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1 Chronicles 13
New English Translation

Uzzah Meets Disaster

13 David consulted with his military officers, including those who led groups of a thousand and those who led groups of a hundred.[a] 2 David said to the whole Israelite assembly, “If you so desire and the Lord our God approves,[b] let’s spread the word[c] to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities,[d] so they may join us. 3 Let’s move the ark of our God back here,[e] for we did not seek his will[f] throughout Saul’s reign.”[g] 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this,[h] for the proposal seemed right to all the people.[i] 5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River[j] in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,[k] to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who sits enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by his Name.[l]

7 They transported the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 8 while David and all Israel were energetically[m] celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments,[n] tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of[o] the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,[p] he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark.[q] He died right there before God.[r]

11 David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah;[s] so he called that place Perez Uzzah,[t] which remains its name to this very day. 12 David was afraid of God that day and said, “How will I ever be able to bring the ark of God up here?” 13 So David did not move the ark to the City of David;[u] he left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months; the Lord blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything that belonged to him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:1 tn Heb “and David consulted with the officers of thousands and hundreds, to every ruler.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “If to you [it is] good and from the Lord our God.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “let us spread and let us send.” The words “the word” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  4. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “in the cities of their pasturelands.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “to us.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “him.” In this case, seeking God’s will is what is implied.
  7. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “in the days of Saul.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 13:4 tn Heb “all the assembly said to do so.”
  9. 1 Chronicles 13:4 tn Heb “for right was the word in the eyes of all the people.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 13:5 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.sn The Shihor River was a river on the border of Egypt, probably the eastern branch of the Nile.
  11. 1 Chronicles 13:5 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 13:6 tn Heb “the ark of God the Lord who sits [between] the cherubim which is called [by his] name.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 13:8 tn Heb “with all strength.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 13:8 tn Heb “with songs and with zithers [meaning uncertain] and with harps.” Due to the collocation with “harps,” some type of stringed instrument is probably in view.
  15. 1 Chronicles 13:9 tn Or “to steady.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 13:10 tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 13:10 tn Heb “because he stretched out his hand over the ark.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 13:10 sn The modern reader might think God seemed to overreact here, but Israel needed a vivid object lesson of God’s holiness. By loading the ark on a cart, David had violated the instructions in God’s law (Exod 25:12-14; Num 4:5-6, 15). Uzzah’s action, however innocent it may seem, betrayed a certain lack of reverence for God’s presence. God had to remind his people that his holiness could not under any circumstances be violated.
  19. 1 Chronicles 13:11 tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 13:11 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 13:13 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
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1 Chronicles 13
International Standard Version

The Ark is Moved from Kiriath-jearim(A)

13 Later, David conferred with every officer[a] in charge of groups of thousands and groups of[b] hundreds. 2 Then he[c] addressed the entire community of Israel, “If it seems good to you and something from the Lord our God, let’s spread word to all of our relatives who remain throughout the entire land of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi in the cities and pasture lands, so they can gather together with us. 3 Then let’s bring the Ark of God back to us, because we didn’t consult it during Saul’s reign.”[d] 4 The entire community consented, because doing so pleased all the people. 5 So David assembled all of Israel—from the Shihor River of Egypt to Lebo-hamath—in order to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

6 David, accompanied by all of Israel, went up to Baalah (the former name of Kiriath-jearim), which belonged to Judah, to bring from there the Ark of God, the Lord, who sits enthroned on the cherubim, and who is called the Name.[e] 7 They mounted the Ark of God on a new cart, bringing it from Abinadab’s home, with Uzzah and Ahio driving the cart. 8 David and all of Israel were dancing in the presence of God with all of their[f] might with songs,[g] harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 As they approached Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen had stumbled. 10 Just then, the anger of the Lord blazed against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark, and he died right there in the presence of God.

11 David flew into a rage because the Lord had killed[h] Uzzah. As a result, that place was called Perez-uzzah[i] to this day. 12 But David feared God that day, and asked “How am I to bring the Ark of God to me?” 13 As a result, David would not take the ark into the City of David for it to be in his care. Instead, he took it to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 So the Ark of God remained in the care of Obed-edom’s household for three months, and God blessed Obed-edom’s household, along with everyone associated with it.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:1 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
  2. 1 Chronicles 13:1 The Heb. lacks groups of
  3. 1 Chronicles 13:2 Lit. David
  4. 1 Chronicles 13:3 Lit. days
  5. 1 Chronicles 13:6 The Heb. lacks the
  6. 1 Chronicles 13:8 The Heb. lacks their
  7. 1 Chronicles 13:8 Cf. 2Sam 6:5, where MT letters of the word song may be transposed as MT word cypress
  8. 1 Chronicles 13:11 Or had burst out against
  9. 1 Chronicles 13:11 The Heb. name Perez-uzzah means Overwhelming Uzzah; cf. 2Sam 5:20, 6:8
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