2Sa 5, 2Sa 7, 2Sa 9 | ESV | STEP | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said , Behold , we are your bone and flesh .

1 Then all the tribes of Israel ^acame to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^bwe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, ^cit was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ^d‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince ^{▼▼Or leader} over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^fand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^gbefore the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^hhe reigned forty years. 5 ⁱAt Hebron he reigned over Judah ^jseven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll lacks verses 4–5}

6 ^lAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem ^magainst the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, ⁿthat is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it ^othe city of David. And David built the city all around from the ^pMillo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 ^qAnd ^rHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 And David took more ^sconcubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 ^tAnd these 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.

David Defeats the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down ^uto the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in ^vthe Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David ^winquired of the Lord, “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 certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” ^xTherefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. ^{▼▼ Baal-perazim means lord of bursting through} 21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again ^zand spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 ^aaAnd when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And ^abwhen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, ^acfor then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba ^adto Gezer.

2 Samuel 7

The Lord’s Covenant with David

1 ^aeNow when the king lived in his house and the Lord ^afhad given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to ^agNathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell ^ahin a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells ^aiin a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, ^aj“Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^akWould you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house ^alsince the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about ^amin a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where ^anI have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with ^aoany of the judges ^{▼▼Compare 1 Chronicles 17:6; Hebrew tribes} of Israel, whom I commanded ^aqto shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ^arI took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince ^{▼▼Or leader} over my people Israel. 9 ^atAnd I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel ^auand will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place ^avand be disturbed no more. ^awAnd violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 ^axfrom the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And ^ayI will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that ^azthe Lord will make you a house. 12 ^baWhen your days are fulfilled and ^bbyou lie down with your fathers, ^bcI will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 ^bdHe shall build a house for my name, and ^beI will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 ^bfI will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, ^bgI will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 ^bhbut my steadfast love will not depart from him, ^bias I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 ^bjAnd your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew you} ^blYour throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ^bm“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. ^bnYou have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? ^boFor you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 ^bpTherefore you are great, O Lord God. ^bqFor there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 ^brAnd who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name ^bsand doing for them ^{▼▼With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you} great and awesome things by driving out ^{▼▼Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew for your land} before your people, whom ^bvyou redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 ^bwAnd you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and ^bxyour words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, ^byand with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

2 Samuel 9

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may ^bzshow him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was ^caZiba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show ^cbthe kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of ^ccJonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of ^cdMachir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And ^ceMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, ^cffor I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and ^cgyou shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for ^cha dead dog such as I?”

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson ^cishall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had ^cjfifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ^ckate at David’s ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew my} table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, ^cmwhose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^cnhe ate always at the king’s table. Now ^cohe was lame in both his feet.