David Becomes King over Israel^(A)

5 After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, “Look, we’re your own flesh and blood!^{[a] 2} Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle^[b] and bringing them back again.^[c] The Lord told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief^[d] over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.

David Establishes Jerusalem as His Capital^(B)

⁴ David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem. ⁶ Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time^[e] and who had told David, “You’re not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!” because they were thinking^[f] “David can’t come here.” ⁷ Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as^[g] the City of David.

⁸ At that time,^[h] David had said, “Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David.”^[i]

Therefore they say, “The blind and lame are never to come into the house.” ⁹ David occupied^[j] the fortress, naming it the City of David. He^[k] built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts^[l] inward. ¹⁰ David became more and more esteemed because the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

¹¹ Later, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar^[m] logs, carpenters, and stone masons. They built a palace for David. ¹² So David concluded^[n] that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom in order to benefit his people Israel. ¹³ But after arriving in Jerusalem after leaving Hebron, David took more wives and mistresses,^[o] and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ 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.

David Battles the Philistines^(C)

¹⁷ When the Philistines eventually learned that Israel^[p] had anointed David to be king over Israel, they marched out in search of him.^[q] But David heard about it and retreated to his stronghold. ¹⁸ Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley, ¹⁹ so David asked the Lord, “Am I to go attack the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?”^[r]

“Go get them,” the Lord replied to David, “because I’m going to put the Philistines right into your hand!”

²⁰ So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. He called the place Baal-perazim,^[s] because he said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has jumped out in front of me to fight my enemies.” ²¹ The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his army carried them off.

²² Later, the Philistines once again marched out and encamped in the Rephaim Valley. ²³ When David asked the Lord about it, he said, “Don’t attack them directly. Instead, go around to the rear and attack them opposite those balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the balsam trees, then be sure to act quickly, since the Lord will have gone out ahead of you to cut down the Philistine army.” ²⁵ So David did exactly what the Lord ordered him to do, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.