The Death of Saul

31 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the Israelites ran away from them. Many Israelites were killed at Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his sons. They killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. ³ The fighting became bad around Saul. When the archers shot at him, he was badly wounded. ⁴ He said to the officer who carried his armor, “Pull out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won’t make fun of me and kill me.” But Saul’s officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. ⁵ The officer saw that Saul was dead. So he threw himself on his own sword. And he died with Saul. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons and the officer who carried his armor died together that day.

David Is Made King of Israel

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. They said to him, “Look, we are your own family. ² In the past Saul was king over us. But you were the one leading us in battle for Israel. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be like a shepherd for my people, the Israelites. You will become their ruler.’”

³ All the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. Then he made an agreement with them in Hebron in front of the Lord. Then they poured oil on David to make him king over Israel.

⁴ David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled 40 years. ⁵ He was king over Judah in Hebron for 7 years and 6 months. And he was king over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem for 33 years.

The Ark of the Covenant Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel. There were 30,000 of them. ² 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. ³ 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. ⁴ This cart had the Ark of the Covenant of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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. ⁸ David was angry because the Lord had killed Uzzah. So that place is called The Punishment of Uzzah even today.

⁹ 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.