1 Chronicles 13

1 [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.

David had discussions with all his leaders, including the army commanders of thousands and hundreds.

2 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,

Then he addressed the whole assembly of Israel, saying, “If you agree, and if God approves, let us send an invitation to every Israelite in the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pastures, to come and join us.

3 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.”

Let us bring the Ark of our God back to us, because we forgot about it during the time of Saul.”

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

The whole assembly was pleased with the proposal, agreeing that this would be a good thing to do.

5 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].

So David summoned all of Israel, from the Shihor River of Egypt up to Lebo-hamath, to help bring the Ark from Kiriath-jearim.

6 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].

So David and all of Israel went to Baalah (otherwise called Kiriath-jearim) in Judah to bring back the Ark of God the Lord, whose throne is between the cherubim and who is called by the Name.

7 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].

They loaded the Ark of God onto a brand new cart and brought it from Adinadab's house, with Uzzah and Ahio directing it.

8 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.

David and all of Israel were celebrating before the Lord as loudly as possible, singing sings and playing music on lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9 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.

But when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah stretched out his hand to stop the Ark falling.

10 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].

The Lord was angry with Uzzah for daring to touch the Ark like this so he struck him down, and Uzzah died there before the Lord.

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

David became angry with the Lord for his violent outburst against Uzzah. He named the place Perez-uzzah, and it is still called that today.

12 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]

David became afraid of God that day. “How can I ever bring back the Ark of God home to me?” he asked.

13 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].

So David did not move the Ark of God to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he had it taken to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite.

14 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.

The Ark of God remained in Obed-edom's home for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom's household and all that he had.