2 Samuel 5

1 Then came all the tribes of Israel unto David, in Hebron, —and spake, saying—Behold us! thy bone and thy flesh, we are.

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, in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou, wast he that led out and brought in, Israel, —and Yahweh said to thee—Thou, shalt be shepherd unto my people, Israel, and, thou, shalt become 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 So all the elders of Israel came unto the king, in Hebron, and King David solemnised to them a covenant in Hebron, before Yahweh, —and they anointed David to be 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 Thirty years old, was David when he began to reign, —forty years, he reigned:

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

5 in Hebron, reigned he over Judah, seven years, and six months, —and, in Jerusalem, reigned he thirty and 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 Then went the king and his men, to Jerusalem, against the Jebusites, inhabiting the land, —and they spake to David, saying—Thou canst not come in hither, unless thou take away the blind and lame—Thinking, David will 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 So then David captured the citadel of Zion, —the same, 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—Whosoever is smiting the Jebusites, then let him reach as far as the aqueduct. But, as for the lame and the blind, they were the hated of David’s soul, —for which cause, they kept on saying, Blind and lame! he will not enter the place.

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 So then David dwelt in the citadel, and called it, The City of David, —and David built round about, from Millo and inwards.

[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 went on and on waxing great, —Yahweh, God of hosts, being 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 Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers unto David, with cedar-wood, and carpenters, and 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 So David perceived that Yahweh had established him to be king over Israel, —and that he had exalted his kingdom, 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 him yet more concubines and wives, out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron, and there were, yet further, born unto 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 Now, these, are the names of the sons who were born unto him in Jerusalem, —Shammua 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 Yaphia;

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 and Elishama and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 And, when the Philistine heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel, then came up all the Philistines to seek to secure David, and David heard of it, and went down into the citadel.

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 Now, the Philistines, had come, —and had spread themselves out in the vale of Rephaim.

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

19 So then David enquired of Yahweh, saying, —Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Yahweh said unto David—Go up; for I, will surely deliver, the Philistines into thy 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 entered Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said—Yahweh hath broken forth upon mine enemies, before me, like a breaking forth of waters. For this cause, called he the name of that place, Baal-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 left their images there, —and David and his men took them away.

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

22 And, yet again, did the Philistines come up, —and they spread themselves out in the vale of Rephaim.

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

23 So David enquired of Yahweh, and he said—Thou shalt not go up, —Get round behind them, and come in upon them, over against the mulberry-trees.

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 be, when thou shalt hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, then, shalt thou act with decision, —for, then, will Yahweh have gone forth before thee, to smite the host 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 did so, as Yahweh had commanded him, —and smote the Philistines, from Gibeon until thou enterest Gezer.

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].