David Moves the Ark
1 David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. 2 David arose and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord of Hosts who sits above the cherubim. 3 They set the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house that was on the hill, and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 They brought it out with the Ark of God from Abinadab’s house, which was in the hill, and Ahio went before the ark.
Uzzah and the Ark
5 David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, with stringed instruments, with tambourines, with castanets, and with cymbals.
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for the Ark of God and took hold of it, for the cattle stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and the Lord struck him there for his error, and he died there by the Ark of God.
8 David was displeased, because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How could the Ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in the city of David, but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house. 11 The Ark of God remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his house.
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
12 King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the Ark of God.”
So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David, with joy. 13 When those who bore the Ark of God had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. 14 David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was clothed in a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
Michal’s Contempt for David
16 As the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought in the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place, in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. 19 He gave to all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone, a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed, each to his own house.
20 Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, like one of the vulgar people shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people, over Israel. Therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will be yet more vile than this and will be worthless in my own sight. But the maids of whom you have spoken will honor me.”
23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.