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.