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David Becomes King of All Israel

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past,[a] when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”

So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:2 Or For some time.

David Becomes King Over Israel(A)

All the tribes of Israel(B) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.(C) In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(D) And the Lord said(E) to you, ‘You will shepherd(F) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(G)’”

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant(H) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(I) David king over Israel.

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David Becomes King of All Israel

11 Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past,[a] even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord your God told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’”

So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:2 Or For some time.

David Becomes King Over Israel(A)

11 All Israel(B) came together to David at Hebron(C) and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(D) And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd(E) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(F)’”

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(G) David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

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23 These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had promised.

24 From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears.

25 From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 brave warriors.

26 From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 warriors. 27 This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command. 28 This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 members of his family who were all officers.

29 From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time.

30 From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan.

31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king.

32 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

33 From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David.

34 From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears.

35 From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle.

36 From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle.

37 From the east side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon.

38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. 39 They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. 40 And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.

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Others Join David at Hebron

23 These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron(A) to turn(B) Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:(C)

24 from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;

25 from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;

26 from Levi—4,600, 27 including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, 28 and Zadok,(D) a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

29 from Benjamin,(E) Saul’s tribe—3,000, most(F) of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

30 from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;

31 from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king—18,000;

32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do(G)—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

33 from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;

34 from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

35 from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;

36 from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;

37 and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000.

38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel.(H) All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. 39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking,(I) for their families had supplied provisions for them. 40 Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies(J) of flour, fig cakes, raisin(K) cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy(L) in Israel.

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David Conquers the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 21 The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.

22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23 And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar[a] trees. 24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon[b] to Gezer.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:23 Or aspen, or balsam; also in 5:24. The exact identification of this tree is uncertain.
  2. 5:25 As in Greek version (see also 1 Chr 14:16); Hebrew reads Geba.

David Defeats the Philistines(A)

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.(B) 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;(C) 19 so David inquired(D) of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[a](E) 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.(F)

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound(G) of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front(H) of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines(I) all the way from Gibeon[b](J) to Gezer.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:20 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.
  2. 2 Samuel 5:25 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba

David Conquers the Philistines

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them. The Philistines arrived and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. 10 So David asked God, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.”

11 So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 12 The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them.

13 But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. 14 And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar[a] trees. 15 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 16 So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

17 So David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:14 Or aspen, or balsam; also in 14:15. The exact identification of this tree is uncertain.

David Defeats the Philistines(A)

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel,(B) they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley(C) of Rephaim; 10 so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

11 So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim,(D) and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[a] 12 The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn(E) them in the fire.(F)

13 Once more the Philistines raided the valley;(G) 14 so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon(H) to Gezer.(I)

17 So David’s fame(J) spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear(K) him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 14:11 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.

David Captures Jerusalem

David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.[a] Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.[b]” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”[c]

So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces[d] and working inward. 10 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:8a Or Those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites hate me.
  2. 5:8b Or with scaling hooks. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 5:8c The meaning of this saying is uncertain.
  4. 5:9 Hebrew the millo. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

David Conquers Jerusalem(A)(B)

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem(C) to attack the Jebusites,(D) who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(E)—which is the City of David.(F)

On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft(G) to reach those ‘lame and blind’(H) who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[b](I) inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,(J) because the Lord God Almighty(K) was with him.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or are hated by David
  2. 2 Samuel 5:9 Or the Millo

David Captures Jerusalem

Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

David had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies.

David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. He extended the city from the supporting terraces[a] to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:8 Hebrew the millo. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

David Conquers Jerusalem(A)

David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites(B) who lived there said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab(C) son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. He built up the city around it, from the terraces[a](D) to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. And David became more and more powerful,(E) because the Lord Almighty was with him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:8 Or the Millo

These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven and a half years.

Then David reigned another thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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These six were born to David in Hebron,(A) where he reigned seven years and six months.(B)

David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,

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13 After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.

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13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives(A) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

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David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

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David was thirty years old(A) when he became king, and he reigned(B) forty(C) years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,(D) and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

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11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. 12 And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

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11 Now Hiram(A) king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom(B) for the sake of his people Israel.

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David’s Palace and Family

14 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber, and stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had greatly blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

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David’s House and Family(A)

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs,(B) stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted(C) for the sake of his people Israel.

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David Attempts to Move the Ark

13 David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army.[a] Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.”

The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do. So David summoned all Israel, from the Shihor Brook of Egypt in the south all the way to the town of Lebo-hamath in the north, to join in bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:1 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

Bringing Back the Ark(A)

13 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us,(B) for we did not inquire(C) of[a] it[b] during the reign of Saul.” The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

So David assembled all Israel,(D) from the Shihor River(E) in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,(F) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:3 Or we neglected
  2. 1 Chronicles 13:3 Or him