2 Samuel 6
6
David Brings the Sacred Chest Back to Jerusalem
(1 Chronicles 13.1-14; 15.1—16.3,43)
1David brought together 30,000 of Israel's best soldiers and 2#Ex 25.22. led them to Baalah in Judah, which was also called Kiriath-Jearim. They were going there#6.2 to Baalah … there: The Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Chronicles 13.6; the Standard Hebrew Text “from Baalah in Judah. They had gone there.” to get the sacred chest and bring it back to Jerusalem. The throne of the Lord All-Powerful is above the winged creatures#6.2 winged creatures: Two golden statues of winged creatures were on top of the sacred chest and were symbols of the Lord's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18). on top of this chest, and he is worshiped there.#6.2 he is worshiped there: Or “the chest belongs to him.”
3 #
1 S 7.1,2. They put the sacred chest on a new ox cart and started bringing it down the hill from Abinadab's house. Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the ox cart, 4with Ahio#6.3,4 Ahio … Ahio: Or “his brother … his brother.” walking in front of it. 5Some of the people of Israel were playing music on small harps and other stringed instruments, and on tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. David and the others were happy, and they danced for the Lord with all their might.
6But when they came to Nacon's threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and took hold of the sacred chest. 7The Lord God was very angry with Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah right there beside the chest.
8David got angry with God for killing Uzzah. He named that place “Bursting Out Against Uzzah,”#6.8 Bursting … Uzzah: Or “Perez-Uzzah.” and that's what it's still called.
9David was afraid of the Lord and thought, “Should I really take the sacred chest to my city?” 10He decided not to take it there. Instead, he turned off the road and took it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath.#6.10 Gath: Or perhaps, “Gittaim.”
11-12 #
1 Ch 26.4,5. The chest stayed there for three months, and the Lord greatly blessed Obed Edom, his family, and everything he owned. Then someone told King David, “The Lord has done this because the sacred chest is in Obed Edom's house.”
At once, David went to Obed Edom's house to get the chest and bring it to David's City. Everyone was celebrating. 13The people carrying the chest walked six steps, then David sacrificed an ox and a choice cow. 14He was dancing for the Lord with all his might, but he wore only a linen cloth.#6.14 only a linen cloth: The Hebrew word is “ephod,” which can mean either a piece of clothing like a skirt that went from the waist to the knee or a garment like a vest or a jacket that only the priests wore. 15He and everyone else were celebrating by shouting and blowing horns while the chest was being carried along.
16Saul's daughter Michal looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing for the Lord, she was disgusted.
17They put the chest inside a tent that David had set up for it. David worshiped the Lord by sacrificing animals and burning them on an altar,#6.17 sacrificing … altar: The Hebrew mentions two kinds of sacrifices. In one kind of sacrifice, the whole animal was burned on the altar. In the other kind, only part was burned, and the worshipers ate the rest, as in verse 19 (see Leviticus 1.2-17; 3.1-17). 18then he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. 19#1 Ch 16.43. He gave all the men and women in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins, then everyone went home.
Michal Talks to David
20David went home so he could ask the Lord to bless his family. But Saul's daughter Michal went out and started yelling at him. “You were really great today!” she said. “You acted like a dirty old man, dancing around half-naked in front of your servants' slave-girls.”
21David told her, “The Lord didn't choose your father or anyone else in your family to be the leader of his people. The Lord chose me, and I was celebrating in honor of him. 22I'll show you just how great I can be! I'll even be disgusting to myself. But those slave-girls you talked about will still honor me!”
23Michal never had any children.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 6: CEVDCI
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 6
6
God’s Holy Box Is Moved to Jerusalem
1David again gathered all the best soldiers in Israel. There were 30,000 men. 2Then David and all his men went to Baalah in Judah#6:2 Baalah in Judah Another name for Kiriath Jearim. See 1 Chron. 13:6. to take God’s Holy Box there. The Holy Box is like God’s throne—people go there to call on the name of the Lord All-Powerful who sits as king above the Cherub angels that are on that Box. 3David’s men brought the Holy Box out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Then they put God’s Holy Box on a new wagon. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were driving the new wagon.
4So they carried the Holy Box out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. The sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the new wagon. Ahio was walking in front of the Holy Box. 5David and all the Israelites were dancing in front of the Lord and playing all kinds of musical instruments. There were lyres, harps, drums, rattles, instruments made from cypress wood, and cymbals. 6When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and God’s Holy Box began to fall off the wagon. Uzzah caught the Holy Box. 7But the Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him for that mistake. Uzzah showed he did not honor God when he touched the Holy Box, so he died there by God’s Holy Box. 8David was upset because the Lord had killed Uzzah. David called that place “Perez Uzzah.”#6:8 Perez Uzzah This name means “The Punishment of Uzzah.” It is still called Perez Uzzah today.
9David became afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can I bring God’s Holy Box here now?” 10So David would not move the Lord’s Holy Box into the City of David. He put the Holy Box at the house of Obed Edom from Gath.#6:10 Obed Edom from Gath A person from the tribe of Levi who lived near Jerusalem. 11The Lord’s Holy Box stayed in Obed Edom’s house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his family.
12Later people told David, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed Edom and everything he owns, because God’s Holy Box is there.” So David went and brought God’s Holy Box from Obed Edom’s house. David was very happy and excited. 13When the men who carried the Lord’s Holy Box had walked six steps, they stopped and David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. 14David was dancing in front of the Lord. He was wearing a linen ephod.
15David and all the Israelites were excited—they shouted and blew the trumpet as they brought the Lord’s Holy Box into the city. 16Saul’s daughter Michal was looking out the window. While the Lord’s Holy Box was being carried into the city, David was jumping and dancing before the Lord. Michal saw this, and she was upset at David.
17David put up a tent for the Holy Box. The Israelites put the Lord’s Holy Box in its place under the tent. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.
18After David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. 19He also gave a share of bread, a raisin cake, and some date bread to every man and woman of Israel. Then all the people went home.
Michal Scolds David
20David went back to bless his house, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your servants’ girls. You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!”
21Then David said to Michal, “The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from his family. The Lord chose me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will continue dancing and celebrating in front of the Lord. 22I might do things that are even more embarrassing! Maybe you will not respect me, but the girls you are talking about are proud of me!”
23Saul’s daughter Michal never had a child. She died without having any children.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International