Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem; Uzzah's Death and David's Joy
2 Samuel 6:1-23
1David again gathered all the men in Israel, thirty thousand.2David arose and set out with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of Hosts on the cherubim.3They placed the ark of God on a new cart and carried it away from the house of Abinadab, which was in Gibeath-(elohim); Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart.4They carried it from the house of Abinadab in Gibeath-(elohim) together with the ark of God, while Ahio walked in front of the ark.5David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of cypress instruments, with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.6When they reached the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled.7The anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there, so that he died there beside the ark of God.8David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.9David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?10So David would not bring the ark of the LORD with him into the city of David, but diverted it instead 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 his entire household.12It was reported to King David, The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.13When the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, they sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal.14David danced with all his might before the LORD, and David was wearing a linen ephod.15David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.16As the ark of the LORD entered the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked down from a window; when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.17They brought the ark of the LORD in and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then 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 Hosts.19He distributed to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each person a loaf of bread, and a cake of raisins; then all the people departed, each to his own house.20David returned to bless his household, but Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, exposing himself today before the eyes of his servants' maidservants as one of the worthless exposes himself!21David replied to Michal, It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house, and appointed me leader over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the LORD.22I will make myself even more contemptible than this and will humble myself in my own eyes, but by these maidservants of whom you spoke I will be held in honor.23And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.