2 Samuel 6

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

And David again gathered all the young men of Israel, about seventy thousand.

2 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].

And David arose, and went, he and all the people that were with him, and some of the rulers of Juda, on an expedition [to a distant place], to bring back thence the ark of God, on which the name of the Lord of Host who dwells between the cherubs upon it is called.

3 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].

And they put the ark of the Lord on a new waggon, and took it out of the house of Aminadab who lived on the hill, and Oza and his brethren the sons of Aminadab drove the waggon with the ark.

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

And his brethren went before the ark.

5 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.

And David and the children of Israel [were] playing before the Lord on well-tuned instruments mightily, and with songs, and with harps, and with lutes, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with pipes.

6 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]).

And they come as far as the threshing floor of Nachor: and Oza reached forth his hand to the ark of God to keep it steady, and took hold of it; for the ox shook it out of its place.

7 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].

And the Lord was very angry with Oza; and God struck him there: and he died there by the ark of the Lord before God.

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

And David was dispirited because the Lord made a breach upon Oza; and that place was called the breach of Oza until this day.

9 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]

And David feared the Lord in that day, saying, How shall the ark of the Lord come in to me?

10 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].

And David would not bring in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to himself into the city of David: and David turned it aside into the house of Abeddara the Gethite.

11 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.

And the ark of the Lord lodged in the house of Abeddara the Gethite three months, and the Lord blessed all the house of Abeddara, and all his possessions.

12 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.

And it was reported to king David, saying, The Lord has blessed the house of Abeddara, and all that he has, because of the ark of the Lord. And David went, and brought up the Ark of the Lord from the house of Abeddara to the city of David with gladness.

13 [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.

And there were with him bearing the ark seven bands, and for a sacrifice a calf and lambs.

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

And David sounded with well-tuned instruments before the Lord, and David [was] clothed with a fine long robe.

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

And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.

16 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.

And it came to pass as the ark arrived at the city of David, that Melchol the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

17 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.

And they bring the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle which David pitched for it: and David offered whole burnt offerings before the Lord, [and] peace-offerings.

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

And David made an end of offering the whole burnt offerings and peace-offerings, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts.

19 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.

And he distributed to all the people, even to all the host of Israel from Dan to Bersabee, both men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a joint of meat, and a cake from the frying-pan: and all the people departed every one to his home.

20 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!”

And David returned to bless his house. And Melchol the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and saluted him, and said, How was the king of Israel glorified today, who was today uncovered in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the dancers wantonly uncovers himself!

21 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!

And David said to Melchol, I will dance before the Lord. Blessed [be] the Lord who chose me before your father, and before all his house, to make me head over his people, even over Israel: therefore I will play, and dance before the Lord.

22 [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!”

And I will again uncover myself thus, and I will be vile in your eyes, and with the maidservants by whom you said that I was not had in honor.

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

And Melchol the daughter of Saul had no child till the day of her death.