2 Samuel 5

¹And all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, 'Look, we are your bone and your flesh.'

²Also yesterday and also three days ago, when Saul was king over us, you were the one leading out and bringing in Israel. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel.'

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

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

⁵At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites said to David, saying: You shall not come in here unless you first remove the blind and the lame -- meaning: David will not come in here.

⁷And David captured the stronghold of Zion -- it is the city of David.

⁸And David said on that day, 'Whoever strikes down a Jebusite, let him reach the water shaft -- both the lame and the blind who are hated by David's soul.' Therefore they say: 'The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.'

⁹David settled in the stronghold and called it the City of David. David built all around from the Millo inward.

¹⁰And David went on, becoming greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.

¹¹And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar timber, and carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.

¹²And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

¹⁴And these are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.

¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, and Japhia.

¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

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

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

¹⁹And David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?' And the LORD said to David, 'Go up, for I will surely give the Philistines into your hand.'

²⁰And David came to Baal-perazim and struck them there. And he said, 'The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breach of waters.' Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

²¹They left their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

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

²³And David inquired of the LORD, and he said, 'Do not go up; circle around behind them and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.'

²⁴And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act decisively, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.

²⁵So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.