2 שְׁמוּאֵל 5

1 וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ כָּל־שִׁבְטֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־דָּוִ֖ד חֶבְרֹ֑ונָה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנְנ֛וּ עַצְמְךָ֥ וּֽבְשָׂרְךָ֖ אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your flesh and blood.

2 גַּם־אֶתְמֹ֣ול גַּם־שִׁלְשֹׁ֗ום בִּהְיֹ֨ות שָׁא֥וּל מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ אַתָּ֗ה הָיִיתָה (הָיִ֛יתָ) מֹוצִיא (הַמֹּוצִ֥יא) וְהַמֵּבִי (וְהַמֵּבִ֖יא) אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה לְךָ֗ אַתָּ֨ה תִרְעֶ֤ה אֶת־עַמִּי֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאַתָּ֛ה תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְנָגִ֖יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Previously when Saul was our king, you were the one who led the Israelite army into battle. The Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be their ruler.’”

3 וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ כָּל־זִקְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ חֶבְרֹ֔ונָה וַיִּכְרֹ֣ת לָהֶם֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ דָּוִ֥ד בְּרִ֛ית בְּחֶבְרֹ֖ון לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּמְשְׁח֧וּ אֶת־דָּוִ֛ד לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ

All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made an agreement with them in the Lord's presence. Then they anointed him king of Israel.

4 בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֛ה דָּוִ֖ד בְּמָלְכֹ֑ו אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה מָלָֽךְ׃

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

5 בְּחֶבְרֹון֙ מָלַ֣ךְ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֣ה חֳדָשִׁ֑ים וּבִירוּשָׁלַ֣͏ִם מָלַ֗ךְ שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וְשָׁלֹשׁ֙ שָׁנָ֔ה עַ֥ל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִיהוּדָֽה׃

He reigned over Judah seven years and six months from Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel and Judah for thirty-three years from Jerusalem.

6 וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם אֶל־הַיְבֻסִ֖י יֹושֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לְדָוִ֤ד לֵאמֹר֙ לֹא־תָבֹ֣וא הֵ֔נָּה כִּ֣י אִם־הֱסִֽירְךָ֗ הַעִוְרִ֤ים וְהַפִּסְחִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא־יָבֹ֥וא דָוִ֖ד הֵֽנָּה׃

David the king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who were living there. The Jebusites told David: “You'll never enter here. Even the blind and lame could stop you.” They were convinced that David could not get in.

7 וַיִּלְכֹּ֣ד דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֖ת מְצֻדַ֣ת צִיֹּ֑ון הִ֖יא עִ֥יר דָּוִֽד׃

But David did capture the fortress of Zion, now known as the City of David.

8 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא כָּל־מַכֵּ֤ה יְבֻסִי֙ וְיִגַּ֣ע בַּצִּנֹּ֔ור וְאֶת־הַפִּסְחִים֙ וְאֶת־הַ֣עִוְרִ֔ים שְׂנֹאו (שְׂנֻאֵ֖י) נֶ֣פֶשׁ דָּוִ֑ד עַל־כֵּן֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ עִוֵּ֣ר וּפִסֵּ֔חַ לֹ֥א יָבֹ֖וא אֶל־הַבָּֽיִת׃

At that time he said, “If we are to successfully conquer the Jebusites we'll have to go up the water shaft to attack these ‘lame and blind’ —these people who hate David. This is why it's said, ‘The blind and the lame will never enter the house.’”

9 וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב דָּוִד֙ בַּמְּצֻדָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָא־לָ֖הּ עִ֣יר דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּ֤בֶן דָּוִד֙ סָבִ֔יב מִן־הַמִּלֹּ֖וא וָבָֽיְתָה׃

David went and lived in the fortress, and named it the City of David. He extended it in all directions, starting from the outer supporting terraces and moving inwards.

10 וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ דָּוִ֖ד הָלֹ֣וךְ וְגָדֹ֑ול וַיהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י צְבָאֹ֖ות עִמֹּֽו׃ פ

David became increasingly powerful, for the Lord God Almighty was with him.

