2 Samuel 6
The full text of 2 Samuel 6 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel — thirty thousand.
2 David rose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name — the name of the LORD of Hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.
3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart.
4 They carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio was walking before the ark.
5 David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood — with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled.
7 The anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for the error, and he died there beside the ark of God.
8 David was angry because the LORD had burst out against Uzzah, and that place has been called Perez-uzzah to this day.
9 David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"
10 David was not willing to move the ark of the LORD to himself in the City of David. Instead, David diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.
12 King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
13 When the bearers of the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
14 David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
15 David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the sound of the ram's horn.
16 As the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
18 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.
19 He distributed to all the people — to the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women — to each person one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home.
20 David returned to bless his household, and Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David. She said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today — exposing himself today in the eyes of his servants' slave girls, as one of the worthless fellows shamelessly exposes himself!"
21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD — who chose me over your father and over all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel — before the LORD I will celebrate!
22 I will make myself even more contemptible than this, and I will be lowly in my own eyes. But among the slave girls you spoke of — among them I will be honored."
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
Translation notes (8)
- 2 Samuel 6:2a The Hebrew grammar (syntax) is difficult here; literally, it reads, "which is called name, the name of YHWH of Hosts sitting upon the cherubim upon it."
- 2 Samuel 6:4a This verse appears to partially repeat verse 3; the text may be corrupted.
- 2 Samuel 6:5a 1 Chr 13:8 reads 'with all their might and with songs' (בְּכָל־עֹז וּבְשִׁירִים) for 'with all cypress-wood instruments'
- 2 Samuel 6:6a Name varies: Nacon (MT), Chidon (1 Chr 13:9). שָׁמְטוּ = 'stumbled' or 'let [it] slip'
- 2 Samuel 6:7a The meaning of the Hebrew word hashshal (הַשַּׁל) is uncertain; it possibly means "the error/irreverence" or "the rashness."
- 2 Samuel 6:13a It is debated whether a sacrifice was offered at every six steps or only at the beginning of the journey.
- 2 Samuel 6:19a The Hebrew word eshpar (אֶשְׁפָּר) is a hapax legomenon, meaning it appears only once in the Hebrew Bible; its meaning is uncertain, but traditionally it is understood as "date cake" or "portion of meat."
- 2 Samuel 6:23a It is not stated whether this occurred by divine judgment or because David refused to have relations.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Hebrew and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including 2 Samuel, are free to read on this site.
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