²³ These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops ^(A)who came to David in Hebron ^(B)to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, ^(C)according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴ The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. ²⁵ Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. ²⁶ Of the Levites 4,600. ²⁷ The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. ^28 (D)Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers' house. ²⁹ Of the Benjaminites, ^(E)the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the ^(F)majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were ^(G)expressly named to come and make David king. ³² Of Issachar, men who ^(H)had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³ Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, ^(I)equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David^[a] with ^(J)singleness of purpose. ³⁴ Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. ³⁶ Of ^(K)Asher 40,000 ^(L)seasoned troops ^(M)ready for battle. ³⁷ Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.

³⁸ All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with ^(N)a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a ^(O)single mind to make David king. ³⁹ And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰ And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, ^(P)cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

The Ark Brought from Kiriath-Jearim

13 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. ² And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers ^(Q)who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. ³ Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, ^(R)for we did not seek it^[b] in the days of Saul.” ⁴ All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

Uzzah and the Ark

^5 (S)So David assembled all Israel ^(T)from the ^(U)Nile^[c] of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God ^(V)from Kiriath-jearim. ^6 (W)And David and all Israel went up to ^(X)Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who ^(Y)sits enthroned above the cherubim. ⁷ And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of ^(Z)Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio^[d] were driving the cart. ⁸ And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and ^(AA)lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

⁹ And when they came to the threshing floor of ^(AB)Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down ^(AC)because he put out his hand to the ark, and ^(AD)he died there before God. ¹¹ And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza^[e] to this day. ¹² And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” ¹³ So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house ^(AE)of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. ^(AF)And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.

^23 (A)Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel ^(B)a Savior, Jesus, ^(C)as he promised. ²⁴ Before his coming, ^(D)John had proclaimed ^(E)a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ And as John was finishing his course, ^(F)he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

²⁶ “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you ^(G)who fear God, to us has been sent ^(H)the message of ^(I)this salvation. ²⁷ For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because ^(J)they did not recognize him nor understand ^(K)the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, ^(L)fulfilled them by condemning him. ²⁸ And ^(M)though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, ^(N)they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ And when ^(O)they had carried out all that was written of him, ^(P)they took him down from ^(Q)the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But ^(R)God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days ^(S)he appeared to those ^(T)who had come up with him ^(U)from Galilee to Jerusalem, ^(V)who are now ^(W)his witnesses to the people.