2 Samuel 6

1 Then David chose 30,000 Israeli men and gathered them together.

And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

2 He led them to the place in Judah [formerly] called Baalah, [now called Kiriath-Jearim]. They went in order to bring from there [to Jerusalem] the sacred chest, which had the name of Yahweh, the leader of the armies of [the angels in] heaven, written on it, and which had the [statues of the] winged creatures on top of it. Between those statues was where Yahweh spoke messages about ruling his people [MTY].

And David arose, and went with all the people who were with him to Baalah, that is, Kiriath Jearim of Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called there by the name of YHWH of hosts enthroned on the cherubim.

3 The sacred chest was in the house of Abinadab, on top of a hill. They went there, and they put the chest on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, the two sons of Abinadab, were guiding [the oxen that were pulling the cart].

And they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. And Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, guided the cart

4 Uzzah walked alongside the cart, and Ahio walked in front of it.

with the ark; and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

5 David and all the Israeli men were celebrating in God’s presence, singing with all their strength and [playing] lyres and harps, and beating tambourines, and clashing castanets and cymbals.

And David and all the children of Israel played before YHWH with all their strength and with songs, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

6 But when they came to the place where Nacon threshed grain, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah put his hand on the sacred chest to (steady it/prevent it from falling [off the cart]).

And when they came to the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzza reached out his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled.

7 Yahweh immediately became very angry with Uzzah, and he killed him right there alongside the sacred chest, because he had touched the chest, [and Yahweh had commanded that only the descendants of Levi who help the priests should touch the sacred chest].

And the anger of YHWH was kindled against Uzza; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died before God.

8 David was angry because Yahweh had punished Uzzah. So ever since that time, that place has been called ‘The Punishment of Uzzah’.

And David was displeased, because YHWH had broken forth on Uzza; and he called that place Perez Uzza, to this day.

9 David was [also] afraid of [what else] Yahweh [would do to punish them], so he said, “(How can I take the sacred chest with me [to Jerusalem]?/I am afraid to take the sacred chest with me [to Jerusalem].)” [RHQ]

And David was afraid of YHWH that day; and he said, "How can the ark of God come to me?" Now the ark of YHWH arrived,

10 So he did not want to take the sacred chest to Jerusalem. Instead, they took it to another place; they took it to the house of Obed-Edom, from Gath [city].

but David was not willing to move the ark of YHWH with him to the City of David; so David diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

11 They left the sacred chest in the house of Obed-Edom for three months, and [during that time] Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and his family.

And the ark of YHWH remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months, and YHWH blessed Obed-Edom and all his house.

12 Later, people told David, “Yahweh has blessed Obed-Edom and his family because [he is taking care] of the sacred chest!” When David heard that, he [and some other men] went to Obed-Edom’s house, and very joyfully brought the sacred chest from there to Jerusalem.

And it was told king David, saying, "YHWH has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God." And David said, "I will bring back the blessing to my house." And David went and brought up the ark of YHWH from the house of Obed-Edom into the City of David with joy.

13 [This time, descendants of Levi] were carrying the sacred chest, but when they had walked only six steps, they stopped, and there David killed a bull and a fat calf, and offered them to Yahweh for a sacrifice.

And it was so, that, when those who bore the ark of YHWH had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

14 David was wearing [only] a linen cloth wrapped around his waist, and was dancing very energetically to honor Yahweh.

And David danced before YHWH with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

15 David and the Israeli men took the sacred chest up [to Jerusalem], shouting [loudly] and blowing trumpets.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of YHWH with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 While they were carrying the sacred chest into the city, [David’s wife] Michal, who was Saul’s daughter, looked out the window [of her house]. She saw King David leaping and dancing to honor Yahweh. So she was disgusted with him.

Now, as the ark of YHWH was entering into the City of David, Mikal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before YHWH; and she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the sacred chest into the tent that David had erected for it. Then David gave to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned [on an altar], and other offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh.

And they brought in the ark of YHWH, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had set up for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YHWH.

18 When David had finished offering those sacrifices, he asked Yahweh, the Commander of the armies [of the angels], to bless the people.

And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of YHWH of hosts.

19 He also distributed food to all the people. To each Israeli man and woman he gave a loaf of bread, some meat, and a raisin cake. Then all the people returned to their homes.

And he gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. So all the people departed everyone to his house.

20 When David went home to [ask Yahweh to] bless his family, his wife Michal came out to meet him. She said to him, “Maybe you, the king of Israel, [think that you] [IRO] were honoring yourself today, but really, you acted like a fool, uncovering yourself while the female servants of your officials were watching!”

And then David returned to bless his household. Mikal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David. And she greeted him, and said, "How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself."

21 David replied to Michal, “[I was doing that] to honor Yahweh, who chose me instead of your father and other members of his family, to be the king of the Israeli people, the people who belong to Yahweh. And I will [continue to] dance to honor Yahweh!

And David said to Mikal, "I was dancing before YHWH. Blessed be YHWH, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of YHWH, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before YHWH.

22 [Even though you think that what I did] was disgraceful, I will continue to do it even more. You may despise me [because of what I did], but the women whom you were talking about will honor me!”

And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be lowly in your eyes. But of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, they shall honor me."

23 [As a result, ] Saul’s daughter Michal never gave birth to any children.

And Mikal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.