2 Samuel 6
Expanded Bible
The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem(A)
6 David again gathered all the ·chosen men [elite troops] of Israel—thirty thousand of them. 2 Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah [C another name for Kiriath Jearim] to bring back the Ark of God [Ex. 25:10; 1 Sam. 7:2–3]. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ·whose throne is [L who is enthroned] ·between [or above; or on] the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22]. 3 They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, ·led [guided; drove] the new cart 4 which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, ·rattles [castanets], and cymbals.
6 When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen ·stumbled [or made it tilt]. So Uzzah reached out ·to steady [L and took hold of] the Ark of God. 7 The ·Lord was angry with [L Lord’s anger burned against] Uzzah and [L he] ·killed him [L struck him down there] because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God. 8 David ·was angry because the Lord had killed [L resented the Lord’s outburst of anger against] Uzzah. ·Now [L To this day] that place is called ·the Punishment of Uzzah [Outburst upon/against Uzzah; L Perez-uzzah].
9 David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come ·to me [into my care] now?” 10 So David ·would not [L was unwilling to] move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in ·Jerusalem [L the City of David]. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, ·a man from Gath [the Gittite]. 11 The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his ·family [household].
12 The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the ·family [household] of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with ·joy [gladness; a great celebration]. 13 When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a ·fat calf [fat sheep; L fatling]. 14 Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen ·vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. 15 David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.
16 As the Ark of the Lord came into the city [L of David], Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David ·jumping [leaping] and ·dancing [whirling] in the presence of the Lord, she ·hated him [L despised/had contempt for him in her heart].
17 David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] before the Lord. 18 When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], he blessed the people in the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 19 David gave a loaf of bread, a ·cake [cluster] of dates, and a ·cake [cluster] of raisins to ·every Israelite [L the whole multitude/crowd of Israel], both men and women. Then all the people went home.
20 David went back to bless ·the people in his home [his household/family], but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “·With what honor [How] the king of Israel ·acted [distinguished himself] today! You ·took off your clothes [exposed/uncovered/displayed yourself] in front of the servant girls of your officers like ·one who takes off his clothes without shame [any vulgar/foolish/shameless fellow might do]!”
21 Then David said to Michal, “I did it ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. The Lord chose me, ·not [over; above] your father ·or anyone from Saul’s family [and all his house]. The Lord appointed me ·to be [ruler; leader; prince] over Israel. So I will celebrate ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. 22 Maybe I will ·lose even more honor [become even more lightly esteemed/contemptible/undignified], and maybe I will be ·brought down in my own opinion [humbled in my own eyes], but the ·girls [maids; servant girls] you talk about will honor me!”
23 And Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.
2 Samuel 6
King James Version
6 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.
12 And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.
22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
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