1 Chronicles 13

Peril in Transporting the Ark

1Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, 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, 1let us send word everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they meet with us; 3and 2let us bring back the ark of our God to us, 3since we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” 4Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for 4this was right in the eyes of all the people.

55So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, 6to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 67David and all Israel went up to 8Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord 9who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. 7And they 10carried the ark of God on a new cart from 11the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, 12with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

9When they came to 13the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly overturned it. 10But the anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him 14because he had put out his hand toward the ark; 15and he died there before God. 11Then David became angry because 16of the Lord’s outburst against Uzza; and he called that place 17Perez-uzza as it is 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 18to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months; and 19the Lord blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that he had.