified of God that day; he said, “How can I possibly continue this parade with the Chest of God?” So David called off the parade of the Chest to the City of David; instead he stored it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Chest of God was in storage in the house of Obed-Edom for three months. God blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything around him.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson