David Anointed King of All Israel

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh.^{(A) 2} For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you, ‘It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ ”^{(B) 3} So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.^{(C) 4} David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.^{(D) 5} At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.^(E)

Jerusalem Made Capital of the United Kingdom

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here; even the blind and the lame will turn you back,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.”^{(F) 7} Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David. ⁸ David had said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates.”^[a] Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”^{(G) 9} David occupied the stronghold and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward.^{(H) 10} And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts^[b] was with him.^(I)

¹¹ King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees and carpenters and masons who built David a house.^{(J) 12} David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ In Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives, and more sons and daughters were born to David.^(K)

Philistine Attack Repulsed

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.^{(A) 18} Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.^{(B) 19} David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” The Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”^{(C) 20} So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. He said, “The Lord has burst forth against my enemies before me like a bursting flood.” Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim.^{[a](D) 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.^(E)

⁵ David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs^[a] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.^(A)

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen lurched.^{(B) 7} The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there,^[b] and he died there beside the ark of God.^{(C) 8} David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah, so that place is called Perez-uzzah^[c] to this day. ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” ¹⁰ So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead, David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.^{(D) 11} The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.^(E)

¹² It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing,^{(F) 13} and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted calf. ¹⁴ David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.^{(G) 15} So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.^(H)

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.^(I)