II Samuel 6

¹And David got together all the fighting-men of Israel to the number of thirty thousand;

²And David, and all the people who were with him, went to Baal of Judah to get the ark of God, over which the holy name is named, the name of the Lord of armies, whose place is between the winged ones.

³And they put the ark of God on a new cart and took it out of the house of Abinadab which was on the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were the drivers of the cart.

⁴And Uzzah went by the side of the ark, while Ahio went before it.

⁵And David and all the men of Israel made melody before the Lord with all their power, with songs and with corded instruments and instruments of brass.

⁶And when they came to Nacon's grain-floor, Uzzah put his hand on the ark of God to keep it safe in its place, for the oxen were out of control.

⁷And the wrath of the Lord, burning against Uzzah, sent destruction on him because he had put his hand on the ark, and death came to him there by the ark of God.

⁸And David was angry because of the Lord's outburst of wrath against Uzzah: and he gave that place the name Perez-uzzah, which is its name to this day.

⁹And such was David's fear of the Lord that day, that he said, How may I let the ark of God come to me?

¹⁰So David did not let the ark of the Lord come back to him to the town of David: but had it turned away and put into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

¹¹And the ark of the Lord was in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months: and the Lord sent a blessing on Obed-edom and all his family.

¹²And they said to King David, The blessing of the Lord is on the family of Obed-edom and on all he has, because of the ark of God. And David went and took the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the town of David with joy.

¹³And when those who were lifting the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he made an offering of an ox and a fat young beast.

¹⁴And David, clothed in a linen ephod, was dancing before the Lord with all his strength.

¹⁵So David and all the men of Israel took up the ark of the Lord with cries of joy and sounding of horns.

¹⁶And when the ark of the Lord came into the town of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looking out of the window, saw King David dancing and jumping before the Lord; and to her mind he seemed foolish.

¹⁷And they took in the ark of the Lord, and put it in its place inside the tent which David had put up for it: and David made burned offerings and peace-offerings to the Lord.

¹⁸And after David had made the burned offerings and the peace-offerings, he gave the people a blessing in the name of the Lord of armies.

¹⁹And he gave to every man and woman among all the people, among all the masses of Israel, a cake of bread and a measure of wine and a cake of dry grapes. Then all the people went away, every man to his house.

²⁰Then David came back to give a blessing to his family. And Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to him and said, How full of glory was the king of Israel today, who let himself be seen uncovered by his servant-girls like a foolish person uncovering himself without shame!

²¹And David said to Michal, I was dancing before the Lord, who put me over your father and all his sons, to make me a ruler over the people of the Lord, over his people Israel: and I will go on playing before the Lord;

²²And I will do even worse than this, and make myself even lower in your eyes: but the servant-girls of whom you were talking will give me honour.

²³And Michal, Saul's daughter, had no child till the day of her death.

II Samuel 6

¹David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of the Lord of hosts who sits above the cherubim.

³They set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

⁴They brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

⁶When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled.

⁷The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

⁸David was displeased, because the Lord had broken forth on Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day.

⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?"

¹⁰So David would not move the ark of the Lord to be with him in the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

¹¹The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and all his house.

¹²It was told king David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God." David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy.

¹³It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

¹⁴David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶It was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

¹⁹He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed everyone to his house.

²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

²¹David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore will I celebrate before the Lord.

²²I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in my own sight. But of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, they shall honor me."

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