2 Samuel 5:22-6:11

English Standard Version

²² And the Philistines came up yet again ^(A)and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ^23 (B)And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴ And ^(C)when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, ^(D)for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” ²⁵ And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba ^(E)to Gezer.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6 ^(F)David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from ^(G)Baale-judah ^(H)to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts ^(I)who sits enthroned on the cherubim. ³ And they carried the ark of God ^(J)on a new cart and brought it ^(K)out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio,^[a] the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, ⁴ with the ark of God,^[b] and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah and the Ark

⁵ And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with ^(L)songs^[c] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. ⁶ And when they came to the threshing floor of ^(M)Nacon, Uzzah ^(N)put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and ^(O)God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah^[d] to this day. ⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside ^(P)to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, ^(Q)and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.