1 Chronicles 13 — Legacy Standard Bible

Uzza Dies from Touching the Ark

13Then David took counsel with the commanders of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. ²And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from Yahweh our God, let us send everywhere to our relatives who remain in all the lands of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may gather with us; ³and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, ^afor we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” ⁴Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵^aSo David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to ¹Lebo-hamath, ^bto bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶^aAnd David and all Israel went up to ^bBaalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, Yahweh, ^cwho is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. ⁷And they drove the ark of God on a new cart from ^athe house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio were leading the cart. ⁸Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their strength, ^aeven with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and with trumpets.

⁹Then they came to ^athe threshing floor of Chidon. And Uzza reached out with his hand to take hold of the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. ¹⁰And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzza, and He struck him down ^abecause he reached out with his hand to the ark; ^band he died there before God. ¹¹And David became angry because ¹of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzza; and that place is called ²Perez-uzza to this day. ¹²So David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God back to me?” ¹³And David did not move the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside ^ato the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴Thus the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months; and ^aYahweh blessed the household of Obed-edom with all that he had.