2 Samuel 5-6

Complete Jewish Bible

5 Then all the tribes of Isra’el came to David in Hevron and said, “Here, we are your own flesh and bone. ² In the past, when Sha’ul was king over us, it was you who led Isra’el’s military campaigns; and Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Isra’el, and you will be chief over Isra’el.’” ³ So all the leaders of Isra’el came to the king in Hevron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Isra’el. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he began his rule, and he ruled forty years. ⁵ In Hevron he ruled over Y’hudah seven years and six months; then in Yerushalayim he ruled thirty-three years over all Isra’el and Y’hudah.

⁶ The king and his men went to Yerushalayim to attack the Y’vusi, the inhabitants of that region. They taunted David, “You won’t get in here! Even the blind and the lame could fend you off!” — in other words, they were thinking, “David will never get in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known [now] as the City of David. ⁸ What David said on that day was, “In order to attack the Y’vusi, you have to climb up [from the spring outside the city] through the water tunnel. Then you can do away with those [so-called] ‘lame and blind’” (whom David despises — hence the expression, “The ‘blind and lame’ keep him from entering the house”).

⁹ David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. Then David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and working inward. ¹⁰ David grew greater and greater, because Adonai the God of Armies was with him. ¹¹ Hiram king of Tzor sent envoys to David with cedar logs, and with them were carpenters and stonemasons; and they built David a palace. ¹² David then knew that Adonai had set him up as king over Isra’el and increased his royal power for the sake of his people.

¹³ David took for himself more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim after coming from Hevron, so that still more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Here are the names of those born to him in Yerushalayim: Shamua, Shovav, Natan, Shlomo, ¹⁵ Yivchar, Elishua, Nefeg, Yafia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Elyada and Elifelet.

¹⁷ When the P’lishtim heard that David had been anointed king over Isra’el, all the P’lishtim went up in search of David. On learning of it, David went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The P’lishtim came and deployed in the Refa’im Valley. ¹⁹ David consulted Adonai, asking, “Should I attack the P’lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?” Adonai answered David, “Attack; I will certainly hand the P’lishtim over to you.” ²⁰ So David went to Ba‘al-P’ratzim and defeated them there. He said, “Adonai has broken through my enemies for me like a river breaking through its banks.” This is why he called the place Ba‘al-P’ratzim [Lord of breaking through]. ²¹ The P’lishtim had left their idols there, so David and his men took them away.

²² The P’lishtim came up again and deployed in the Refa’im Valley. ²³ When David consulted Adonai, he said, “Don’t attack! Circle behind them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, advance; because then Adonai has gone out ahead of you to defeat the army of the P’lishtim.” ²⁵ David did exactly as Adonai had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the P’lishtim from Geva all the way to Gezer.

6 Again David summoned all the picked troops of Isra’el, 30,000 men. ² Then David, taking along the entire force he had with him then, set out for Ba‘alei-Y’hudah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the Name, the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot enthroned above the k’ruvim. ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Avinadav on the hill, with ‘Uzah and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the new cart. ⁴ They led it from the house of Avinadav on the hill, with the ark of God; Achyo walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Isra’el celebrated in the presence of Adonai with all kinds of musical instruments made of cypress-wood, including lyres, lutes, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

⁶ When they arrived at Nakhon’s threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God. ⁷ But Adonai’s anger blazed up against ‘Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense, so that he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ It upset David that Adonai had broken out against ‘Uzah; that place has been called Peretz-‘Uzah [breaking-out of ‘Uzah] ever since. ⁹ David was frightened of Adonai that day; he asked, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” ¹⁰ So David would not bring the ark of Adonai into the City of David; rather, David took it over to the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti. ¹¹ The ark of Adonai stayed in the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti for three months; and Adonai blessed ‘Oved-Edom and all his household.

¹² King David was told, “Adonai has blessed the house of ‘Oved-Edom and everyone who belongs to him, thanks to the ark of God.” So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of ‘Oved-Edom into the City of David. ¹³ When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep. ¹⁴ Then David danced and spun around with abandon before Adonai, wearing a linen ritual vest. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Isra’el brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ As the ark of Adonai entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before Adonai; and she was filled with contempt for him.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of Adonai in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people of Isra’el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes.

²⁰ When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul came out to meet him and said, “Such honor the king of Isra’el earned for himself today — exposing himself before his servants’ slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!” ²¹ David answered Mikhal, “In the presence of Adonai — who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over Adonai’s people, over Isra’el — I will celebrate in the presence of Adonai! ²² I will make myself still more contemptible than that, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, but those slave-girls you mentioned will honor me!” ²³ Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul remained childless until the day she died.