2 Samuel 6:1-11

New Century Version

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel—thirty thousand of them. ² Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah^[a] to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord All-Powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings. ³ They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, led the new cart ⁴ which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

⁶ When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God. ⁷ The Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because the Lord had killed Uzzah. Now that place is called the Punishment of Uzzah.

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me now?” ¹⁰ So David would not move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath. ¹¹ The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.