2 Samuel 5

¹ All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said to him: »We are your own flesh and blood.

² »For a long time when Saul was still our king, you led the people of Israel in battle. Jehovah promised you that you would lead his people and be their ruler.«

³ All the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made a sacred alliance with them. They anointed him, and he became king of Israel.

⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king. He ruled for forty years.

⁵ In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he ruled for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶ The king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived in that region. The Jebusites told David: »You will never get in here. Even the blind and the lame could turn you away. In other words he could not enter there.«

⁷ However, David captured the fortress Zion, that is, the City of David.

⁸ That day David said: »Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites must reach the lame and the blind that hate me by using the water tunnel.« So there is a saying: »The blind and the lame will not get into the palace.«

⁹ David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built the city of Jerusalem around it from the stronghold citadel to the palace.

¹⁰ David continued to grow more powerful because Jehovah God of Hosts was with him.

¹¹ King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. Carpenters and stone workers came with them. They brought cedar logs so they could build a palace for David.

¹² David knew that Jehovah made him king of Israel and that he had made him a powerful ruler for the good of his people.

¹³ David left Hebron and moved to Jerusalem. He married many women from Jerusalem, and he had a lot of children.

¹⁴ The following are the names of his sons born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷ The Philistines heard that David was now king of Israel. They mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David found out and went into his fortress.

¹⁸ So the Philistines camped in Rephaim Valley.

¹⁹ David asked Jehovah: »Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?« Jehovah answered David: »Attack! I will certainly deliver the Philistines to you.«

²⁰ David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines. He said: »Jehovah has overwhelmed my enemies in front of me like an overwhelming flood.« That is why that place is called Baal Perazim Master of Breaking Through

²¹ The Philistines left their idols there. David and his men carried them all away.

²² The Philistines again attacked and overran the valley of Rephaim.

²³ Once again David consulted Jehovah. Jehovah answered David: »Do not attack them from here. Go around and get ready to attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees.

²⁴ »Attack when you hear the sound of marching in the treetops. I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.«

²⁵ David did what Jehovah commanded. He drove the Philistines back from Geba all the way to Gezer.