Peril in Moving the Ark

1Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2And David [a]departed from [b]Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of armies who is [c]enthroned above the cherubim. 3They had mounted the ark of God on a new cart and moved it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. 4So they 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. 5Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of juniper wood, and with [d]lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

6But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it. 7And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for [e]his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. 8Then David became angry because [f]of the LORD’S outburst against Uzzah; and that place has been called [g]Perez-uzzah to this day. 9So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” 10And 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 Obed-edom, the Gittite. 11The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

12Now it was reported to 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.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. 13And so it was, that [h]when those carrying the ark of the LORD marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer. 14And David was dancing before the LORD with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

16Then it happened, as the ark of the LORD was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.

17Now they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 18When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of armies. 19Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread, one of dates, and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people left, each to his house.

20But when David returned to bless his own household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel dignified himself today! For he exposed himself today in the sight of his servants’ female slaves, as one of the rabble shamelessly exposes himself!” 21But David said to Michal, “I was before the LORD, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. So I will [i]celebrate before the LORD! 22And I might demean myself even more than this and be lowly in my own sight, but with the female slaves of whom you have spoken, with them I am to be held in honor!” 23And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.