2 Samuel 5:6-8

Easy-to-Read Version

David Captures Jerusalem

⁶The king and his men went to fight against the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites said to David, “You cannot come into our city.^[a] Even our blind and crippled people can stop you.” (They said this because they thought that David would not be able to enter into their city. ⁷But David did take the fort of Zion. This fort became the City of David.)

⁸That day David said to his men, “Whenever you strike at the Jebusites, aim for the throat and kill them.”^[b] David said this because he hates to have people left who are crippled and blind. That is why people now say, “The lame and blind are not allowed in the temple.^[c]”

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Footnotes

2 Samuel 5:6 You cannot come … city The city of Jerusalem was built on a hill. It had high walls around it, making it hard to capture.
2 Samuel 5:8 Whenever … kill them Or “Whoever wants to attack the Jebusites must go through the shaft.” This might refer to a tunnel or shaft leading up into the city through Gihon Spring, which was outside the city walls.
2 Samuel 5:8 temple Or “the king’s palace.”