1 Chronicles 13

And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

1David talked with his army leaders. These were the men in charge of thousands and hundreds of soldiers.

2And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:

2David spoke to all the people of Israel who had come together. He said, "If this seems good to you, and if the LORD our God wants it, let us send word to all our people everywhere in Israel. Let us also send word to the priests and Levites, the men who do God's work, in their towns and open fields. Then they can all come and join us."

3And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.

3"Let us bring the ark of our God back to us. In the days of King Saul, we did not go to it to ask God what he wanted."

NoteThe ark was a special wooden box covered in gold. It was the sign that God was with his people.

4And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

4All the people said they would do this. It seemed right to every one of them.

5So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.

5So David gathered all Israel together. They came from the Shihor River in Egypt all the way north to Lebo-hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from the town of Kirjath-jearim.

6And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

6David and all Israel went up to Baalah, which is the town of Kirjath-jearim in Judah. They went to bring back the ark of God the LORD. He sits like a king above the two golden winged figures on its lid. The ark is called by his own name.

7And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

7They brought the ark of God out of Abinadab's house. They put it on a new cart. Uzza and Ahio led the cart along the road.

8And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

8David and all Israel celebrated in front of God with all their strength. They sang songs. They played harps and lyres, and shook tambourines. They clashed cymbals and blew trumpets.

9And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

9They came to the threshing floor of Chidon. The oxen pulling the cart stumbled. So Uzza reached out his hand to hold the ark steady.

NoteA threshing floor was a flat, hard patch of ground. Farmers beat their grain there to knock the seeds loose.

10And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

10The LORD became angry at Uzza. God struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. Uzza died there in front of God.

11And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.

11David was upset because the LORD had burst out against Uzza. So David named that place Perez-uzza. People still call it that today.

NoteThe name Perez-uzza means "the bursting out against Uzza."

12And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

12That day David was afraid of God. He asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God home to me?"

13So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

13So David did not take the ark home to his own city. He turned aside and left it at the house of Obed-edom, a man from the town of Gath.

14And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.

14The ark of God stayed with Obed-edom and his family for three months. The LORD blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he owned.