Ish-Bosheth Murdered

4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner^(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. ² Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth^(B) is considered part of Benjamin, ³ because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim^(C) and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

⁴ (Jonathan^(D) son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news^(E) about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.^(F) His name was Mephibosheth.)^(G)

⁵ Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth,^(H) and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.^{(I) 6} They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed^(J) him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

⁷ They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.^{(K) 8} They brought the head^(L) of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul,^(M) your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged^(N) my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

⁹ David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered^(O) me out of every trouble, ¹⁰ when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.^(P) That was the reward I gave him for his news! ¹¹ How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood^(Q) from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

¹² So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.^(R) They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

David Becomes King Over Israel^(S)

5 All the tribes of Israel^(T) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.^{(U) 2} In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.^(V) And the Lord said^(W) to you, ‘You will shepherd^(X) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.^(Y)’”

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant^(Z) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed^(AA) David king over Israel.

⁴ David was thirty years old^(AB) when he became king, and he reigned^(AC) forty^(AD) years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,^(AE) and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David Conquers Jerusalem^(AF)(AG)

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem^(AH) to attack the Jebusites,^(AI) 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.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion^(AJ)—which is the City of David.^(AK)

⁸ On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft^(AL) to reach those ‘lame and blind’^(AM) who are David’s enemies.^[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

⁹ 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](AN) inward. ¹⁰ And he became more and more powerful,^(AO) because the Lord God Almighty^(AP) was with him.^(AQ)

¹¹ Now Hiram^(AR) 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^(AS) for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives^(AT) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ These are the names of the children born to him there:^(AU) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,^(AV) Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines^(AW)

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.^{(AX) 18} Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;^{(AY) 19} so David inquired^(AZ) 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.^{[c](BA) 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.^(BB)

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^(BC) of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front^(BD) of you to strike the Philistine army.” ²⁵ So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines^(BE) all the way from Gibeon^[d](BF) to Gezer.^(BG)

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets^(A) of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination:^(B) ‘Hear the word of the Lord!^{(C) 3} This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish^[a] prophets^(D) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!^{(E) 4} Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. ⁵ You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair^(F) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.^{(G) 6} Their visions are false^(H) and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent^(I) them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.^{(J) 7} Have you not seen false visions^(K) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,^(L) declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying^(M) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records^(N) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(O)

¹⁰ “‘Because they lead my people astray,^(P) saying, “Peace,”^(Q) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,^{(R) 11} therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones^(S) hurtling down,^(T) and violent winds will burst forth.^{(U) 12} When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones^(V) and torrents of rain^(W) will fall with destructive fury.^{(X) 14} I will tear down the wall^(Y) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation^(Z) will be laid bare. When it^[b] falls,^(AA) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AB)”’

¹⁷ “Now, son of man, set your face^(AC) against the daughters^(AD) of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them^{(AE) 18} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? ¹⁹ You have profaned^(AF) me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.^(AG) By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.^(AH)

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.^{(AI) 21} I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^{(AJ) 22} Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,^(AK) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,^{(AL) 23} therefore you will no longer see false visions^(AM) or practice divination.^(AN) I will save^(AO) my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.^(AP)’”