2 Samuel 6–7

Chapter 6

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.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

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

13 And so it was, that when the abearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an box and a fatling.

14 And aDavid was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was 1bwearing a linen ephod.

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

16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord 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 the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

17 So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ain its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and bDavid offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, ahe blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

19 Further, he distributed 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 departed each to his house.

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

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

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

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

Chapter 7

David Plans to Build a Temple

1 aNow it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

2 that the king said to aNathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ba house of cedar, but the ark of God cdwells within tent curtains.”

3 Nathan said to the king, “aGo, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “aAre you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?

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

7 “aWherever I have gone 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?’ ” ’

God’s Covenant with David

8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “aI took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, bto be ruler over My people Israel.

9 “aI 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 names of the great men who are on the earth.

10 “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and awill plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, bnor will the 1wicked afflict them any more as formerly,

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

12 “aWhen your days are complete and you blie down with your fathers, cI will raise up your 1descendant after you, who will come forth from 2you, 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 correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,

15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, aas I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

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

17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer

18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “aWho am I, O Lord 1God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

19 “And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, afor You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And bthis is the 1custom of man, O Lord God.

20 “Again what more can David say to You? For aYou know Your servant, O Lord God!

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

22 “For this reason aYou are great, O Lord God; 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 “For aYou have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and bYou, O Lord, have become their God.

25 “Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken,

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

27 “For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have 1made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘aI will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found 2courage to pray this prayer to You.

28 “Now, O Lord God, You are God, and aYour words are truth, and You have 1promised this good thing to Your servant.

29 “Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and awith Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”