11 וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח חִירָ֨ם מֶֽלֶךְ־צֹ֥ר מַלְאָכִים֮ אֶל־דָּוִד֒ וַעֲצֵ֣י אֲרָזִ֔ים וְחָרָשֵׁ֣י עֵ֔ץ וְחָֽרָשֵׁ֖י אֶ֣בֶן קִ֑יר וַיִּבְנֽוּ־בַ֖יִת לְדָוִֽד׃

King Hiram of Tyre sent representatives to David, together with cedar timber, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

12 וַיֵּ֣דַע דָּוִ֔ד כִּֽי־הֱכִינֹ֧ו יְהוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְכִי֙ נִשֵּׂ֣א מַמְלַכְתֹּ֔ו בַּעֲב֖וּר עַמֹּ֥ו יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס

David realized that the Lord had installed him as king of Israel, and had made his kingdom great for the sake of his people Israel.

13 וַיִּקַּח֩ דָּוִ֨ד עֹ֜וד פִּֽלַגְשִׁ֤ים וְנָשִׁים֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם אַחֲרֵ֖י בֹּאֹ֣ו מֵחֶבְרֹ֑ון וַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ עֹ֛וד לְדָוִ֖ד בָּנִ֥ים וּבָנֹֽות׃

After he moved from Hebron, David added more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and he had more sons and daughters.

14 וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמֹ֛ות הַיִּלֹּדִ֥ים לֹ֖ו בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם שַׁמּ֣וּעַ וְשֹׁובָ֔ב וְנָתָ֖ן וּשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃

These are the names of his children born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 וְיִבְחָ֥ר וֶאֱלִישׁ֖וּעַ וְנֶ֥פֶג וְיָפִֽיעַ׃

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ פ

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים כִּי־מָשְׁח֨וּ אֶת־דָּוִ֤ד לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּעֲל֥וּ כָל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִ֔ד וַיֵּ֖רֶד אֶל־הַמְּצוּדָֽה׃

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, the whole Philistine army came out to capture him, but David found out and went inside the stronghold.

18 וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים בָּ֑אוּ וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃

The Philistines came and spread out across the Valley of Rephaim.

19 וַיִּשְׁאַ֨ל דָּוִ֤ד בַּֽיהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַאֶֽעֱלֶה֙ אֶל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים הֲתִתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיָדִ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־דָּוִד֙ עֲלֵ֔ה כִּֽי־נָתֹ֥ן אֶתֵּ֛ן אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃

David asked the Lord “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” “Yes, go,” the Lord replied, “for I will definitely hand them over to you.”

20 וַיָּבֹ֨א דָוִ֥ד בְּבַֽעַל־פְּרָצִים֮ וַיַּכֵּ֣ם שָׁ֣ם דָּוִד֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר פָּרַ֨ץ יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־אֹיְבַ֛י לְפָנַ֖י כְּפֶ֣רֶץ מָ֑יִם עַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַה֖וּא בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃

David went to Baal-perazim and he defeated the Philistines there. “Like a flood that bursts out, so the Lord has burst out against my enemies right before me,” David declared. So he named that place Baal-perazim.

21 וַיַּעַזְבוּ־שָׁ֖ם אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׂאֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖ד וַאֲנָשָֽׁיו׃ פ

The Philistines left their idols behind, and David and his men removed them.

22 וַיֹּסִ֥פוּ עֹ֛וד פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לַֽעֲלֹ֑ות וַיִּנָּֽטְשׁ֖וּ בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃

A while later the Philistines came again and spread out across the Valley of Rephaim.

23 וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל דָּוִד֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲלֶ֑ה הָסֵב֙ אֶל־אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וּבָ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם מִמּ֥וּל בְּכָאִֽים׃

David asked the Lord what to do. The Lord replied, “Don't attack them directly, but go round behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

24 וִ֠יהִי בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ (כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞) אֶת־קֹ֧ול צְעָדָ֛ה בְּרָאשֵׁ֥י הַבְּכָאִ֖ים אָ֣ז תֶּחֱרָ֑ץ כִּ֣י אָ֗ז יָצָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכֹּ֖ות בְּמַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

Immediately you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees be ready, because this means the Lord has marched out before you to attack the Philistine camp.”

25 וַיַּ֤עַשׂ דָּוִד֙ כֵּ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖הוּ יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים מִגֶּ֖בַע עַד־בֹּאֲךָ֥ גָֽזֶר׃ פ

David followed the Lord's orders, and he slaughtered the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.