Peril in Moving the Ark

6 ^(A)Now 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 to ^[a](B)Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^(C)Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who ^(D)is ^[b]enthroned above the cherubim. ³ They ^[c]placed the ark of God on ^(E)a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. ⁴ So ^(F)they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. ⁵ Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel ^(G)were celebrating before the Lord ^(H)with all kinds of instruments made of ^[d]fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.

⁶ But when they came to the ^(I)threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah ^(J)reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and ^(K)God struck him down there for ^[e]his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ David became angry because ^[f]of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called ^[g]Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ So ^(L)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of ^(M)Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord ^(N)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

¹² Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” ^(O)David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into ^(P)the city of David with gladness. ¹³ And so it was, that when the ^(Q)bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ^(R)ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ And ^(S)David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was ^[h](T)wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that ^(U)Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ^(V)in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^(W)David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, ^(X)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. ¹⁹ Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.

²⁰ But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! ^(Y)He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the ^(Z)foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “^(AA)It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.” ²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

As Newborn Babes

2 Therefore, ^(A)putting aside all ^[a]malice and all deceit and ^[b]hypocrisy and ^[c]envy and all ^[d](B)slander, ^2 (C)like newborn babies, long for the ^[e](D)pure ^[f]milk of the word, so that by it you may ^(E)grow ^[g]in respect to salvation, ³ if you have ^(F)tasted ^[h](G)the kindness of the Lord.

As Living Stones

⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^(H)rejected by men, but is ^[i]choice and precious in the sight of God, ^5 (I)you also, as living stones, ^[j]are being built up as a ^(J)spiritual house for a holy ^(K)priesthood, to ^(L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in ^[k]Scripture:

^7 (O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

⁸ and,

^(S)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(T)and to this doom they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are ^(U)a chosen race, a royal ^(V)priesthood, a ^(W)holy nation, ^(X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

^11 (AA)Beloved, ^(AB)I urge you as ^(AC)aliens and strangers to abstain from ^(AD)fleshly lusts which wage ^(AE)war against the soul. ^12 (AF)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(AG)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[n]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(AH)glorify God ^(AI)in the day of ^[o]visitation.

Honor Authority

^13 (AJ)Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[p]by him ^(AK)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(AL)praise of those who do right. ¹⁵ For ^[q](AM)such is the will of God that by doing right you may ^(AN)silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as ^(AO)free men, and ^[r]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^(AP)bondslaves of God. ^17 (AQ)Honor all people, ^(AR)love the brotherhood, ^(AS)fear God, ^(AT)honor the ^[s]king.

^18 (AU)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and ^(AV)gentle, but also to those who are ^[t]unreasonable. ¹⁹ For this finds ^[u]favor, if for the sake of ^(AW)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if ^(AX)when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds ^[v]favor with God.

Christ Is Our Example

²¹ For ^(AY)you have been called for this purpose, ^(AZ)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(BA)an example for you to follow in His steps, ²² who ^(BB)committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ^23 [w]and while being ^(BC)reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself ^[x](BD)bore our sins in His body on the ^[y](BE)cross, so that we ^(BF)might die to ^[z]sin and live to righteousness; for ^(BG)by His ^[aa]wounds you were ^(BH)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(BI)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(BJ)Shepherd and ^[ab]Guardian of your souls.