David Anointed King

11 ^(A)Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.

³⁰ because ^(A)we are members of his body.

²³ These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops ^(A)who came to David in Hebron ^(B)to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, ^(C)according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴ The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. ²⁵ Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. ²⁶ Of the Levites 4,600. ²⁷ The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. ^28 (D)Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers' house. ²⁹ Of the Benjaminites, ^(E)the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the ^(F)majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were ^(G)expressly named to come and make David king. ³² Of Issachar, men who ^(H)had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³ Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, ^(I)equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David^[a] with ^(J)singleness of purpose. ³⁴ Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. ³⁶ Of ^(K)Asher 40,000 ^(L)seasoned troops ^(M)ready for battle. ³⁷ Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.

³⁸ All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with ^(N)a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a ^(O)single mind to make David king. ³⁹ And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰ And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, ^(P)cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

¹¹ And the time that David reigned over Israel was ^(A)forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

¹² You are my brothers; ^(A)you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ And say to Amasa, ^(B)‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? ^(C)God do so to me and more also, if you are not ^(D)commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’”

¹⁰ But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’”

David Anointed King of Israel

5 Then all the tribes of Israel ^(A)came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^(B)we are your bone and flesh. ² In times past, when Saul was king over us, ^(C)it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ^(D)‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince^[a] over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^(E)and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^(F)before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^(G)he reigned forty years. ^5 (H)At Hebron he reigned over Judah ^(I)seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.^[b]

^6 (J)And the king and his men went to Jerusalem ^(K)against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, ^(L)that is, the city of David. ⁸ And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” ⁹ And David lived in the stronghold and called it ^(M)the city of David. And David built the city all around from the ^(N)Millo inward. ¹⁰ And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

^11 (O)And ^(P)Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. ¹² And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ And David took more ^(Q)concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. ^14 (R)And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

² “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all ^(A)seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that ^(B)I am ^(C)your bone and your flesh.”

¹⁵ you may indeed set a king over you ^(A)whom the Lord your God will choose. One ^(B)from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.