Kings II 5

1 And all the tribes of Israel come to David to Chebron, and they said to him, Behold, we [are] your bone and your flesh.

Then [the leaders of] all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said to him, “Listen, we have the same ancestors [IDM] that you do.

2 And heretofore Saul being king over us, you was he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to you, You shall feed my people Israel, and you shall be for a leader to my people Israel.

In the past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led our Israeli soldiers [in our battles]. You are the one to whom Yahweh promised, ‘You will be the leader [MET] of my people; you will be their king.’”

3 And all the elders of Israel come to the king to Chebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Chebron before the Lord; and they anoint David king over all Israel.

So while Yahweh was listening, all those leaders of the people of Israel declared there at Hebron [that David would be their king]. And David made a sacred agreement with them. They anointed him [with olive oil to set him apart] to be the king of the Israeli people.

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

David was 30 years old when he became their king. He ruled them for 40 years.

5 Seven years and six months he reigned in Chebron over Juda, and thirty-three years he reigned over all Israel and Juda in Jerusalem.

In Hebron he ruled over the tribe of Judah for seven and a half years, and in Jerusalem he ruled over all the people of Judah and Israel for 33 years.

6 And David and his men, departed to Jerusalem, to the Jebusite that inhabited the land: and it was said to David, You shall not come in hither: for the blind and the lame withstood him, saying, David shall not come in hither.

[One day] King David and his soldiers went to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebus people-group who lived there. The people there thought that David’s army would not be able to capture the city, so they sent a message to David, saying “Your army will never be able to get inside our city! Even the blind and crippled people will be able to chase you away!”

7 And David took first the hold of Sion: this [is] the city of David.

But David’s army captured the fortress on Zion [Hill], [and later it was known as] David’s City.

8 And David said on that day, Every one that smites the Jebusite, let him attack with the dagger both the lame and the blind, and those that hate the soul of David. Therefore they say, The lame and the blind shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

On that day, David said [to his soldiers], “Those who want to get rid of the Jebus people-group should go through the water tunnel [to enter the city]. Then they can attack those people whom I [SYN] detest—[and we will find out if any] blind and crippled people [will be able to stop them]!” That is why people say, “Blind and crippled people cannot enter Yahweh’s temple.”

9 And David lived in the hold, and it was called the city of David, and he built the city itself round about from the citadel, and [he built] his own house.

[After] David [and his soldiers captured] the city with its strong walls around it, he lived there, and they named it ‘David’s City’. David [and his soldiers] built the city around the fortress, starting where the [land was (filled in/terraces) on the east side of the hill].

10 And David advanced and became great, and the Lord Almighty [was] with him.

David continued to become more and more powerful/influential, because the Almighty Commander of the armies of angels was with/helping him.

11 And Chiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar wood, and carpenters, and stone-masons: and they built a house for David.

[One day] Hiram, the king of Tyre [city], sent ambassadors/messengers to David [to talk about making agreements between their countries]. Hiram agreed to provide cedar trees [to make lumber], and also that he would send carpenters and masons, to build a palace for David.

12 And David knew that the Lord had prepared him to be king over Israel, and that his kingdom was exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

His doing that caused David to realize that Yahweh truly had appointed him to be the king of Israel, and that Yahweh was going to cause his kingdom to prosper, because Yahweh loved the Israeli people, whom [he had chosen to] belong to him.

13 And David took again wives and concubines out of Jerusalem, after he came from Chebron: and David had still more sons and daughters born to him.

After David moved from Hebron to Jerusalem, he took more slave women to be his second-class wives, and he also married other women. [All of those women] gave birth to more sons and daughters.

14 And these [are] the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem; Sammus, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon.

The names of the sons who were born in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 And Ebear, and Elisue, and Naphec, and Jephies.

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 And Elisama, and Elidae, and Eliphalath, Samae, Jessibath, Nathan, Galamaan, Jebaar, Theesus, Eliphalat, Naged, Naphec, Janathan, Leasamys, Baalimath, Eliphaath.

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 And the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel; and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the strong hold.

When the Philistia people heard that David had been appointed to be the king of Israel, their army went up [toward Jerusalem] to try to capture David. But David heard that they were coming, so he went down to another fortified place.

18 And the Philistines came, and assembled in the valley of the giants.

The [army of] Philistia arrived at Rephaim Valley [southwest of Jerusalem] and spread all over the valley.

19 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and will you deliver them into my hands? and the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.

David asked Yahweh, “Should [my men and] I attack the Philistia army? Will you enable us to defeat them [IDM]?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, attack them, because I will certainly enable your army to defeat them. [IDM]”

20 And David came from Upper Breaches, and struck the Philistines there: and David said, The Lord has destroyed the hostile Philistines before me, as water is dispersed; therefore the name of that place was called Over Breaches.

So David [and his army] went to [where the Philistia army was], and there they defeated them. Then David said, “Yahweh has burst through my enemies like a flood.” [SIM] So that place is called ‘Lord of Bursting-through’.

21 And they leave there their gods, and David and his men with him took them.

The Philistia men left their idols there; so David and his soldiers took them away.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and assembled in the valley of Giants.

Then the Philistia [army] returned to Rephaim Valley and spread all over the valley.

23 And David enquired of the Lord: and the Lord said, You shall not go up to meet them: turn from them, and you shall meet them near the place of weeping.

So again David asked Yahweh [if his army should attack them]. But Yahweh replied, “Do not attack them [from here]. Tell your men to go around them and attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees.

24 And it shall come to pass when you hear the sound of a clashing together from the grove of weeping, then you shall go down to them, for then the Lord shall go forth before you to make havoc in the battle with the Philistines.

When you hear something in the tops of the balsam trees that sounds like [an army] marching, attack them, because I will have gone ahead of you [to enable your army] to defeat their army.”

25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Gabaon as far as the land of Gazera.

So David did what Yahweh told him to do, and his [army] defeated the Philistia army from Geba [city] all the way [west] to Gezer [city].