2 Samuel - Chapter 6

¹ David again mustered all the picked troops of Israel, thirty thousand men.

² Setting off with the whole force then with him, David went to Baalah of Judah, from there to bring up the ark of God, who bears the title 'Yahweh Sabaoth, enthroned on the winged creatures'.

³ They transported the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab's house which is on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the cart,

⁴ Uzzah walked alongside the ark of God and Ahio went in front.

⁵ David and the whole House of Israel danced before Yahweh with all their might, singing to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to Nacon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached his hand out to the ark of God and steadied it, as the oxen were making it tilt.

⁷ This roused Yahweh's anger against Uzzah, and for this crime God struck him down on the spot, and there he died beside the ark of God.

⁸ David resented Yahweh's having broken out against Uzzah, and the place was given the name Perez-Uzzah, which it still has today.

⁹ That day David felt afraid of Yahweh. 'How can the ark of Yahweh come to be with me?' he said.

¹⁰ So David decided not to take the ark of Yahweh with him into the city of David but diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom of Gath.

¹¹ The ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-Edom of Gath for three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and his whole family.

¹² King David was informed that Yahweh had blessed Obed-Edom's family and everything belonging to him on account of the ark of God. David accordingly went and, amid great rejoicing, brought the ark of God up from Obed-Edom's house to the City of David.

¹³ When the bearers of the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep.

¹⁴ And David danced whirling round before Yahweh with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth.

¹⁵ Thus with war cries and blasts on the horn, David and the entire House of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh.

¹⁶ Now as the ark of Yahweh entered the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul was watching from the window and when she saw King David leaping and whirling round before Yahweh, the sight of him filled her with contempt.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of Yahweh in and put it in position, inside the tent which David had erected for it; and David presented burnt offerings and communion sacrifices in Yahweh's presence.

¹⁸ And when David had finished presenting burnt offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth.

¹⁹ To all the people, to the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, he then distributed to each a loaf of bread, a portion of dates and a raisin cake. Then the people all went back to their homes.

²⁰ As David was coming back to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him. 'Much honour the king of Israel has won today,' she said, 'making an exhibition of himself under the eyes of his servant-maids, making an exhibition of himself like a buffoon!'

²¹ David replied to Michal, 'I was dancing for Yahweh, not for them. As Yahweh lives, who chose me in preference to your father and his whole family to make me leader of Israel, Yahweh's people, I shall dance before Yahweh and

²² lower myself even further than that. In your eyes I may be base, but by the maids you speak of, by them, I shall be held in honour!'

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

Book of 2 Samuel Chapters

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