David Moves the Ark

6 David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel:^(A) thirty thousand. ² He and all his troops set out^(B) to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.^[a] The ark bears the Name, the name of the Lord of Armies who is enthroned between the cherubim.^{(C) 3} They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,^[b] sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart^{(D) 4} and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,^[c] lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^[d] and cymbals.^(E)

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing-floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah,^(F) and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,^(G) and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[e] as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me? ’ ¹⁰ So he was not willing to bring the ark of the Lord to the city of David;^(H) instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom^(I) and his whole family.

¹² It was reported to King David, ‘The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.’ So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.^{(J) 13} When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.^{(K) 14} David was dancing^[f] with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.^{(L) 15} He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. ¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,^(M) Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it.^(N) Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Armies. ¹⁹ Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women.^(O) Then all the people went home.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,^(P) Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. ‘How the king of Israel honoured himself today! ’ she said. ‘He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.’

²¹ David replied to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel.^(Q) I will dance before the Lord, ²² and I will dishonour myself and humble myself even more.^[g][h] However, by the slave girls you spoke about, I will be honoured.’ ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.