2 Samuel 6

New King James Version

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(A)

6 Again David gathered allthechoicemenof Israel, thirty thousand.² And^(B)David arose and went with all the people whowerewith him from^[a]Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called^[b]by the Name, theLordof Hosts,^(C)who dwellsbetweenthe cherubim.³ So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, whichwason^(D)the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new^[c]cart.⁴ And they brought it out of^(E)the house of Abinadab, whichwason the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.⁵ Then David and all the house of Israel^(F)playedmusicbefore theLordon all kinds ofinstruments offir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

⁶ And when they came to^(G)Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put outhis^(H)handto the ark of God and^[d]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.⁷ Then the anger of theLordwas aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there forhis^[e]error; and he died there by the ark of God.⁸ And David became angry because of theLord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place^[f]Perez Uzzah to this day.

^9 (I)David was afraid of theLordthat day; and he said, “How can the ark of theLordcome to me?”¹⁰ So David would not move the ark of theLordwith him into the^(J)City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the^(K)Gittite.^11 (L)The ark of theLordremained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And theLord^(M)blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

¹² Now it was told King David, saying, “TheLordhas blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all thatbelongsto him, because of the ark of God.”^(N)So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.¹³ And so it was, when^(O)those bearing the ark of theLordhad gone six paces, that he sacrificed^(P)oxen and fatted sheep.¹⁴ Then David^(Q)danced^[g]before theLordwith allhismight; and Davidwaswearing^(R)a linen ephod.^15 (S)So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of theLordwith shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Now as the ark of theLordcame into the City of David,^(T)Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before theLord; and she despised him in her heart.¹⁷ So^(U)they brought the ark of theLord, and set it in^(V)its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David^(W)offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before theLord.¹⁸ And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings,^(X)he blessed the people in the name of theLordof hosts.^19 (Y)Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a pieceof meat,and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

^20 (Z)Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today,^(AA)uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the^(AB)base fellows^[h]shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹ So David said to Michal, “It wasbefore theLord,^(AC)who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the^(AD)people of theLord, over Israel. Therefore I will playmusicbefore theLord.²² And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

²³ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children^(AE)to the day of her death.