David King over All Israel

5 ^(A)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and ^[a]said, “Behold, we are ^(B)your bone and your flesh. ² Previously, when Saul was king over us, ^(C)you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘^(D)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ^(E)a ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^(F)made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then ^(G)they anointed David king over Israel.

David Made King over All Israel

11 ^(A)Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron ^[a]and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. ² In times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘^(B)You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over My people Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and ^(C)they anointed David king over Israel, ^(D)according to the word of the Lord through Samuel.

Supporters Gathered at Hebron

²³ Now these are the numbers of the ^[a]divisions equipped for war, ^(A)who came to David at Hebron, ^(B)to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, ^(C)according to the ^[b]word of the Lord. ²⁴ The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war. ²⁵ Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. ²⁶ Of the sons of Levi 4,600. ²⁷ Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, ²⁸ also ^(D)Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains. ²⁹ Of the sons of Benjamin, ^(E)Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now ^(F)the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ households. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king. ³² Of the sons of Issachar, ^(G)men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. ³³ Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David ^[c]with ^(H)an undivided heart. ³⁴ Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600. ³⁶ Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation. ³⁷ From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

³⁸ All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with ^(I)a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. ³⁹ They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. ⁴⁰ Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, ^(J)brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.

War with the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, ^(A)all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the ^(B)stronghold. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in ^(C)the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then ^(D)David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^(E)the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to ^(F)Baal-perazim and ^[a]defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place ^[b]Baal-perazim. ²¹ They abandoned their idols there, so ^(G)David and his men carried them away.

²² Now ^(H)the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ When ^(I)David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the ^[c]balsam trees. ²⁴ It shall be, when ^(J)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ^[d]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^(K)the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” ²⁵ Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from ^[e](L)Geba ^[f]as far as ^(M)Gezer.

Philistines Defeated

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and ^(A)made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” Then the Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.” ¹¹ So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David ^[a]defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place ^[b]Baal-perazim. ¹² They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire.

¹³ The Philistines made ^(B)yet another raid in the valley. ¹⁴ David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around ^[c]behind them and come at them in front of the ^[d]balsam trees. ¹⁵ It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” ¹⁶ David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from ^[e]Gibeon even as far as Gezer. ¹⁷ Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and ^(C)the Lord brought the fear of him on all the nations.

^6 (A)Now the king and his men went to ^(B)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to ^[a]David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; ^[b]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is ^(C)the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” ⁹ So David lived in the stronghold and called it ^(D)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^[c](E)Millo and inward. ^10 (F)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.

Jerusalem, Capital City

⁴ Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (^(A)that is, Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. ⁵ The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not enter here.” Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion (that is, the city of David). ⁶ Now David had said, “Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.” ^(B)Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. ⁷ Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. ⁸ He ^[a]built the city all around, from the ^[b]Millo even to the surrounding area; and Joab ^[c]repaired the rest of the city. ^9 (C)David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

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

⁴ David was ^(A)thirty years old when he became king, and ^(B)he reigned forty years. ⁵ At Hebron ^(C)he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.