2 Samuel 6

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

Then David chose 30,000 Israeli men and gathered them together.

2 And David arose and went, with all the people that were with him of the men of Juda to fetch the ark of God, upon which the name of the Lord of hosts is invoked, who sitteth over it upon the cherubims.

He led them to the place in Judah [formerly] called Baalah, [now called Kiriath-Jearim]. They went in order to bring from there [to Jerusalem] the sacred chest, which had the name of Yahweh, the leader of the armies of [the angels in] heaven, written on it, and which had the [statues of the] winged creatures on top of it. Between those statues was where Yahweh spoke messages about ruling his people [MTY].

3 And they laid the ark of God upon a new cart: and took it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa: and Oza, and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

The sacred chest was in the house of Abinadab, on top of a hill. They went there, and they put the chest on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, the two sons of Abinadab, were guiding [the oxen that were pulling the cart].

4 And when they had taken it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa, Ahio having care of the ark of God went before the ark.

Uzzah walked alongside the cart, and Ahio walked in front of it.

5 But David and all Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of wood, on harps and lutes and timbrels and cornets and cymbals.

David and all the Israeli men were celebrating in God’s presence, singing with all their strength and [playing] lyres and harps, and beating tambourines, and clashing castanets and cymbals.

6 And when they came to the floor of Nachon, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it: because the oxen kicked and made it lean aside.

But when they came to the place where Nacon threshed grain, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah put his hand on the sacred chest to (steady it/prevent it from falling [off the cart]).

7 And the indignation of the Lord was enkindled against Oza, and he struck him for his rashness: and he died there before the ark of God.

Yahweh immediately became very angry with Uzzah, and he killed him right there alongside the sacred chest, because he had touched the chest, [and Yahweh had commanded that only the descendants of Levi who help the priests should touch the sacred chest].

8 And David was grieved because the Lord had struck Oza, and the name of that place was called: The striking of Oza, to this day.

David was angry because Yahweh had punished Uzzah. So ever since that time, that place has been called ‘The Punishment of Uzzah’.

9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?

David was [also] afraid of [what else] Yahweh [would do to punish them], so he said, “(How can I take the sacred chest with me [to Jerusalem]?/I am afraid to take the sacred chest with me [to Jerusalem].)” [RHQ]

10 And he would not have the ark of the Lord brought in to himself into the city of David: but he caused it to be carried into the house of Obededom the Gethite.

So he did not want to take the sacred chest to Jerusalem. Instead, they took it to another place; they took it to the house of Obed-Edom, from Gath [city].

11 And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.

They left the sacred chest in the house of Obed-Edom for three months, and [during that time] Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and his family.

12 And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God. So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.

Later, people told David, “Yahweh has blessed Obed-Edom and his family because [he is taking care] of the sacred chest!” When David heard that, he [and some other men] went to Obed-Edom’s house, and very joyfully brought the sacred chest from there to Jerusalem.

13 And when they that carried the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a ram:

[This time, descendants of Levi] were carrying the sacred chest, but when they had walked only six steps, they stopped, and there David killed a bull and a fat calf, and offered them to Yahweh for a sacrifice.

14 And David danced with all his might before the Lord: and David was girded with a linen ephod.

David was wearing [only] a linen cloth wrapped around his waist, and was dancing very energetically to honor Yahweh.

15 And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and with sound of trumpet.

David and the Israeli men took the sacred chest up [to Jerusalem], shouting [loudly] and blowing trumpets.

16 And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord: and she despised him in her heart.

While they were carrying the sacred chest into the city, [David’s wife] Michal, who was Saul’s daughter, looked out the window [of her house]. She saw King David leaping and dancing to honor Yahweh. So she was disgusted with him.

17 And they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle, which David had pitched for it: and David offered holocausts, and peace offerings before the Lord.

They brought the sacred chest into the tent that David had erected for it. Then David gave to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned [on an altar], and other offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh.

18 And when he had made an end of offering holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

When David had finished offering those sacrifices, he asked Yahweh, the Commander of the armies [of the angels], to bless the people.

19 And he distributed to all the multitude of Israel both men and women, to every one, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and fine flour fried with oil: and all the people departed every one to his house.

He also distributed food to all the people. To each Israeli man and woman he gave a loaf of bread, some meat, and a raisin cake. Then all the people returned to their homes.

20 And David returned to bless his own house: and Michol the daughter of Saul coming out to meet David, said: How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was naked, as if one of the buffoons should be naked.

When David went home to [ask Yahweh to] bless his family, his wife Michal came out to meet him. She said to him, “Maybe you, the king of Israel, [think that you] [IRO] were honoring yourself today, but really, you acted like a fool, uncovering yourself while the female servants of your officials were watching!”

21 And David said to Michol: Before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord in Israel,

David replied to Michal, “[I was doing that] to honor Yahweh, who chose me instead of your father and other members of his family, to be the king of the Israeli people, the people who belong to Yahweh. And I will [continue to] dance to honor Yahweh!

22 I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaid of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious.

[Even though you think that what I did] was disgraceful, I will continue to do it even more. You may despise me [because of what I did], but the women whom you were talking about will honor me!”

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

[As a result, ] Saul’s daughter Michal never gave birth to any children.