Dawud1 again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2Dawud arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God2, which is called by the Name, even the name of YAHWEH3 All-Powerful who sits above the karubin4. 3They set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4They brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5Dawud and all the house of Israel played before YAHWEH with all manner of instruments made of fir-wood, and with harps, lyres, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
6When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. 7The anger of YAHWEH was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 8Dawud was displeased, because YAHWEH had broken forth on Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day. 9Dawud was afraid of YAHWEH that day; and he said, “How shall the ark of YAHWEH come to me?” 10So Dawud would not take the ark of YAHWEH into the city of Dawud; but Dawud carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11The ark of YAHWEH remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and YAHWEH blessed Obed-edom, and all his house. 12It was told king Dawud, saying, “YAHWEH has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God.”
Dawud went and brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of Dawud with joy. 13It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of YAHWEH had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. 14Dawud danced before YAHWEH with all his might; and Dawud was wearing a linen ephod. 15So Dawud and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of YAHWEH with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16As the ark of YAHWEH came into the city of Dawud, Michal daughter of Talut5 looked out the window, and saw King Dawud leaping and dancing before YAHWEH; and she despised him in her heart. 17They brought in the ark of YAHWEH, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that Dawud had pitched for it; and Dawud offered burnt offerings and peace-offerings before YAHWEH. 18When Dawud had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of YAHWEH All-Powerful. 19He gave to all the people, even to the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed to their homes.
20Then Dawud returned to bless his household. Michal daughter of Talut came out to meet Dawud, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself in the sight of the slave girls of his servants, as any vulgar fellow shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21Dawud said to Michal, “It was before YAHWEH, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of YAHWEH, over Israel: therefore I will celebrate before YAHWEH. 22I will be yet more vile than this, and will be humiliated in my own sight: but of the slave girls of whom you have spoken, they shall honour me.”
23Michal daughter of Talut had no child to the day of her death.
- 6:1 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 6:2 God, in Hebrew elohim, which is related to the Arabic allah. Both words translate correctly as “God,” referring to the one true God. ↩︎
- 6:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 6:2 karubin, an Arabic word based on the plural Hebrew word cherubim, describing a class of angels first mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as living creatures guarding the way to the Garden of Eden after the expulsion of Adam and Hawa. ↩︎
- 6:16 Talut, the Quranic Arabic version of the name of the first king of Israel. The Hebrew text reads Saul or Shaul. ↩︎