1 Chronicles 13

1 And David consulted with the rulers of thousands and hundreds, even with every chief ruler.

[One day] David talked with all his army officers. Some of them were commanders of 100 soldiers and some were commanders of 1,000 soldiers.

2 And David said to all the convocation of Israel, If, unto you, it seemeth to be good, and from Yahweh our God, we will urgently send unto our brethren who remain in all the lands of Israel, and, with them, the priests and the Levites in their pasture-land cities, —that they may gather together unto us;

Then he summoned the other Israeli leaders and said to all of them, “If it seems to you to be a good thing for us to do, and if it is what Yahweh our God wants, let’s send a message to our fellow Israelis in all the areas of our country, including the priests and [other] descendants of Levi who are living among them in their towns and in the nearby pasturelands, to come and join us,

3 and let us bring round the ark of our God, unto us, —For they sought it not, in the days of Saul.

because we want to bring the Sacred Chest of our God back to us. While Saul [was the king], we did not go to God’s presence to ask him what we should do.”

4 Than said all the convocation, that it should be done thus, —for right was the thing, in the eyes of all the people.

All the people agreed with David, because they all thought that it was the right thing to do.

5 So David convoked all Israel, from Shihor of Egypt, even unto the entering in of Hamath, —to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

So David gathered all the Israeli people, from the Shihor [River] in Egypt to Lebo-Hamath [town in the north, and told them that he wanted them] to [help] bring the Sacred Chest of God [back to Jerusalem] from Kiriath-Jearim [city].

6 And David went up and all Israel to Baalah, unto Kiriath-jearim, which pertaineth to Judah, —to bring up from thence, the ark of God—Yahweh who inhabiteth the cherubim, on which is called the Name.

David went with all the Israeli people to Baalah [town], which is [another name for] Kiriath-Jearim, to get the Sacred Chest. [The people believed that] God ruled from between the statues of winged creatures that was above the lid of the Sacred Chest [MTY].

7 And they carried the ark of God, upon a new waggon, out of the house of Aminadab, —and, Uzza and Ahio, were driving the waggon.

The people put the Sacred Chest on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding [the oxen that were pulling the cart].

8 And, David and all Israel, were dancing for joy before God, with all boldness, and with songs and with lyres, and with harps and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

David and all the Israeli people were celebrating in God’s presence with all their strength. They were singing and [playing] lyres, harps, tambourines, and cymbals, and [blowing] trumpets.

9 And, when they came as far as the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza thrust forth his hand, to seize the ark, for the oxen were restive.

But when David’s men came to the place where Kidon threshed grain, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out with his hand to prevent the Sacred Chest from falling off the cart.

10 Then was kindled the anger of Yahweh against Uzza, and he smote him, because he thrust forth his hand unto the ark, —and he died there, before God.

Yahweh immediately became very angry with Uzzah, and he caused Uzzah to suddenly die there because he had put his hand on the Sacred Chest, [and Yahweh had commanded that only the descendants of Levi who help the priests should touch the Sacred Chest].

11 And it was a sadness unto David, that Yahweh had broken in with a breach against Uzza, —and he called that place Perez-uzza, [as it is called] unto this day.

David was angry because Yahweh had punished [MTY] Uzzah. And now that place [where Uzzah died] is called ‘The Punishment of Uzzah’.

12 And David was afraid of God, on that day, saying, —How can I bring unto me, the ark of God?

That day, David was afraid of God. He asked [himself], “(How can I bring God’s Sacred Chest to my [city]?/I am afraid to bring God’s Sacred Chest to my [city].)” [RHQ]

13 So David removed not the ark unto him, into the city of David, —but took it aside into the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.

So the men with David did not take the Sacred Chest to Jerusalem. Instead, they took it to the house of Obed-Edom, who was from Gath [city].

14 And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom, in his house, three months, —and Yahweh blessed the household of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

The Sacred Chest stayed with Obed-Edom’s family in his house for three months. And [during that time] Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything that he owned.