2 Samuel 6 - Easy To Read Version

¹ David again gathered all of the best soldiers in Israel. There were 30,000 men.

² Then David and all his men went to Baalah in Judah. [32] They took God’s Holy Box [33] from Baalah in Judah {and moved it to Jerusalem}. People go to the Holy Box to worship the Lord. {The Holy Box is like the Lord’s throne.} There are statues of Cherub angels [34] on top of the Holy Box. And the Lord sits as king on these angels.

³ David’s men brought the Holy Box out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Then they put God’s Holy Box on a new wagon. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were driving the new wagon.

⁴ So they carried the Holy Box [35] out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. {Uzzah was on the wagon} with God’s Holy Box. And Ahio was walking in front of the Holy Box.

⁵ David and all the Israelites were dancing in front of the Lord and playing all kinds of musical instruments. There were lyres, [36] harps, drums, rattles, instruments made from cypress wood, and cymbals. [37]

⁶ When David’s men came to the threshing floor [38] of Nacon, the cows stumbled, and God’s Holy Box began to fall off the wagon. Uzzah caught the Holy Box.

⁷ But the Lord was angry at Uzzah and killed him. [39] Uzzah showed he did not honor God when he touched the Holy Box. Uzzah died there by God’s Holy Box.

⁸ David was upset because the Lord had killed Uzzah. David called that place “Perez Uzzah.” [40] That place is still called Perez Uzzah today.

⁹ David became afraid of the Lord that day. David said, “How can I bring God’s Holy Box [41] here now?”

¹⁰ So David would not move the Lord’s Holy Box into the City of David. [42] David put the Holy Box at the house of Obed Edom from Gath. David carried the Holy Box off the road to the house of Obed Edom of Gath. [43]

¹¹ The Lord’s Holy Box stayed in Obed Edom’s house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his family.

¹² Later, people told David, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed Edom and everything he owns, because God’s Holy Box [44] is there.” So David went and brought God’s Holy Box from Obed Edom’s house. David was very happy and excited.

¹³ When the {men} that carried the Lord’s Holy Box had walked six steps, {they stopped and} David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.

¹⁴ David was dancing in front of the Lord. David was wearing a linen ephod. [45]

¹⁵ David and all the Israelites were excited—they shouted and blew the trumpet as they brought the Lord’s Holy Box [46] into the city.

¹⁶ Saul’s daughter Michal was looking out the window. While the Lord’s Holy Box was being carried into the city, David was jumping and dancing before the Lord. Michal saw this, and she was upset at David. {She thought he was making a fool of himself.}

¹⁷ David put up a tent for the Holy Box. [47] The Israelites put the Lord’s Holy Box in its place under the tent. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸ After David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful.

¹⁹ David also gave a share of bread, a raisin cake and some date bread, to every man and woman of Israel. Then all the people went home.

²⁰ David went back to bless his house. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. Michal said, “The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your servants’ girls. [48] You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!”

²¹ Then David said to Michal, “The Lord chose me, not your father or any person from his family. The Lord chose me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will continue dancing and celebrating in front of the Lord.

²² I might do things that are even more embarrassing! Maybe you won’t respect me, but the girls you are talking about are proud of me!”

²³ Saul’s daughter Michal never had a child. She died without having any children.