The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(A)

Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And (B)David arose and went with all the people who were with him from [a]Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called [b]by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, (C)who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on (D)the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new [c]cart. And they brought it out of (E)the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel (F)played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

And when they came to (G)Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his (H)hand to the ark of God and [d]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his [e]error; and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place [f]Perez Uzzah to this day.

(I)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the (J)City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the (K)Gittite. 11 (L)The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord (M)blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” (N)So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when (O)those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed (P)oxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David (Q)danced[g] before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing (R)a linen ephod. 15 (S)So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, (T)Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So (U)they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in (V)its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David (W)offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, (X)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 (Y)Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

20 (Z)Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, (AA)uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the (AB)base fellows [h]shamelessly uncovers himself!”

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, (AC)who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the (AD)people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children (AE)to the day of her death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 Baalah, Kirjath Jearim, Josh. 15:9; 1 Chr. 13:6
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 LXX, Tg., Vg. omit by the Name; many Heb. mss., Syr. there
  3. 2 Samuel 6:3 LXX adds with the ark
  4. 2 Samuel 6:6 held it
  5. 2 Samuel 6:7 Or irreverence
  6. 2 Samuel 6:8 Lit. Outburst Against Uzzah
  7. 2 Samuel 6:14 whirled about
  8. 2 Samuel 6:20 openly

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah[a] to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[b] who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart that carried the Ark of God.[c] Ahio walked in front of the Ark. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs[d] and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.[e] So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.

David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” 10 So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 13 After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.[f] 15 So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

Michal’s Contempt for David

16 But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

17 They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. 18 When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates,[g] and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”

21 David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. 22 Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” 23 So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

Footnotes

  1. 6:2a Hebrew Baale of Judah, another name for Kiriath-jearim; compare 1 Chr 13:6.
  2. 6:2b Or the Ark of God where the Name is proclaimed—the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
  3. 6:4 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and some Greek manuscripts; Masoretic Text reads and they brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill, with the Ark of God.
  4. 6:5 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version (see also 1 Chr 13:8); Masoretic Text reads before the Lord with all manner of cypress wood.
  5. 6:7 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads because of his irreverence.
  6. 6:14 Hebrew a linen ephod.
  7. 6:19 Or a portion of meat. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.