1 And Dauid counselled with the captaines of thousandes and of hundreths, and with all the gouernours. 2 And Dauid said to all the Congregation of Israel, If it seeme good to you, and that it proceedeth of the Lord our God, we will sende to and from vnto our brethren, that are left in all the lande of Israel (for with them are the Priests and the Leuites in the cities and their suburbes) that they may assemble them selues vnto vs. 3 And we will bring againe the Arke of our God to vs: for we sought not vnto it in the dayes of Saul. 4 And all the Congregation answered, Let vs doe so: for the thing seemed good in the eyes of all the people. 5 So Dauid gathered all Israel together from Shihor in Egypt, euen vnto the entring of Hamath, to bring the Arke of God from Kiriath-iearim. 6 And Dauid went vp and all Israel to Baalath, in Kiriath-iearim, that was in Iudah, to bring vp from thence the Arke of God the Lord that dwelleth betweene the Cherubims, where his Name is called on. 7 And they caryed the Arke of God in a newe cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Vzza and Ahio guided the cart. 8 And Dauid and all Israel played before God with all their might, both with songes and with harpes, and with violes, and with timbrels and with cymbales and with trumpets. 9 And when they came vnto the thresshing floore of Chidon, Vzza put forth his hand to holde the Arke, for the oxen did shake it. 10 But the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Vzza, and he smote him, because he layed his hande vpon the Arke: so he dyed there before God. 11 And Dauid was angrie, because the Lord had made a breach in Vzza, and he called the name of that place Perez-vzza vnto this day. 12 And Dauid feared God that day, saying, Howe shall I bring in to me the Arke of God? 13 Therefore Dauid brought not the Arke to him into the citie of Dauid, but caused it to turne into the house of Obed Edom the Gittite. 14 So the Arke of God remained in the house of Obed Edom, euen in his house three moneths: and the Lord blessed the house of Obed Edom, and all that he had.
David Moves the Sacred Chest to Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 6.1-12a)1 Some time later, David talked with his army commanders, 2-3 and then announced to the people of Israel:
While Saul was king, the sacred chest was ignored. But now it's time to bring the chest to Jerusalem. We will invite everyone in Israel to come here, including the priests and the Levites in the towns surrounded by pastureland. But we will do these things only if you agree, and if the Lord our God wants us to.
4 The people agreed this was the right thing to do.
5 David gathered everyone from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo-Hamath in the north. 6 Then he led them to Baalah in Judah, which was also called Kiriath-Jearim. They went there to get the sacred chest and bring it to Jerusalem, because it belonged to the Lord God, whose throne is above the winged creatures on the lid of the chest.
7 The sacred chest was still at Abinadab's house, and when David and the crowd arrived there, they brought the chest outside and placed it on a new ox cart. Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart, 8 while David and the crowd danced and sang praises to the Lord with all their might. They played music on small harps and other stringed instruments, and on tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 But when they came to Chidon's threshing place, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the chest to stop it from falling. 10 The Lord God was very angry with Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah right there beside the chest.
11 David then got angry with God for killing Uzzah. So he named that place “Attack on Uzzah,” and it's been called that ever since.
12 David was afraid what the Lord might do to him, and he asked himself, “Should I really be the one to take care of the sacred chest?” 13 So instead of taking it to Jerusalem, David decided to take it to the home of Obed-Edom, who lived in the town of Gath.
14 The chest stayed there for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, his family, and everything he owned.