The Second of Samuel
5 In time all the tribes of Israel came to David+ at Heʹbron+ and said: “Look! We ourselves are your bone and your flesh.+ 2 Both yesterday and previously+ while Saul happened to be king over us, you yourself became the one leading Israel out and bringing it in.+ And Jehovah proceeded to say to you, ‘You yourself will shepherd+ my people Israel, and you yourself will become leader+ over Israel.’” 3 So all the older men*+ of Israel came to the king at Heʹbron, and King David concluded a covenant+ with them in Heʹbron before Jehovah; after which they anointed+ David as king over Israel.*+
4 Thirty years old was David when he became king. For forty years+ he ruled as king. 5 In Heʹbron he ruled as king over Judah for seven years and six months;+ and in Jerusalem+ he ruled as king for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. 6 Consequently the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebʹu·sites+ inhabiting the land, and they began to say to David: “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame ones will certainly turn you away,”+ they thinking: “David will not come in here.” 7 Just the same, David proceeded to capture the stronghold of Zion,+ that is, the City of David.+ 8 So David said on that day: “Anyone striking the Jebʹu·sites,+ let him, by means of the water tunnel,+ make contact with both the lame and the blind, hateful to the soul of David!” That is why they say: “The blind one and the lame one will not come into the house.” 9 And David took up dwelling in the stronghold, and it came to be called the City of David; and David began to build all around from the Mound*+ and inward. 10 Thus David went on getting greater and greater,+ and Jehovah the God of armies*+ was with him.+
11 And Hiʹram+ the king of Tyre proceeded to send messengers+ to David, and also cedar trees+ and workers in wood and workers in stone for walls, and they began to build a house for David.+ 12 And David came to know that Jehovah had firmly established him as king over Israel+ and that he had exalted+ his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.+
13 Meantime, David went on taking more concubines+ and wives+ out of Jerusalem after he came from Heʹbron; and more sons and daughters continued to be born to David. 14 And these are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Sham·muʹa+ and Shoʹbab+ and Nathan+ and Solʹo·mon,+ 15 and Ibʹhar and E·liʹshu·a+ and Neʹpheg+ and Ja·phiʹa,+ 16 and E·lishʹa·ma+ and E·liʹa·da and E·liphʹe·let.+
17 And the Phi·lisʹtines got to hear that they had anointed David as king over Israel.+ At that all the Phi·lisʹtines came up to look for David. When David heard of it, then he went down to the place hard to approach.+ 18 And the Phi·lisʹtines, for their part, came in and kept tramping about in the low plain of Rephʹa·im.+ 19 And David began to inquire+ of Jehovah, saying: “Shall I go up against the Phi·lisʹtines? Will you give them into my hand?” At this Jehovah said to David: “Go up, for I shall without fail give the Phi·lisʹtines into your hands.”+ 20 So David came to Baʹal-pe·raʹzim,+ and David got to strike them down there. At that he said: “Jehovah has broken through my enemies+ ahead of me, like a gap made by waters.” That is why he called the name of that place Baʹal-pe·raʹzim.*+ 21 Consequently they left their idols*+ there, and so David and his men took them away.+
22 Later the Phi·lisʹtines came up once again+ and tramped about in the low plain of Rephʹa·im.+ 23 At that David inquired+ of Jehovah, but he said: “You must not go up. Go around to the rear of them, and you must come against them in front of the baʹca bushes.*+ 24 And let it occur that, when you hear the sound of a marching* in the tops of the baʹca bushes, at that time you act with decision,+ because at that time Jehovah will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the camp of the Phi·lisʹtines.”+ 25 Accordingly David did that way, just as Jehovah had commanded him,+ and he went striking down+ the Phi·lisʹtines from Geʹba*+ to as far as Geʹzer.+