2 Samuel 5:4-6:11

GOD’S WORD Translation

⁴ David was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he ruled for 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

David Captures Jerusalem^(A)

⁶ The king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived in that region. The Jebusites told David, “You will never get in here. Even the blind and the lame could turn you away” (meaning that David could never get in there). ⁷ But David captured the fortress Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸ That day David said, “Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites must reach the lame and the blind who hate me by using the water shaft.” So there is a saying, “The blind and the lame will not get into the palace.” ^{[a] 9} David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built the city ⌞of Jerusalem⌟ around it from the Millo ^[b] to the palace. ¹⁰ David continued to grow more powerful because the Lord God ^[c] of Armies was with him.

David’s Palace, Wives, and Children in Jerusalem^(B)

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace for David. ¹² So David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and made his kingship famous for the sake of Israel, the Lord’s people.

¹³ David married more concubines ^[d] and wives from Jerusalem after he had come there from Hebron, and he fathered more sons and daughters. ¹⁴ These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines^(C)

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went to the fortress. ¹⁸ The Philistines had come and overrun the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹ David asked the Lord, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord answered David, “Attack! I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰ So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. He said, “The Lord has overwhelmed my enemies in front of me like an overwhelming flood.” That is why that place is called Baal Perazim [The Lord Overwhelms]. ²¹ The Philistines left their idols there, so David and his men carried the idols away.

²² The Philistines again attacked and overran the valley of Rephaim. ²³ David asked the Lord, and he answered, “Don’t attack now, but circle around behind them, and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act immediately because the Lord has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.” ²⁵ David did as the Lord ordered him and defeated the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem^(D)

6 David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men. ² He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah ^[e] to bring God’s ark ⌞to Jerusalem⌟. (The ark is called by the name of the Lord of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels.^[f]) ³ David and his men put God’s ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the new cart. ⁴ They brought it from Abinadab’s home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark. ⁵ David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the Lord’s presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood ^[g] and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^[h] and cymbals.

⁶ But when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor,^[i] the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it. ⁷ The Lord became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God.

⁸ David was angry because the Lord had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah [The Striking of Uzzah] today.) ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day. “How can the ark of the Lord come to my ⌞city⌟?” he asked. ¹⁰ So David wouldn’t bring the ark of the Lord with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. ¹¹ The ark of the Lord stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.