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

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

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 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.”

[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 captures the fortress of Zion, it [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 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.”

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

[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 goes, going on and becoming great, and YHWH, God of Hosts, [is] 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 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,

[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 knows that YHWH has established him for king over Israel, and that He has lifted up his kingdom, because 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 again David takes concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after his coming from Hebron, and again there are born to David sons and daughters.

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 born to him in Jerusalem: Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

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

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

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

Elishama, 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,

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

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

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.”

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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,

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 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.”

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

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].