2 ARST He led them to the place in Judah formerly called Baalah, now called Kiriath Jearim. They went in order to bring the sacred chest to Jerusalem, the chest that had the name of Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, written on it, and that had the figures of the winged creatures on top of it. Between those statues was where Yahweh himself was present, though he remained unseen. BSB BSB: And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.
3 ARST The sacred chest was in the house of Abinadab, on top of a hill. They went there, and put the chest on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s two sons, were guiding the oxen that were pulling the cart. BSB BSB: They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,
4 ARST Uzzah walked alongside the cart, and Ahio walked in front of it. BSB BSB: bringing with it the ark of God. And Ahio was walking in front of the ark.
5 ARST David and all the Israelite men were celebrating in God’s presence, singing with all their strength and playing wooden lyres and harps, and beating tambourines, and clashing castanets and cymbals. BSB BSB: David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
6 ARST But when they came to the place where Nakon threshed grain, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah put his hand on the sacred chest to steady it. BSB BSB: When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled.
9 ARST Then David was afraid of what else Yahweh would do to punish them, so he said, “How can I take the sacred chest with me to Jerusalem?” BSB BSB: That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”
10 ARST So he decided not to take the sacred chest to Jerusalem. Instead, they took it to another place, the house of Obed Edom the Gittite. BSB BSB: So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 ARST They left the sacred chest in the house of Obed Edom for three months, and during that time Yahweh blessed him and his family. BSB BSB: Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.
12 ARST Some time 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. BSB BSB: Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.
13 ARST When the men who were carrying the sacred chest had walked six steps, they stopped, and there David killed a bull and a fat calf, and offered them to Yahweh as a sacrifice. BSB BSB: When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
14 ARST David was wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his waist, and was dancing very energetically to honor Yahweh. BSB BSB: And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
15 ARST David and the Israelite men took the sacred chest up to Jerusalem, shouting loudly and blowing trumpets. BSB BSB: while he and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sounding of the ram’s horn.
16 ARST While they were carrying the sacred chest into the city, his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window of her house. She saw King David leaping and dancing to honor Yahweh. But she was disgusted with him. BSB BSB: As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
17 ARST 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 promise friendship with Yahweh. BSB BSB: So they brought the ark of the LORD 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.
18 ARST When David had finished offering those sacrifices, he asked Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, to bless the people. BSB BSB: When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.
19 ARST He also distributed food to all the people. To each man and woman he gave a loaf of bread, some meat, and a raisin cake. Then they all returned to their homes. BSB BSB: Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each to his own home.
20 ARST 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 were acting in an honorable way today, but really, you acted like a fool. You were nearly naked in front of the female servants of your officials!” BSB BSB: When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”
21 ARST 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 Israelite people, the people who belong to Yahweh. And I will continue to dance to honor Yahweh! BSB BSB: But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD,
22 ARST Even though you think that what I did was disgraceful, I will continue to act in this way because I am willing to be made a fool in my own eyes. But the female servants whom you were talking about, they will give me honor!” BSB BSB: and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”
23 ARST As a result, Saul’s daughter never gave birth to any children. BSB BSB: And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.