2 Samuel 5

1 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.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.

2 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.’”

Moreover yesterday also and the day before, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.

3 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.

The ancients also of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel.

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

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

5 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.

In Hebron he reigned over Juda seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years over all Israel and Juda.

6 [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!”

And the king and all the men that were with him went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land: and they said to David: Thou shalt not come in hither unless thou take away the blind and the lame that say: David shall not come in hither.

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

But David took the castle of Sion, the same is the city of David.

8 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.”

For David had offered that day a reward to whosoever should strike the Jebusites and get up to the gutters of the tops of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hated the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.

9 [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].

And David dwelt in the castle, and called it, The city of David: and built round about from Mello and inwards.

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

And he went on prospering and growing up, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

11 [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.

And Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walls: and they built a house for David.

12 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.

And David knew that the Lord bad confirmed him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom over his people Israel.

13 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.

And David took more concubines and wives of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were born to David other sons also and daughters:

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

And these are the names of them, that were born to him in Jerusalem, Samua, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

And Jebahar, and Elisua, and Nepheg,

16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

And Japhia, and Elisama, and Elioda, and Eliphaleth.

17 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.

And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel: and they all came to seek David: and when David heard of it, he went down to a strong hold.

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

And the Philistines coming spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

19 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]”

And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up to the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David: Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

20 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’.

And David came to Baal Pharisim: and defeated them there, and he said: The Lord hath divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided. Therefore the name of the place was called Baal Pharisim.

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

And they left there their idols: which David and his men took away.

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

And the Philistines came up again and spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

23 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.

And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands? He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees.

24 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.”

And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face to strike the army of the Philistines.

25 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].

And David did as the Lord had commanded him, and he smote the Philistines from Gabaa until thou come to Gezer.