2 Samuel 6

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

1 David again assembledt all the bestt men in Israel, thirty thousand in number.2 David and all the men who were with him traveledt tot Baalaht in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the names of the Lord of hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart.4 They broughtt it with the ark of God up from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark,

5 while David and all Israelt were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singings and playing various stringed instruments,t tambourines, rattles,t and cymbals.
6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon,t Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold oft the ark of God,t because the oxen stumbled.

7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,t het killed him on the spots for his negligence.s He died right there beside the ark of God.
8 David was angry because the Lord attackedt Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah,s which remains its name to this very day.9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.t12 David was told,t “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David.13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then Davidt sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf.14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.t

15 David and all Israels were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.t
16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.t17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its places in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord.18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,t both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,t and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.t

20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,t Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.t She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguishedt himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar foolt might do!”
21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire familyt and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel.22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this!t But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!”

23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6

The Covenant Box Is Brought to Jerusalem

1 Once more David called together the best soldiers in Israel, a total of thirty thousand men, 2 and led them to Baalaht in Judah, in order to bring from there God's Covenant Box, bearing the name of the LORD Almighty, whose throne is above the winged creatures.t 3 They took it from Abinadab's home on the hill and placed it on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart, 4 with Ahio walking in front.

5 David and all the Israelites were dancing and singing with all their mightt to honor the LORD. They were playing harps, lyres, drums, rattles, and cymbals.
6 As they came to the threshing place of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Covenant Box. 7 At once the LORD God became angry with Uzzah and killed him because of his irreverence.t Uzzah died there beside the Covenant Box,

8 and so that place has been called Perez Uzzaht ever since. David was furious because the LORD had punished Uzzah in anger.
9 Then David was afraid of the LORD and said, “How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?” 10 So he decided not to take it with him to Jerusalem; instead, he turned off the road and took it to the house of Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath.

11 It stayed there three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his family.
12 King David heard that because of the Covenant Box the LORD had blessed Obed Edom's family and all that he had; so he got the Covenant Box from Obed's house to take it to Jerusalem with a great celebration. 13 After the men carrying the Covenant Box had gone six steps, David had them stop while he offered the LORD a sacrifice of a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing only a linen cloth around his waist, danced with all his might to honor the LORD.

15 And so he and all the Israelites took the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and jumping around in the sacred dance, and she was disgusted with him. 17 They brought the Box and put it in its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to the LORD. 18 When he had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty

19 and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat,t and some raisins. Then everyone went home.

20 Afterward, when David went home to greet his family, Michal came out to meet him. “The king of Israel made a big name for himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself like a fool in the sight of the servant women of his officials!”
21 David answered, “I was dancing to honor the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and his family to make me the leader of his people Israel. And I will go on dancing to honor the LORD,

22 and will disgrace myself even more. Yout may think I am nothing, but those women will think highly of me!”

23 Michal, Saul's daughter, never had any children.