2 Samuel 6 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

David gathered all the picked fighters of Israel again — thirty thousand of them.

David and all his people set out from Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the chest of God, which carries the name — the name of Yahweh of Armies, who sits enthroned above the winged guardians.

They loaded the chest of God onto a brand-new cart and carried it out from Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were driving the new cart.

They carried it from Abinadab's house on the hill, with the chest of God, and Ahio was walking in front of the chest.

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating in front of Yahweh with everything they had — with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the chest of God and grabbed it, because the oxen had stumbled.

Yahweh's anger blazed against Uzzah, and God struck him down right there for his error. He died there beside the chest of God.

David was angry because Yahweh had burst out against Uzzah. That place has been called Perez-uzzah to this day.

David was afraid of Yahweh that day. He said, "How can the chest of Yahweh ever come to me?"

David was not willing to move the chest of Yahweh to be with him in the City of David. Instead, David rerouted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

The chest of Yahweh stayed at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and Yahweh made Obed-edom and his entire household thrive.

King David was told, "Yahweh has made Obed-edom's household and everything he owns thrive because of the chest of God." So David went and brought up the chest of God from Obed-edom's house to the City of David with celebration.

When the men carrying the chest of Yahweh had taken six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

David was dancing wildly in front of Yahweh, wearing only a linen vest.

David and the whole house of Israel brought up the chest of Yahweh with shouting and the sound of ram's horns.

As the chest of Yahweh entered the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked down from her window and saw King David leaping and spinning in front of Yahweh — and she despised him in her heart.

They brought in the chest of Yahweh and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings in front of Yahweh.

When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he spoke a word of favor over the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies.

He distributed to every person in the whole crowd of Israel, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

When David came home to greet his family, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today — stripping down in front of his servants' slave girls like some common fool!"

David said to Michal, "It was in front of Yahweh — who chose me over your father and over his entire house, and appointed me ruler over Yahweh's people, over Israel — yes, I will celebrate in front of Yahweh!"

"I'll make myself even more undignified than this. I'll be low in my own eyes. But those slave girls you mentioned — they will honor me."

And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day she died.