2 Samuel 6

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

1Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. 2He led them to Baalah of Judah* to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,* who is enthroned between the cherubim. 3They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart 4that carried the Ark of God.* Ahio walked in front of the Ark. 5David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs* and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

6But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.* So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.

8David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

9David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” 10So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

12Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 13After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.*15So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.