1   David consulted the officers over units of a thousand and a hundred on every matter brought forward. 2   Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, ‘If you approve, and if the Lord our God opens a way, let us ^note send to our kinsmen who have stayed behind, in all the districts of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in the cities where they have common lands, bidding them join us. 3   Let us fetch the Ark of our God, for while Saul lived we never resorted to it.’ 4   The whole assembly resolved to do this; the entire nation approved it.

5   So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor in Egypt to Lebohamath, in order to fetch the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6    ^noteThen David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to fetch the Ark of God, the Lord enthroned upon the cherubim, the Ark which bore his name. ^note 7   And they conveyed the Ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, with Uzza and Ahio guiding the cart. 8   David and all Israel danced for joy before God without restraint to the sound of singing, of harps and lutes, of tambourines, and cymbals and trumpets. 9   But when they came to the threshing-floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzza put out his hand to hold the Ark. 10   The Lord was angry with Uzza and struck him down because he had put out his hand to the Ark. So he died there before God. 11   David was vexed because the Lord's anger had broken out upon Uzza, and he called the place Perez-uzza, ^note the name it still bears. 12   David was afraid of God that day and said, ‘How can I harbour the Ark of God after this?’ 13   So he did not take the Ark with him into the City of David, but turned aside and carried it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14   Thus the Ark of God remained beside the house of Obed-edom, in its tent, ^note for three months, and the Lord blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that he had.

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