2 Samuel 6:1–11

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

⁶David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ²David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.^{* 3}They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,^a the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart^{* 4}with the ark of God,^b and Ahio^c went in front of the ark.^{* 5}David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs^d and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.^*

⁶When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen lurched.^{* 7}The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there,^e and he died there beside the ark of God.^{* 8}David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah, so that place is called Perez-uzzah^f to this day. ⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” ¹⁰So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead, David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.^{* 11}The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.^*