1. King David consulted with all the officers in command of units of a thousand men and units of a hundred men.
2. Then he announced to all the people of Israel, “If you give your approval and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messengers to the rest of our people and to the priests and Levites in their towns, and tell them to assemble here with us.
3. Then we will go and fetch God's Covenant Box, which was ignored while Saul was king.”
4. The people were pleased with the suggestion and agreed to it.
5. So David assembled the people of Israel from all over the country, from the Egyptian border in the south to Hamath Pass in the north, in order to bring the Covenant Box from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem.
6. David and the people went to the city of Baalah, that is, to Kiriath Jearim, in the territory of Judah, to fetch the Covenant Box of God, which bears the name of the Lord enthroned above the winged creatures.
7. At Abinadab's house they brought out the Covenant Box and put it on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart,
8. while David and all the people danced with all their might to honour God. They sang and played musical instruments — harps, drums, cymbals, and trumpets.
9. As they came to the threshing place of Chidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah stretched out his hand and took hold of the Covenant Box.