2Sa 5 | NASB1995 | STEP | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said , “ Behold , we are your bone and your flesh .

2 Samuel 5

David King over All Israel

1 ^aThen all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and ^{▼▼ Lit said, saying}said, “Behold, we are ^cyour bone and your flesh. 2 “Previously, when Saul was king over us, ^dyou were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘ ^eYou will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ^fa ruler over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^gmade a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then ^hthey anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was ⁱthirty years old when he became king, and ^jhe reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron ^khe reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 ^lNow the king and his men went to ^mJerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to ^{▼▼ Lit David, saying}David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; ^{▼▼ Lit saying}thinking, “David cannot enter here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is ^pthe city of David. 8 David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it ^qthe city of David. And David built all around from the ^{▼▼ I.e. citadel
,} ^sMillo and inward. 10 ^tDavid became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.

11 ^uThen Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and ^vthey built a house for David. 12 And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

13 Meanwhile ^wDavid took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now ^xthese are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

War with the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, ^yall the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the ^zstronghold. 18 Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in ^aathe valley of Rephaim. 19 Then ^abDavid inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^acthe Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 So David came to ^adBaal-perazim and ^{▼▼ Lit David smote}defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place ^{▼▼ I.e. the master of breakthrough}Baal-perazim. 21 They abandoned their idols there, so ^agDavid and his men carried them away.

22 Now ^ahthe Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When ^aiDavid inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the ^{▼▼ Or baka-shrubs}balsam trees. 24 “It shall be, when ^akyou hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ^{▼▼ Or baka-shrubs}balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^amthe Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25 Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from ^{▼▼ In 1 Chr 14:16, Gibeon
,} ^aoGeba ^{▼▼ Lit until you are coming to}as far as ^aqGezer.