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God’s Holy Box Is Moved to Jerusalem

David again gathered all the best soldiers in Israel. There were 30,000 men. Then David and all his men went to Baalah in Judah[a] to take God’s Holy Box there. The Holy Box is like God’s throne—people go there to call on the name of the Lord All-Powerful who sits as king above the Cherub angels that are on that Box. David’s men brought the Holy Box out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Then they put God’s Holy Box on a new wagon. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were driving the new wagon.

So they carried the Holy Box out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. The sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the new wagon. Ahio was walking in front of the Holy Box. David and all the Israelites were dancing in front of the Lord and playing all kinds of musical instruments. There were lyres, harps, drums, rattles, instruments made from cypress wood, and cymbals. When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and God’s Holy Box began to fall off the wagon. Uzzah caught the Holy Box. But the Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him for that mistake. Uzzah showed he did not honor God when he touched the Holy Box, so he died there by God’s Holy Box. David was upset because the Lord had killed Uzzah. David called that place “Perez Uzzah.”[b] It is still called Perez Uzzah today.

David became afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can I bring God’s Holy Box here now?” 10 So David would not move the Lord’s Holy Box into the City of David. He put the Holy Box at the house of Obed Edom from Gath.[c] 11 The Lord’s Holy Box stayed in Obed Edom’s house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his family.

12 Later people told David, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed Edom and everything he owns, because God’s Holy Box is there.” So David went and brought God’s Holy Box from Obed Edom’s house. David was very happy and excited. 13 When the men who carried the Lord’s Holy Box had walked six steps, they stopped and David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. 14 David was dancing in front of the Lord. He was wearing a linen ephod.

15 David and all the Israelites were excited—they shouted and blew the trumpet as they brought the Lord’s Holy Box into the city. 16 Saul’s daughter Michal was looking out the window. While the Lord’s Holy Box was being carried into the city, David was jumping and dancing before the Lord. Michal saw this, and she was upset at David.

17 David put up a tent for the Holy Box. The Israelites put the Lord’s Holy Box in its place under the tent. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.

18 After David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. 19 He also gave a share of bread, a raisin cake, and some date bread to every man and woman of Israel. Then all the people went home.

Michal Scolds David

20 David went back to bless his house, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your servants’ girls. You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!”

21 Then David said to Michal, “The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from his family. The Lord chose me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will continue dancing and celebrating in front of the Lord. 22 I might do things that are even more embarrassing! Maybe you will not respect me, but the girls you are talking about are proud of me!”

23 Saul’s daughter Michal never had a child. She died without having any children.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 Baalah in Judah Another name for Kiriath Jearim. See 1 Chron. 13:6.
  2. 2 Samuel 6:8 Perez Uzzah This name means “The Punishment of Uzzah.”
  3. 2 Samuel 6:10 Obed Edom from Gath A person from the tribe of Levi who lived near Jerusalem.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem(A)(B)

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah[a](C) in Judah to bring up from there the ark(D) of God, which is called by the Name,[b](E) the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned(F) between the cherubim(G) on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart(H) and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.(I) Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it,[c] and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating(J) with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,[d] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.(K)

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

Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath(O) had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.[e](P)

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How(Q) can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom(R) the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.(S)

12 Now King David(T) was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed(U) a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod,(V) David was dancing(W) before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts(X) and the sound of trumpets.(Y)

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David,(Z) Michal(AA) daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it,(AB) and David sacrificed burnt offerings(AC) and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing(AD) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed(AE) the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins(AF) to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.(AG) And all the people went to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked(AH) in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed(AI) me ruler(AJ) over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 That is, Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Chron. 13:6)
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate do not have the Name.
  3. 2 Samuel 6:4 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text cart and they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 13:8) songs
  5. 2 Samuel 6:8 Perez Uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah.