2 Samuel 6:1-7:17

New American Standard Bible 1995

Peril in Moving the Ark

6 ^(A)Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to ^[a](B)Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^(C)Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who ^(D)is ^[b]enthroned above the cherubim. ³ They ^[c]placed the ark of God on ^(E)a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. ⁴ So ^(F)they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. ⁵ Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel ^(G)were celebrating before the Lord ^(H)with all kinds of instruments made of ^[d]fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.

⁶ But when they came to the ^(I)threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah ^(J)reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and ^(K)God struck him down there for ^[e]his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ David became angry because ^[f]of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called ^[g]Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ So ^(L)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of ^(M)Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord ^(N)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

¹² Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” ^(O)David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into ^(P)the city of David with gladness. ¹³ And so it was, that when the ^(Q)bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ^(R)ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ And ^(S)David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was ^[h](T)wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that ^(U)Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ^(V)in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^(W)David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, ^(X)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. ¹⁹ Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.

²⁰ But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! ^(Y)He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the ^(Z)foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “^(AA)It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.” ²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

David Plans to Build a Temple

7 ^(AB)Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ² that the king said to ^(AC)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ^(AD)a house of cedar, but the ark of God ^(AE)dwells within tent curtains.” ³ Nathan said to the king, “^(AF)Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “^(AG)Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? ⁶ For ^(AH)I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about ^(AI)in a tent, even in a ^[i]tabernacle. ^7 (AJ)Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^(AK)which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

God’s Covenant with David

⁸ “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “^(AL)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^(AM)to be ruler over My people Israel. ^9 (AN)I have been with you wherever you have gone and ^(AO)have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and ^(AP)will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, ^(AQ)nor will the ^[j]wicked afflict them any more as formerly, ¹¹ even ^(AR)from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and ^(AS)I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that ^(AT)the Lord will make a house for you. ^12 (AU)When your days are complete and you ^(AV)lie down with your fathers, ^(AW)I will raise up your ^[k]descendant after you, who will come forth from ^[l]you, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (AX)He shall build a house for My name, and ^(AY)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (AZ)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^(BA)when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, ¹⁵ but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, ^(BB)as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ^16 (BC)Your house and your kingdom shall endure before ^[m]Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.