運回約櫃
1大衛跟千夫長、百夫長等所有的首領商議， 2然後對以色列全體會眾說：「如果你們贊成，而且這是我們上帝耶和華的旨意，我們就派人到以色列各地把其他同胞，包括住在城邑及草場的祭司和利未人召集來。 3我們要將我們上帝的約櫃運到這裡來，因為在掃羅執政期間，我們忽視了它。」 4會眾都表示贊同，認為這樣做很好。
5於是，大衛召集了從埃及的西曷河一直到哈馬口的全體以色列人，要將上帝的約櫃從基列·耶琳運來。 6大衛率領以色列眾人到巴拉，即猶大的基列·耶琳，要將上帝的約櫃運回來。這約櫃以坐在基路伯天使上面的耶和華的名字命名。 7他們把上帝的約櫃從亞比拿達家抬出來，放在一輛新車上，由烏撒和亞希約趕車。 8大衛和以色列眾人就在上帝面前用琴、瑟、鼓、鈸和號奏樂，盡情歌舞。 9他們來到基頓麥場的時候，拉車的牛失蹄，烏撒就伸手去扶約櫃。 10因他伸手碰了約櫃，上帝便向他發怒，擊殺了他，他就死在上帝面前。 11大衛因耶和華擊殺烏撒而煩惱，就稱那地方為毗列斯·烏撒13·11 「毗列斯·烏撒」意思是「向烏撒發怒」。，沿用至今。 12那天，大衛懼怕上帝，他說：「我怎能將上帝的約櫃運到我這裡？」 13因此，大衛沒有將約櫃運到大衛城，而是把它運到迦特人俄別·以東家。 14上帝的約櫃在俄別·以東家存放了三個月。耶和華使俄別·以東家及其擁有的一切都蒙福。
David Brings Back the Ark
1David talked with each of his officers. He wanted to get their advice. Some of them were commanders of thousands of men. Others were commanders of hundreds. 2David spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, “Let’s send word to the rest of our people no matter how far away they live. They live in all the territories of Israel. Let’s also send word to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and on their grasslands. Let’s invite everyone to come and join us. Let’s do it if it seems good to you and if that’s what the Lord our God wants. 3Let’s bring the ark of our God back here to us. We didn’t use it to ask God for advice during the whole time Saul was king.” 4So that’s what the whole community agreed to do. It seemed right to them.
5David gathered together all the Israelites. They came from the area between the Shihor River in Egypt and Lebo Hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem. 6David went to Baalah of Judah. The whole community of Israel went with him. Baalah is also called Kiriath Jearim. All the people went there to get the ark of God the Lord. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The ark is named after the Lord.
7The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was moved from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding it. 8David was celebrating with all his might in front of God. So was the whole community of Israel. All of them were singing songs. They were also playing harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
9They came to the threshing floor of Kidon. The oxen nearly fell there. So Uzzah reached out his hand to hold the ark steady. 10Then the Lord became very angry with Uzzah. The Lord struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So Uzzah died there in front of God.
11David was angry because the Lord’s great anger had broken out against Uzzah. That’s why the place is still called Perez Uzzah to this day.
12David was afraid of God that day. David asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God back here to me?” 13So he didn’t take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was from Gath. 14The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom. It stayed in his house for three months. And the Lord blessed his family. He also blessed everything that belonged to him.
