2 Samuel 5

1 And all the tribes of Israel come to David, to Hebron, and speak, saying, “Behold, we [are] your bone and your flesh;

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.

2 also thus far, in Saul’s being king over us, you have been he who is bringing out and bringing in Israel, and YHWH says to you, You feed My people Israel, and you are for leader over Israel.”

In the past when Saul was king over us, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in: and the Lord said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel and their ruler.

3 And all [the] elderly of Israel come to the king, to Hebron, and King David makes a covenant with them in Hebron before YHWH, and they anoint David for king over Israel.

So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel.

4 A son of thirty years [is] David in his being king; he has reigned [for] forty years;

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he was king for forty years,

5 he reigned over Judah in Hebron [for] seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned [for] thirty-three years, over all Israel and Judah.

Ruling over Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah, for thirty-three years.

6 And the king goes, and his men, to Jerusalem, to the Jebusite, the inhabitant of the land, and they speak to David, saying, “You do not come in here, except [that] you turn aside the blind and the lame,” saying, “David does not come in here.”

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people of the land: and they said to David, You will not come in here, but the blind and the feeble-footed will keep you out; for they said, David will not be able to come in here.

7 And David captures the fortress of Zion, it [is] the City of David.

But David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.

8 And on that day David says, “Anyone striking the Jebusite, let him go up by the watercourse (and the lame and the blind—the hated of David’s soul).” Therefore they say, “The blind and lame—he does not come into the house.”

And that day David said, Whoever makes an attack on the Jebusites, let him go up by the water-pipe, and put to death all the blind and feeble-footed who are hated by David. And this is why they say, The blind and feeble-footed may not come into the house.

9 And David dwells in the fortress, and calls it the City of David, and David builds all around, from Millo and inward,

So David took the strong tower for his living-place, naming it the town of David. And David took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo.

10 and David goes, going on and becoming great, and YHWH, God of Hosts, [is] with him.

And David became greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of armies, was with him.

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sends messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and craftsmen of wood, and craftsmen of stone, for walls, and they build a house for David,

And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent men to David, with cedar-trees and woodworkers and stoneworkers: and they made David a house.

12 and David knows that YHWH has established him for king over Israel, and that He has lifted up his kingdom, because of His people Israel.

And David saw that the Lord had made his position safe as king over Israel, and that he had made his kingdom great because of his people Israel.

13 And again David takes concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after his coming from Hebron, and again there are born to David sons and daughters.

And David took more women and wives in Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron: and he had more sons and daughters.

14 And these [are] the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

These are the names of those whose birth took place in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon

15 and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

And Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia

16 and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.

17 And the Philistines hear that they have anointed David for king over Israel, and all the Philistines come up to seek David, and David hears, and goes down to the fortress,

And when the Philistines had news that David had been made king over Israel, they all went up in search of David; and David, hearing of it, went down to the strong place.

18 and the Philistines have come, and are spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

And when the Philistines came, they went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.

19 And David asks of YHWH, saying, “Do I go up to the Philistines? Do You give them into my hand?” And YHWH says to David, “Go up, for I certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”

And David, desiring directions from the Lord, said, Am I to go up against the Philistines? will you give them up into my hands? And the Lord said, Go up, for I will certainly give up the Philistines into your hands.

20 And David comes to Ba‘al-Perazim, and David strikes them there, and says, “YHWH has broken forth [on] my enemies before me, as the breaking forth of waters”; therefore he has called the name of that place Ba‘al-Perazim.

And David went to Baal-perazim, and overcame them there; and he said, The Lord has let the forces fighting against me be broken before me as a wall is broken by rushing waters. So that place was named Baal-perazim.

21 And they forsake their idols there, and David and his men lift them up.

And the Philistines, when they went in flight, did not take their images with them, and David and his men took them away.

22 And the Philistines add again to come up, and are spread out in the Valley of Rephaim,

And the Philistines came up again, and went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.

23 and David asks of YHWH, and He says, “You do not go up, turn around to their rear, and you have come to them from the front [[or in front]] of the mulberries,

And when David went for directions to the Lord, he said, You are not to go up against them in front; but make a circle round them from the back and come on them opposite the spice-trees.

24 and it comes to pass, in your hearing the sound of a stepping in the tops of the mulberries, then you move sharply, for then YHWH has gone out before you to strike in the camp of the Philistines.”

Then at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go forward quickly, for the Lord has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines.

25 And David does so, as YHWH commanded him, and strikes the Philistines from Geba to your coming to Gazer.

And David did as the Lord had said; and he overcame the Philistines, attacking them from Gibeon to near Gezer.