Second Book of Samuel 6

¹ David again mustered all the picked troops of Israel, thirty thousand men.

² Setting off with the whole force then with him, David went to Baalah of Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which bears the name of Yahweh Sabaoth who is seated on the cherubs.

³ They placed the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it from Abinadab’s house which is on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the cart,

⁴ Uzzah walked alongside the ark of God and Ahio went in front.

⁵ David and all the House of Israel danced before Yahweh with all their might, singing to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah stretched his hand out to the ark of God and steadied it, as the oxen were making it tilt.

⁷ Then the anger of Yahweh blazed out against Uzzah, and for this crime God struck him down on the spot, and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ David was displeased that Yahweh had broken out against Uzzah, and that place was called Perez-uzzah, as it still is now.

⁹ David went in fear of Yahweh that day. ‘However can the ark of Yahweh come to me?’ he said.

¹⁰ So David decided not to take the ark into the Citadel of David and took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.

¹¹ The ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-edom of Gath for three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.

¹² Word was brought to King David that Yahweh had blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that belonged to him on account of the ark of God. David accordingly went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing.

¹³ When the bearers of the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep.

¹⁴ And David danced whirling round before Yahweh with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him.

¹⁵ Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh with acclaim and the sound of the horn.

¹⁶ Now as the ark of Yahweh entered the Citadel of David, Michal the daughter of Saul was watching from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of Yahweh in and put it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before Yahweh, and communion sacrifices.

¹⁸ And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth.

¹⁹ He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.

²⁰ As David was coming back to bless his household Michal, the daughter of Saul, went out to meet him. ‘What a fine reputation the king of Israel has won himself today,’ she said ‘displaying himself under the eyes of his servantmaids, as any buffoon might display himself.’

²¹ David answered Michal, ‘I was dancing for Yahweh, not for them. As Yahweh lives, who chose me in preference to your father and his whole House to make me leader of Israel, Yahweh’s people, I shall dance before Yahweh

²² and demean myself even more. In your eyes I may be base, but by the maids you speak of I shall be held in honour.’

²³ And to the day of her death Michal, the daughter of Saul, had no children.