David Fetches the Ark

1David again assembled the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand in all.

2And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah ¹⁵to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name— ¹⁶the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.

3They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,

4bringing with it the ark of God. ¹⁷And Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

Uzzah Touches the Ark

5David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, ¹⁸harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, ¹⁹Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled.

7And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, ²⁰and he died there beside the ark of God.

8Then David became angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, ²¹as it is called to this day.

9That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”

10So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

12Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.”
So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

13When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

14And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,

15while he and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sounding of the ram’s horn.

Michal’s Contempt for David

16As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.

17So they brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered ascension offerings and well-being offerings before the LORD.

18When David had finished sacrificing the ascension offerings and well-being offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.

19Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, ²²and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each to his own home.

20When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

21But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD,

22and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”

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