2 Samuel 6–7

CHAPTER 6

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

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

²And David arose and went with all the people who were with him ¹from ^2aBaale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^bName, the very name of Yahweh of hosts who ^cis ³enthroned above the cherubim.

³And they ¹drove the ark of God on ^aa new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and ²Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.

⁴So ^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.

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

⁶Then they came to the ^athreshing floor of Nacon. And ¹Uzzah ^breached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it.

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

⁸And David became angry because ¹of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzzah; and that place is called ²Perez-uzzah to this day.

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

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

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

¹²Then it was told to King David, saying, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So ^aDavid went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into ^bthe city of David with gladness.

¹³And so it happened, that when those ^awho were carrying the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ^box and a fatling.

¹⁴And ^aDavid was dancing before Yahweh with all his strength, and David was ^bgirded with a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

David Dances Before Yahweh

¹⁶Then it happened as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that ^aMichal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷And they brought in the ark of Yahweh and placed it ^ain its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^bDavid offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

¹⁸Then David completed offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. And ^ahe blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts.

¹⁹And he apportioned to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people went each to his house.

²⁰But David returned to bless his household, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel has glorified himself today! ^aHe uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the ^bworthless ones shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹So David said to Michal, “^aIt was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Yahweh, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh.

²²“And I will be esteemed even more lightly than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be glorified.”

²³And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

CHAPTER 7

The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

^1aNow it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

²that the king said to ^aNathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit ^ba house of cedar, but the ark of God ^cinhabits tent curtains.”

³So Nathan said to the king, “^aGo, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.”

⁴Now it happened in the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying,

⁵“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^aAre you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit?

⁶“For ^aI have not inhabited a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been going about ^bin a tent, even in a ¹tabernacle.

⁷“^aWherever I have gone about with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^bwhich I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

David’s House Will Be Established Forever

⁸“So now, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^aI Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^bto be ruler over My people Israel.

⁹“^aAnd I have been with you wherever you have gone and ^bhave cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

¹⁰“And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and ^awill plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; ^band the ¹unrighteous will not afflict them any more as formerly,

¹¹even ^afrom the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and ^bI will give you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh also declares to you that ^cYahweh will make a house for you.

¹²“^aWhen your days are fulfilled and you ^blie down with your fathers, ^cI will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from ¹your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³“^aHe shall build a house for My name, and ^bI will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴“^aI will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^bwhen he commits iniquity, I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men,

¹⁵but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him, ^aas I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

¹⁶“^aAnd your house and your kingdom shall ¹endure before ²Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David Magnifies Yahweh’s Name

¹⁸Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh, and he said, “^aWho am I, O Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

¹⁹“And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord Yahweh, ^afor You have spoken also of the house of Your slave concerning the distant future. And ^bthis is the law of man, O Lord Yahweh.

²⁰“And again what more can David say to You? And ^aYou know Your slave, O Lord Yahweh!

²¹“^aFor the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your slave know.

²²“For this reason ^aYou are great, O Lord Yahweh; for ^bthere is none like You, and there is no God besides You, ^caccording to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³“And ^awhat one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and ^bto do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before ^cYour people whom ^dYou have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?

²⁴“Yet ^aYou have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and ^bYou, O Yahweh, have become their God.

²⁵“So now, O Yahweh God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your slave and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as You have spoken,

^26athat Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of Your ¹servant David shall be established before You.

²⁷“For You, O Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed in the hearing of Your slave, saying, ‘^aI will build you a house’; therefore Your slave has found courage in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸“So now, O Lord Yahweh, You are God, and ^aYour words are truth, and You have ¹promised this good thing to Your slave.

²⁹“So now, be pleased and bless the house of Your slave, that it may be forever before You. For You, O Lord Yahweh, have spoken; and ^awith Your blessing may the house of Your slave be blessed forever.”