David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.^{(A) 3} They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,^[a] the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart^{(B) 4} with the ark of God,^[b] and Ahio^[c] went in front of the ark.^{(C) 5} David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs^[d] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.^(D)

¹² It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing,^{(A) 13} and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted calf. ¹⁴ David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.^{(B) 15} So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.^(C)

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal 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.^(D)

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord.^{(E) 18} When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts^{(F) 19} and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat,^[a] and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,^{[a](A) 4} just as he chose us in Christ^[b] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.^{(B) 5} He destined us^[c] for adoption as his children^[d] through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,^{(C) 6} to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace^{(D) 8} that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹ he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,^{(E) 10} as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.^{(F) 11} In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^[e] having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,^{(G) 12} so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;^{(H) 14} this^[f] is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.^(I)