2 Samuel 6:1–11

Peril in Moving the Ark

1 aNow David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to 1aBaale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the bName, the very name of the Lord of hosts who cis 2enthroned above the cherubim.

3 They 1placed the ark of God on aa new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.

4 So athey brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.

5 Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel awere celebrating before the Lord bwith all kinds of instruments made of 1fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.

6 But when they came to the athreshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah breached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it.

7 And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and aGod struck him down there for 1his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

8 David became angry because 1of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called 2Perez-uzzah to this day.

9 So aDavid was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”

10 And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of aObed-edom the Gittite.

11 Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord ablessed Obed-edom and all his household.