David Moves the Ark

David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel:(A) thirty thousand. 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) 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 dancing 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 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 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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 6:2 = Kiriath-jearim in 1Sm 7:1; 1Ch 13:6; 2Ch 1:4
  2. 6:3 Or And his brothers
  3. 6:5 DSS, LXX read with tuned instruments with strength, with songs; 1Ch 13:8
  4. 6:5 = an Egyptian percussion instrument
  5. 6:8 Or Perez-uzzah; 2Sm 5:20

Peril in Moving the Ark

(A)Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David [a]departed from [b](B)Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the (C)Name, the very name of the Lord of armies who (D)is [c]enthroned above the cherubim. They had mounted the ark of God on (E)a new cart and moved it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. 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. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel (G)were celebrating before the Lord (H)with all kinds of instruments made of juniper wood, and with [d]lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

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, because the oxen nearly overturned it. 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. Then David became angry because [f]of the Lords outburst against Uzzah; and that place has been called [g]Perez-uzzah to this day. 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 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord (N)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 Lit arose and went
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 I.e., Kiriath-jearim
  3. 2 Samuel 6:2 Lit sitting
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 Or zithers
  5. 2 Samuel 6:7 Lit the
  6. 2 Samuel 6:8 Lit the Lord broke through a breakthrough
  7. 2 Samuel 6:8 I.e., outburst against Uzzah