1 David took counsel {vayyivaatz: sought advice} with the commanders overseeing the thousands and the hundreds, together with every leader {nagid: principal official}.
2 David said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God {YHWH Eloheinu, National Covenant God}, let us send out word to our brothers who remain throughout all the lands of Israel and to the priests and Levites in their pastureland cities {migrash: open fields}, that they may gather to us.”
3 And let us bring back the ark of our God {Eloheinu, Holy King} to us, for in the days of Saul we did not seek {derashnuhu: seek guidance} it.
4 And the whole assembly {qahal: congregational gathering} declared that it should be carried out, because the matter {davar: central issue} was right in the sight of all the people.
5 So David assembled {vayyakhel: called together} all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to Lebo Hamath, in order to bring the ark of God {Elohim, Divine Sovereign} from Kiriath Jearim.
6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah—Kiryath-Yearim in Judah—to bring up from there the ark of God {haelohim: Sovereign Deity}, which is called by the Name—the Name of the LORD {YHWH: Enthroned Presence}, who dwells above the cherubim.
7 They transported the ark of God {Elohim, Holy One} on a new cart, bringing it from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart {agalah: transport wagon}.
8 David and all Israel were celebrating before God {Elohim, Holy Presence}, with all their might {oz: full force}, and with songs, and with lyres, and with harps, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 When they reached the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of the ark {aron: sacred chest}, because the oxen {bakar: draft animals} stumbled.
10 Then the LORD’s {YHWH, Holy Judge} anger flared against Uzzah, and He struck him down for laying his hand upon the ark {aron: sacred chest}, and Uzzah died there before God {Elohim, Divine Witness}.
11 David became angry because the LORD {YHWH, Judicial Arbiter} had made a breach against Uzzah, so he named that place Perez {peretz: breach} Uzzah to this day.
12 And on that day David feared God {Elohim, Divine Sovereign}, and he said, “How shall I bring the ark {aron: sacred chest} of God to me?”
13 So David did not bring the ark {aron: sacred chest} into the City of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite {gitti: inhabitant of Gath}.
14 The ark of God {ha-Elohim, Divine Dwelling} stayed with the household of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD {YHWH, Blessing Giver} blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that belonged to him.