3-7 They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart and removed it from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart loaded with the Chest of God, Ahio in the lead and Uzzah alongside the Chest. David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God. God blazed in anger against Uzzah and struck him hard because he had profaned the Chest. Uzzah died on the spot, right alongside the Chest.

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David and all Israel were celebrating(A) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,[a] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.(B)

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of(C) the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;(D) therefore God struck him down,(E) and he died there beside the ark of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 13:8) songs