6Again David brought together the best soldiers in Israel. The total number was 30,000. ²He and all of his men started out from Baalah in Judah. They wanted to bring the ark of God up to Jerusalem from there. The ark is named after the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. He sits on his throne between the cherubim that are on the ark.

³The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was brought from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. They were the sons of Abinadab. ⁴The ark of God was on the cart. Ahio was walking in front of it.

⁵David was celebrating with all his might in the sight of the Lord. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

⁶They came to the threshing floor of Nacon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God.

⁷Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah. That’s because what Uzzah did showed that he didn’t have any respect for the Lord. So God struck him down. He died there beside the ark of God.

⁸David was angry because the Lord’s burning anger had broken out against Uzzah. That’s why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this very day.

⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day. He asked, “How can the ark of the Lord ever be brought to me?” ¹⁰He didn’t want to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. ¹¹The ark of the Lord remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months. And the Lord blessed him and his whole family.

¹²King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom. He has also blessed everything that belongs to him. That’s because the ark of God is in Obed-Edom’s house.”

So David went down there and brought up the ark. With great joy he brought it up from the house of Obed-Edom. He took it to the City of David. ¹³Those who were carrying the ark of the Lord took six steps forward. Then David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴David was wearing a sacred linen apron. He danced in the sight of the Lord with all his might. ¹⁵He did it while he was bringing up the ark of the Lord. The whole community of Israel helped him bring it up. They shouted. They blew trumpets.

¹⁶The ark of the Lord was brought into the City of David. Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David leaping and dancing in the sight of the Lord. That made her hate him in her heart.

¹⁷The ark of the Lord was brought into Jerusalem. It was put in its place in the tent David had set up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.

¹⁸After he finished sacrificing those offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁹He gave to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread. He also gave each one a date cake and a raisin cake. Then all of the people went home.

²⁰David returned home to bless his family. Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “You are the king of Israel. You have really brought honor to yourself today, haven’t you? You have taken off your royal robe right in front of the female slaves of your officials. You acted like someone who is very foolish!”

²¹David said to Michal, “I did it to honor the Lord. He chose me instead of your father or anyone else in Saul’s family. He appointed me ruler over his people Israel. I will celebrate in honor of the Lord. ²²And that’s not all. I will bring even less honor to myself. I will bring even more shame on myself. But those female slaves you spoke about will honor me.”

²³Saul’s daughter Michal didn’t have any children as long as she lived.

God Makes a Promise to David

7The king settled down in his palace. The Lord had given him peace and rest from all of his enemies who were around him.

²Then the king spoke to the prophet Nathan. He said, “Here I am, living in a palace that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of God remains in a tent.”

³Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do what you want to. The Lord is with you.”

⁴That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. The Lord said,

⁵“Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, ‘The Lord says, “Are you the one to build me a house to live in? ⁶I have not lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt until now. I have been moving from place to place. I have been living in a tent. ⁷I have moved from place to place with all of the people of Israel. I commanded their rulers to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those rulers, ‘Why haven’t you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?’ ” ’

⁸“So tell my servant David, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I took you away from the grasslands. That’s where you were taking care of your father’s sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I cut off all of your enemies when you were attacking them.

“ ‘ “Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. ¹⁰I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will no longer crush them, as they did at first. ¹¹That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them.

“ ‘ “I tell you that I myself will set up a royal house for you. ¹²Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure. ¹³He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name.

“ ‘ “I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever. ¹⁴I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips. ¹⁵I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son.

¹⁶“ ‘ “Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷Nathan reported to David all of the words that the Lord had spoken to him.

David Prays to the Lord

¹⁸Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said,

“Lord and King, who am I? My family isn’t important. So why have you brought me this far? ¹⁹I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, Lord and King, you have also spoken about what is going to happen to my royal house in days to come. Lord and King, is this your usual way of dealing with people?

²⁰“What more can I say to you? Lord and King, you know all about me. ²¹You have done a wonderful thing. You have made it known to me. You have done it because that’s what you said you would do. It’s exactly what you wanted to do for me.

²²“Lord and King, how great you are! There isn’t anyone like you. There isn’t any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears.

²³“Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven out nations and their gods to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt. ²⁴You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God.

²⁵“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made to me and my royal house. Do exactly as you promised. ²⁶Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, ‘The Lord rules over all. He is God over Israel.’ My royal house will be made secure in your sight.

²⁷“Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here’s what you have shown me. You told me, ‘I will build you a royal house.’ So I can boldly offer this prayer to you. ²⁸Lord and King, you are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me.

²⁹“Now please bless my royal house. Then it will continue forever in your sight. Lord and King, you have spoken. Because you have given my royal house your blessing, it will be blessed forever.”

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