1 Chronicles 13

Peril in Transporting the Ark

1Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. 2David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; 3and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, 1for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” 4Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

52So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, 3to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 64David and all Israel went up to 5Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord 6who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. 7They 7carried the ark of God on a new cart from 8the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, 9even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets.

9When they came to 10the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. 10The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down 11because he put out his hand to the ark; 12and he died there before God. 11Then David became angry because 13of the Lord’s outburst against Uzza; and he called that place 14Perez-uzza to this day. 12David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” 13So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside 15to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and 16the Lord blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.