2 Samuel 5

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your flesh and blood.

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

2 Previously when Saul was our king, you were the one who led the Israelite army into battle. The Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be their ruler.’”

In the recent past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led the Israelite army. Yahweh said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become ruler over Israel.'”

3 All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made an agreement with them in the Lord's presence. Then they anointed him king of Israel.

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

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

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

5 He reigned over Judah seven years and six months from Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel and Judah for thirty-three years from Jerusalem.

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

6 David the king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who were living there. The Jebusites told David: “You'll never enter here. Even the blind and lame could stop you.” They were convinced that David could not get in.

The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. They said to David, “You will not come here except to be turned away by the blind and the lame. David cannot come here.”

7 But David did capture the fortress of Zion, now known as the City of David.

Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which now is the city of David.

8 At that time he said, “If we are to successfully conquer the Jebusites we'll have to go up the water shaft to attack these ‘lame and blind’ —these people who hate David. This is why it's said, ‘The blind and the lame will never enter the house.’”

At that time David said, “Those who attack the Jebusites will have to go through the water shaft to reach the 'lame and the blind' who are David's enemies.” That is why people say, “The 'blind and the lame' must not enter the palace.”

9 David went and lived in the fortress, and named it the City of David. He extended it in all directions, starting from the outer supporting terraces and moving inwards.

So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. He fortified around it, from the terrace toward the inside.

10 David became increasingly powerful, for the Lord God Almighty was with him.

David became very powerful because Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 King Hiram of Tyre sent representatives to David, together with cedar timber, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, carpenters, and masons. They built a house for David.

12 David realized that the Lord had installed him as king of Israel, and had made his kingdom great for the sake of his people Israel.

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

13 After he moved from Hebron, David added more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and he had more sons and daughters.

After David left Hebron and came to Jerusalem, he took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

14 These are the names of his children born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

These were the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, the whole Philistine army came out to capture him, but David found out and went inside the stronghold.

Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over Israel, they all went out looking for him. But David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

18 The Philistines came and spread out across the Valley of Rephaim.

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

19 David asked the Lord “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” “Yes, go,” the Lord replied, “for I will definitely hand them over to you.”

Then David asked for help from Yahweh. He said, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you give victory over them?” Yahweh said to David, “Attack, for I will certainly give you victory over the Philistines.”

20 David went to Baal-perazim and he defeated the Philistines there. “Like a flood that bursts out, so the Lord has burst out against my enemies right before me,” David declared. So he named that place Baal-perazim.

So David attacked at Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He commented, “Yahweh has burst through my enemies before me like a bursting flood of water.” So the name of that place became Baal Perazim.

21 The Philistines left their idols behind, and David and his men removed them.

The Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 A while later the Philistines came again and spread out across the Valley of Rephaim.

Then the Philistines came up again and spread out once more in the Valley of Rephaim.

23 David asked the Lord what to do. The Lord replied, “Don't attack them directly, but go round behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

So David sought help from Yahweh again, and Yahweh said to him, “You must not attack their front, but rather circle around behind them and come on them through the balsam woods.

24 Immediately you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees be ready, because this means the Lord has marched out before you to attack the Philistine camp.”

When you hear the sound of marching in the wind blowing through the balsam treetops, then attack with force. Do this because Yahweh will have gone out before you to attack the army of the Philistines.”

25 David followed the Lord's orders, and he slaughtered the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.

So David did as Yahweh had commanded him. He killed Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.