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And David gathered again every chosen one in Israel, thirty thousand,

and David riseth and goeth, and all the people who [are] with him, from Baale-Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God, whose name hath been called -- the name of Jehovah of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubs -- upon it.

And they cause the ark of God to ride on a new cart, and lift it up from the house of Abinadab, which [is] in the height, and Uzzah and Ahio sons of Abinadab are leading the new cart;

and they lift it up from the house of Abinadab, which [is] in the height, with the ark of God, and Ahio is going before the ark,

and David and all the house of Israel are playing before Jehovah, with all kinds of [instruments] of fir-wood, even with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cornets, and with cymbals.

And they come unto the threshing-floor of Nachon, and Uzzah putteth forth [his hand] unto the ark of God, and layeth hold on it, for they released the oxen;

and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Uzzah, and God smiteth him there for the error, and he dieth there by the ark of God.

And it is displeasing to David, because that Jehovah hath broken forth a breach upon Uzzah, and [one] calleth that place Perez-Uzzah, unto this day;

and David feareth Jehovah on that day, and saith, `How doth the ark of Jehovah come in unto me?'

10 And David hath not been willing to turn aside unto himself the ark of Jehovah, to the city of David, and David turneth it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite,

11 and the ark of Jehovah doth inhabit the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months, and Jehovah blesseth Obed-Edom and all his house.

12 And it is declared to king David, saying, `Jehovah hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he hath, because of the ark of God;' and David goeth and bringeth up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with joy.

13 And it cometh to pass, when those bearing the ark of Jehovah have stepped six steps, that he sacrificeth an ox and a fatling.

14 And David is dancing with all strength before Jehovah, and David is girded with a linen ephod,

15 and David and all the house of Israel are bringing up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the voice of a trumpet,

16 and it hath come to pass, the ark of Jehovah hath come in to the city of David, and Michal daughter of Saul, hath looked through the window, and seeth king David moving and dancing before Jehovah, and despiseth him in her heart.

17 And they bring in the ark of Jehovah, and set it up in its place, in the midst of the tent which David hath spread out for it, and David causeth to ascend burnt-offerings before Jehovah, and peace-offerings.

18 And David finisheth from causing to ascend the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings, and blesseth the people in the name of Jehovah of Hosts,

19 and he apportioneth to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man even unto woman, to each, one cake of bread, and one eshpar, and one ashisha, and all the people go, each to his house.

20 And David turneth back to bless his house, and Michal daughter of Saul goeth out to meet David, and saith, `How honourable to-day was the king of Israel, who was uncovered to-day before the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain ones is openly uncovered!'

21 And David saith unto Michal, `-- Before Jehovah, who fixed on me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me leader over the people of Jehovah, and over Israel, -- yea, I played before Jehovah;

22 and I have been more vile than this, and have been low in mine eyes, and with the handmaids whom thou hast spoken of, with them I am honoured.'

23 As to Michal daughter of Saul, she had no child till the day of her death.

David Moves the Ark

David again assembled all the choice men in Israel,(A) 30,000. He and all his troops set out(B) to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.[a] The ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim.(C) 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) and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,[c] lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,[d] and cymbals.(E)

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. 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. David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,[e] as it is today. 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 move the ark of the Lord to the city of David;(H) instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in his house 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 set up 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 Yahweh of Hosts. 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 left, each to his own 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 honored 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, “I was dancing[g] 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 celebrate before the Lord, 22 and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself.[h][i] I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about.” 23 And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 = Kiriath-jearim in 1Sm 7:1; 1Ch 13:6; 2Ch 1:4
  2. 2 Samuel 6:3 Or and his brothers
  3. 2 Samuel 6:5 DSS, LXX read with tuned instruments with strength, with songs; 1Ch 13:8
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 = an Egyptian percussion instrument
  5. 2 Samuel 6:8 Or Perez-uzzah; 2Sm 5:20
  6. 2 Samuel 6:14 Or whirling
  7. 2 Samuel 6:21 LXX; MT omits I was dancing
  8. 2 Samuel 6:22 LXX reads more and I will be humble in your eyes
  9. 2 Samuel 6:22 Lit more and I will be humble in my own eyes

Chapter 6

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem. (A)David again assembled all the picked men of Israel, thirty thousand in number. Then David and all the people who were with him set out for Baala of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the name “the Lord of hosts enthroned above the cherubim.”(B) They transported the ark of God on a new cart and took it away from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart,(C) with Ahio walking before it, while David and all the house of Israel danced before the Lord with all their might, with singing, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.(D) As they reached the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzzah stretched out his hand to the ark of God and steadied it, for the oxen were tipping it. Then the Lord became angry with Uzzah; God struck him on that spot, and he died there in God’s presence. David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah. Therefore that place has been called Perez-uzzah[a] even to this day. David became frightened of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David. David deposited it instead at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.(E) 12 (F)When it was reported to King David that the Lord had blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he possessed because of the ark of God, David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with joy.(G) 13 As soon as the bearers of the ark of the Lord had advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 Then David came dancing before the Lord with abandon, girt with a linen ephod.[b](H) 15 David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and sound of horn. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David jumping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 17 (I)They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place within the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings before the Lord. 18 When David had finished sacrificing burnt offerings and communion offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, 19 and distributed among all the people, the entire multitude of Israel, to every man and every woman, one loaf of bread, one piece of meat, and one raisin cake. Then all the people returned to their homes.

20 [c]When David went home to bless his own house,(J) Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, “How well the king of Israel has honored himself today, exposing himself to the view of the slave girls of his followers, as a commoner might expose himself!” 21 But David replied to Michal: “I was dancing before the Lord. As the Lord lives, who chose me over your father and all his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people, Israel, not only will I make merry before the Lord,(K) 22 but I will demean myself even more. I will be lowly in your eyes, but in the eyes of the slave girls you spoke of I will be somebody.” 23 Saul’s daughter Michal was childless to the day she died.

Footnotes

  1. 6:8 Perez-uzzah: this Hebrew phrase means “the breaking out against Uzzah”; see note on 5:20.
  2. 6:14 Girt with a linen ephod: the ephod was some sort of priestly vestment (probably like an apron); cf. Ex 28:4; Jgs 17:5; 1 Sm 2:18, 28; 14:3; 22:18; 23:6. The cultic procession that accompanies the ark to the holy mountain, Zion, is led by King David, dancing ecstatically and wearing a priestly vestment.
  3. 6:20–23 Michal’s reaction to David’s dancing comes from her conception of how a king should comport himself. David rejects this understanding, saying he needs no instruction from the house of the failed king, Saul.