2 Samuel 5-6

Legacy Standard Bible

David Anointed 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 out and brought in Israel; and Yahweh 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)cut a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; then ^(G)they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ Now David was ^(H)thirty years old when he became king, and ^(I)he reigned forty years. ⁵ At Hebron ^(J)he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

^6 (K)Then the king and his men went to ^(L)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to ^[b]David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; ^[c]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, that is ^(M)the city of David. ⁸ And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike down 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 Then David lived in the fortress and called it ^(N)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^[d](O)Millo and inward. ^10 (P)And David became greater and greater, and Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

^11 (Q)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of wood and craftsmen of stone walls; and ^(R)they built a house for David. ¹² Thus David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that He had lifted up his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

Children Born to David in Jerusalem

¹³ And ^(S)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Now ^(T)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 Goes Up Against the Philistines

¹⁷ Then the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, so ^(U)all the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went down to the ^(V)fortress. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves out in ^(W)the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then ^(X)David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^(Y)Yahweh said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to ^(Z)Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and he said, “Yahweh has broken through my enemies before me, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place ^[e]Baal-perazim. ²¹ And they forsook their idols there; so ^(AA)David and his men carried them away.

²² Then ^(AB)the Philistines yet again came up and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ So ^(AC)David asked of Yahweh, and He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the ^[f]balsam trees. ²⁴ And it will be that when ^(AD)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ^[g]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^(AE)Yahweh will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ²⁵ Then David did so, just as Yahweh had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from ^[h](AF)Geba ^[i]as far as ^(AG)Gezer.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 ^(AH)Then David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him ^[j]from ^[k](AI)Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^(AJ)Name, the very name of Yahweh of hosts who ^(AK)is ^[l]enthroned above the cherubim. ³ And they ^[m]drove the ark of God on ^(AL)a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and ^[n]Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. ⁴ So ^(AM)they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. ⁵ Now David and all the house of Israel ^(AN)were celebrating before Yahweh ^(AO)with all kinds of instruments made of ^[o]fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ Then they came to the ^(AP)threshing floor of Nacon. And ^[p]Uzzah ^(AQ)reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it. ⁷ And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and ^(AR)God struck him down there for ^[q]his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ And David became angry because ^[r]of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzzah; and that place is called ^[s]Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ So ^(AS)David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?” ¹⁰ And David was unwilling to move the ark of Yahweh into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of ^(AT)Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ Thus the ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and Yahweh ^(AU)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹² Then it was told to King David, saying, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So ^(AV)David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into ^(AW)the city of David with gladness. ¹³ And so it happened, that when those ^(AX)who were carrying the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ^(AY)ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ And ^(AZ)David was dancing before Yahweh with all his strength, and David was ^(BA)girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

David Dances Before Yahweh

¹⁶ Then it happened as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that ^(BB)Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of Yahweh and placed it ^(BC)in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^(BD)David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. ¹⁸ Then David completed offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. And ^(BE)he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁹ And he apportioned to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people went each to his house.

²⁰ But David returned to bless his household, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel has glorified himself today! ^(BF)He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the ^(BG)worthless ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “^(BH)It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Yahweh, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh. ²² And I will be esteemed even more lightly than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be glorified.” ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.