II Samuel 5

¹Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In the past when Saul was king over us, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in: and the Lord said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel and their ruler.

³So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he became king, and he was king for forty years,

⁵Ruling over Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah, for thirty-three years.

⁶And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people of the land: and they said to David, You will not come in here, but the blind and the feeble-footed will keep you out; for they said, David will not be able to come in here.

⁷But David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.

⁸And that day David said, Whoever makes an attack on the Jebusites, let him go up by the water-pipe, and put to death all the blind and feeble-footed who are hated by David. And this is why they say, The blind and feeble-footed may not come into the house.

⁹So David took the strong tower for his living-place, naming it the town of David. And David took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo.

¹⁰And David became greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of armies, was with him.

¹¹And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent men to David, with cedar-trees and woodworkers and stoneworkers: and they made David a house.

¹²And David saw that the Lord had made his position safe as king over Israel, and that he had made his kingdom great because of his people Israel.

¹³And David took more women and wives in Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron: and he had more sons and daughters.

¹⁴These are the names of those whose birth took place in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon

¹⁵And Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia

¹⁶And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.

¹⁷And when the Philistines had news that David had been made king over Israel, they all went up in search of David; and David, hearing of it, went down to the strong place.

¹⁸And when the Philistines came, they went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹And David, desiring directions from the Lord, said, Am I to go up against the Philistines? will you give them up into my hands? And the Lord said, Go up, for I will certainly give up the Philistines into your hands.

²⁰And David went to Baal-perazim, and overcame them there; and he said, The Lord has let the forces fighting against me be broken before me as a wall is broken by rushing waters. So that place was named Baal-perazim.

²¹And the Philistines, when they went in flight, did not take their images with them, and David and his men took them away.

²²And the Philistines came up again, and went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.

²³And when David went for directions to the Lord, he said, You are not to go up against them in front; but make a circle round them from the back and come on them opposite the spice-trees.

²⁴Then at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go forward quickly, for the Lord has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines.

²⁵And David did as the Lord had said; and he overcame the Philistines, attacking them from Gibeon to near Gezer.

II Samuel 5

¹Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. The Lord said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "Unless you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here"; thinking, "David can't come in here."

⁷Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

⁸David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame can't come into the house."

⁹David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. David built around from Millo and inward.

¹⁰David grew greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.

¹¹Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.

¹²David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

¹³David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

¹⁴These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

¹⁵and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

¹⁶and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?" The Lord said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand."

²⁰David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and he said, "The Lord has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

²¹They left their images there; and David and his men took them away.

²²The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

²³When David inquired of the Lord, he said, "You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them over against the mulberry trees.

²⁴It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall stir yourself up; for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

²⁵David did so, as the Lord commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.