2Sa 6, 2Sa 13 | ESV | STEP | David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel , thirty thousand .

2 Samuel 6

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

1 ^aDavid again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from ^bBaale-judah ^cto bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts ^dwho sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God ^eon a new cart and brought it ^fout of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, ^{▼▼Or and his brother; also verse 4} the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, ^{▼▼Compare Septuagint; Hebrew the new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill} 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah and the Ark

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with ⁱsongs ^{▼▼Septuagint, 1 Chronicles 13:8; Hebrew fir trees} and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of ^kNacon, Uzzah ^lput out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and ^mGod struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah ^{▼▼ Perez-uzzah means the breaking out against Uzzah} to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside ^oto the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, ^pand the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” ^qSo David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom ^rto the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when ^sthose who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, ^the sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David ^udanced before the Lord with all his might. And David was ^vwearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

David and Michal

16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ^win its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. ^xAnd David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, ^yhe blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, ^{▼▼Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain} and a cake of raisins to each one. ^aaThen all the people departed, each to his house.

20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, ^abuncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the ^acvulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, ^adwho chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince ^{▼▼Or leader} over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew my} eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 13

Amnon and Tamar

1 Now ^agAbsalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was ^ahTamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of ^aiShimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and ^ajmake a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, ^ak“Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate ^{▼▼Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32} me, for ^amsuch a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this ^anoutrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of ^aothe outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” ^{▼▼Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain} But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing ^aqa long robe ^{▼▼Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); also verse 19} with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar ^asput ashes on her head and ^attore the long robe that she wore. And ^aushe laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn} 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon ^awneither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 After two full years Absalom had ^axsheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s ^ayheart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and ^aztore his garments and ^balay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But ^bbJonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so ^bctake it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 ^bdBut Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him ^{▼▼Septuagint the Horonaim Road} by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 ^bfBut Absalom fled and went to ^bgTalmai the son of Ammihud, king of ^bhGeshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 ^biSo Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Hebrew David} longed to go out ^{▼▼Compare Vulgate ceased to go out} to Absalom, because ^blhe was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.