2 Samuel 6
6
God’s chest is brought to Jerusalem
1Once again David assembled the select warriors of Israel, thirty thousand strong. 2David and all the troops who were with him set out for Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim of Judah,#6.2 DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:6; MT from Baale-judah to bring God’s chest up from there—the chest that is called by the name#6.2 MT repeats name, but 1 Chron 13:6 omits one of these and LXX reads the first as there. of the LORD of heavenly forces, who sits enthroned on the winged creatures. 3They loaded God’s chest on a new cart and carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart. 4#6.4 LXX, DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:7; MT repeats they carried it from the house of Abinadab on the hill; Uzzah has dropped out and must be restored.Uzzah was beside God’s chest while Ahio was walking in front of it. 5Meanwhile, David and the entire house of Israel celebrated in the LORD’s presence with all their strength, with songs,#6.5 LXX, DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:8; MT with all sorts of pine instruments zithers, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.
6When they approached Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to God’s chest and grabbed it because the oxen had stumbled.#6.6 Heb uncertain 7The LORD became angry at Uzzah, and God struck him there because of his mistake,#6.7 Heb uncertain; LXX lacks this phrase; cf Targ, Syr, 1 Chron 13:10 because he had placed his hand on the chest. and he died there next to God’s chest. 8Then David got angry because the LORD’s anger lashed out against Uzzah, and so that place is called Perez-uzzah today.#6.8 Perez-uzzah means Uzzah-outbreak; cf 2 Sam 5:20.
9David was frightened by the LORD that day. “How will I ever bring the LORD’s chest to me?” he asked. 10So David didn’t take the chest away with him to David’s City. Instead, he had it put in the house of Obed-edom, who was from Gath. 11The LORD’s chest stayed with Obed-edom’s household in Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom’s household and all that he had.
12King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s family and everything he has because of God’s chest being there.”#6.12 Heb lacks being there. So David went and brought God’s chest up from Obed-edom’s house to David’s City with celebration. 13Whenever those bearing the chest advanced six steps, David sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 14David, dressed in a linen priestly vest,#6.14 Heb ephod danced with all his strength before the LORD. 15This is how David and the entire house of Israel brought up the LORD’s chest with shouts and trumpet blasts.
16As the LORD’s chest entered David’s City, Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David jumping and dancing before the LORD, and she lost all respect for him.#6.16 Or despised him for it
17The LORD’s chest was brought in and put in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered entirely burned offerings in the LORD’s presence in addition to well-being sacrifices. 18When David finished offering the entirely burned offerings and the well-being sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of heavenly forces. 19He distributed food among all the people of Israel—to the whole crowd, male and female—each receiving a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then all the people went back to their homes.
20David went home to bless his household, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How did Israel’s king honor himself today?” she said. “By exposing himself in plain view of the female servants of his subjects like any indecent person would!”
21David replied to Michal, “I was celebrating before the LORD, who chose me over your father and his entire family, and who appointed me leader over the LORD’s people, over Israel—and I will celebrate before the LORD again! 22I may humiliate myself even more, and I may be humbled in my own eyes, but I will be honored by the female servants you are talking about!”
23Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day she died.
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2 Samuel 6: CEB
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