2 Samuel 6–7

David Brings the Ark of Yahweh to Jerusalem

6David again gathered all the chosen men in Israel, thirty thousand. ²David got up and went and all the people who were with him, from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called the name, the name of Yahweh of hosts, upon which the cherubim sit.^{a 3}They loaded the ark of God on a new utility cart, and they carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Now Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new utility cart along. ⁴So they brought it out from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill with the ark of God, and Ahio was going before the ark. ⁵Now David and all the house of Israel were dancing before Yahweh, with all kinds of musical instruments made from ash trees, and with zithers, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. ⁶When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzza reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷Then the anger of Yahweh was kindled^b against Uzza, and God struck him down there because of the indiscretion,^c and he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸David was angry^d because Yahweh had burst out against Uzza, and he called that place Perez-Uzza until this day. ⁹But David feared Yahweh on that day and said, “How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?” ¹⁰However, David was not willing to bring the ark of Yahweh to himself, to the city of David, so David caused it to turn to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ¹¹So the ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

¹²It was told to King David, “Yahweh has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that is his because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with jubilation. ¹³It happened that when the carriers of the ark of Yahweh had marched six steps that he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴Now David was dancing with all his might before Yahweh, and David was wearing^e a linen ephod. ¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouts of joyful acclaim and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶It happened that when the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷They brought the ark of Yahweh and set it in its place in the middle of the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David offered up burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the presence of Yahweh. ¹⁸When David had finished from the sacrificing of the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁹Then he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man to woman, to each: one ring-shaped piece of bread, one cake of dates, and one cake of raisins; and all the people went each to his house.

²⁰When David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David. She said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today by uncovering himself^f before the eyes of the maids of his servants, as the total exposure of a worthless one.”^{g 21}So David said to Michal, “In the presence of Yahweh who chose me over^h your father and overⁱ his household, to appoint me as leader over the people of Yahweh, over Israel, I have celebrated before Yahweh. ²²I will demean myself again more than this, and I will be abased in my eyes, but with the maids whom you mentioned, with them I will be honored.” ²³So for Michal the daughter of Saul, she had no child until the day of her death.

Yahweh Makes a Covenant with David

7It happened that the king settled in his house. (Now Yahweh had given rest to him from all his enemies all around.) ²And the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, please, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is staying in the middle of the tent.” ³Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.” ⁴But it happened that night,^a the word of Yahweh came^b to Nathan, saying, ⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling? ⁶For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the Israelites^c from Egypt until this day; rather, I was going about in a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷In all of my going about among all the Israelites,^d did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build me a cedar house?’ ” ’ ⁸So then, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture from following^e the sheep to be a leader over my people, over Israel, ⁹and I have been with you everywhere you went.^f I have cut off all of your enemies from in front of you, and I will make a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who are on the earth. ¹⁰I will make a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them^g so that they^h can dwell in their own place.ⁱ They will not tremble any longer, and the children of wickedness will not afflict them again, as in the former days. ¹¹In the manner that^j I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. And Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will build a house for you. ¹²When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors,^k I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴I will be a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of human beings.^{l 15}But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

David Responds to Yahweh’s Covenant

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, this Nathan spoke to David. ¹⁸Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to this place?^{m 19}Still, this was insignificantⁿ in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh. ²⁰What more can David say to you?^o You know your servant, my lord Yahweh. ²¹Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. ²²Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. ²³Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them,^p in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you^q the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. ²⁴You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God. ²⁵So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. ²⁶Your name shall be great forever, and they will say,^r ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. ²⁷For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant has found courage^s to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are^t true. You have promised this good to your servant. ²⁹So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”