2 Samuel 6:1–11

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.