David Moves the Ark

6 David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel:^(A) thirty thousand. ² He and all his troops set out^(B) to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.^[a] The ark bears the Name, the name of the Lord of Armies who is enthroned between the cherubim.^{(C) 3} 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) 4} and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,^[c] lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^[d] and cymbals.^(E)

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[e] as it is today. ⁹ 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 bring the ark of the Lord to the city of David;^(H) instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 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 pitched 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 the Lord of Armies. 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 went 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, “It was 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 dance before the Lord, ²² and I will dishonor myself and humble myself even more.^[g][h] However, by the slave girls you spoke about, I will be honored.” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

David and the Ark

13 David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. ² Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let’s spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands,^(A) that they should gather together with us. ³ Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him^[a](B) in Saul’s days.” ⁴ Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel,^(C) from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,^[b](D) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.^{(E) 6} David^(F) and all Israel went to Baalah^(G) (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim.^{(H) 7} At Abinadab’s house^(I) they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio^[c] were guiding the cart.

⁸ David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.^{(J) 9} When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,^(K) Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. ¹⁰ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark.^(L) So he died there in the presence of God.^(M)

¹¹ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[d] as it is still named today. ¹² David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ So David did not bring the ark of God home^[e] to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.^{(N) 14} The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

Psalm 60

Prayer in Difficult Times

For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”^(A) A Miktam of David for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in Salt Valley, killing twelve thousand.^(B)

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience^(A) to this day.” ² The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.^{(B) 3} Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” ^(C)

⁴ Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

⁵ “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”^{[a](D) 6} When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.^(E) I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” ^{(F) 7} When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,^(G) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

⁹ The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’^(H) party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man.^(I) What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ^[b](J)

¹⁰ When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.^{(K) 11} The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”^(L)

The Plot against Paul

¹² When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^{(M) 13} There were more than forty who had formed this plot. ¹⁴ These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you^[c] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”^(N)

¹⁶ But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”

¹⁸ So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹ The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

²⁰ “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. ²¹ Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”^(O)

²² So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

To Caesarea by Night

²³ He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.^{[d](P) 24} Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”

²⁵ He wrote the following letter:^[e]

²⁶ Claudius Lysias,

To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.^(Q)

²⁷ When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.^{(R) 28} Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,^(S) and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.^{(T) 30} When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,^[f](U) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers^(V) to state their case against him in your presence.^[g]

³¹ So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. ³² The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. ³³ When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.^{(W) 34} After he^[h] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,^{(X) 35} he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.^[i](Y)