2 Samuel 6–7

David Moves the Ark

6David again assembled all the choice men in Israel, ^w30,000. ²He and all his troops set out ^xto bring the ark of God from Baale-judah. ^yThe ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim. ^z3They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, ^asons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart ^b4and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments, ^clyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, ^dand cymbals. ^e

⁶When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, ^fand God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, ^gand he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah, ^has it is today. ⁹David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰So he was not willing to move the ark of the Lord to the city of David; ⁱinstead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom ^jand his whole family.

¹²It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing. ^k13When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. ^l14David was dancing ^mwith all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod. ⁿ¹⁵He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. ¹⁶As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David, ^oSaul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it. ^pThen David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁸When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Hosts. ¹⁹Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women. ^qThen all the people left, each to his own home.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his household, ^rSaul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”

²¹David replied to Michal, “I was dancing ^sbefore the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel. ^tI will celebrate before the Lord, ²²and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself. ^uvI will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about.” ²³And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

The Lord’s Covenant with David

7When the king had settled into his palace ^wand the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ²the king said to Nathan the prophet, ^x“Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.” ^y

³So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is on your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵“Go to My servant David and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you to build a house for Me to live in? ^z6From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not lived in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as My dwelling. ^a7In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked anyone among the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel: Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

⁸“Now this is what you are to say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep to be ruler over My people Israel. ^b9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name ^cfor you like that of the greatest in the land. ^d10I will establish a place ^efor My people Israel and plant them, ^fso that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not afflict them as they have done ¹¹ever since the day I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. ^gI will give you rest from all your enemies.

“ ‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord Himself will make a house for you. ¹²When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^h13He will build a house for My name, ⁱand I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^j14I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. ^kWhen he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod and with blows from others. ¹⁵But My faithful love will never leave him ^las I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way. ^m16Your house and kingdom will endure before Me ⁿforever, ^oand your throne will be established forever.’ ” ^p

¹⁷Nathan spoke all these words and this entire vision to David.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

¹⁸Then King David went in, ^qsat in the Lord’s presence, and said,

Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹What You have done so far ^rwas a little thing to You, Lord God, for You have also spoken about Your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is a revelation ^sfor mankind, Lord God. ²⁰What more can David say to You? You know Your servant, ^tLord God. ²¹Because of Your word and according to Your will, You have revealed all these great things to Your servant.

²²This is why You are great, ^uLord God. There is no one like You, and there is no God besides You, ^vas all we have heard confirms. ²³And who is like Your people Israel? God came to one nation on earth in order to redeem a people for Himself, to make a name for Himself, and to perform for them ^wgreat and awesome acts, driving out nations and their gods before Your people You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt. ^x24You established Your people Israel to be Your own people forever, and You, Lord, have become their God. ^y

²⁵Now, Lord God, fulfill the promise forever that You have made to Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised, ²⁶so that Your name will be exalted forever, when it is said, “The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel.” The house of Your servant David ^zwill be established before You ²⁷since You, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant when You said, “I will build a house for you.” Therefore, Your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸Lord God, You are God; Your words are true, and You have promised this grace to Your servant. ²⁹Now, please bless Your servant’s house so that it will continue before You forever. For You, Lord God, have spoken, and with Your blessing Your servant’s house will be blessed forever. ^a