1 Chronicles 13

Bringing Back the Ark

13:1–14pp—2Sa 6:1–11

13David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. ³Let us bring the ark of our God back to us,^s for we did not inquire^t of^a it^b during the reign of Saul.” ⁴The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

⁵So David assembled all Israel,^u from the Shihor River^v in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,^w to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.^{x 6}David and all Israel went to Baalah^y of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim^z—the ark that is called by the Name.

⁷They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s^a house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. ⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.^b

⁹When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰The Lord’s anger^c burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down^d because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

¹¹Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.^ce

¹²David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom^f the Gittite. ¹⁴The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household^g and everything he had.