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. ⁴ 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)Now 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 stronghold of Zion, that is ^(M)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 ^(N)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^[d](O)Millo and inward. ^10 (P)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.

^11 (Q)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and ^(R)they built a house for David. ¹² And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ Meanwhile ^(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.

War with the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, ^(U)all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the ^(V)stronghold. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in ^(W)the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then ^(X)David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^(Y)the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to ^(Z)Baal-perazim and ^[e]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 ^[f]Baal-perazim. ²¹ They abandoned their idols there, so ^(AA)David and his men carried them away.

²² Now ^(AB)the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ When ^(AC)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 ^[g]balsam trees. ²⁴ It shall be, when ^(AD)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ^[h]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^(AE)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 ^[i](AF)Geba ^[j]as far as ^(AG)Gezer.

Similitudes, Instructions

A Living Hope, and a Sure Salvation

1 ^(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as ^(B)aliens, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who are chosen ² according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ^[a]to ^(L)obey Jesus Christ and be ^(M)sprinkled with His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace ^[b]be yours in the fullest measure.

^3 (O)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(P)according to His great mercy ^(Q)has caused us to be born again to ^(R)a living hope through the ^(S)resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an ^(T)inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and ^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are ^(W)protected by the power of God ^(X)through faith for ^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time. ^6 (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now ^(AB)for a little while, ^(AC)if necessary, you have been distressed by ^(AD)various ^[c]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[d](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which ^[e]is perishable, ^(AF)even though tested by fire, ^(AG)may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at ^(AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and ^(AI)though you have not seen Him, you ^(AJ)love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[f]full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith the salvation of ^[g]your souls.

^10 (AL)As to this salvation, the prophets who ^(AM)prophesied of the ^(AN)grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ^11 [h]seeking to know what person or time ^(AO)the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He ^(AP)predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories ^[i]to follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who ^(AQ)preached the gospel to you by ^(AR)the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which ^(AS)angels long to ^[j]look.

¹³ Therefore, ^[k](AT)prepare your minds for action, ^[l](AU)keep sober in spirit, fix your ^(AV)hope completely on the ^(AW)grace ^[m]to be brought to you at ^(AX)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As ^[n](AY)obedient children, do not ^[o](AZ)be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ^(BA)ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^[p](BB)like the Holy One who called you, ^[q](BC)be holy yourselves also ^(BD)in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “^(BE)You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ If you ^(BF)address as Father the One who ^(BG)impartially ^(BH)judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves ^(BI)in fear during the time of your ^(BJ)stay on earth; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[r](BK)redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your ^(BL)futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(BM)blood, as of a ^(BN)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ For He was ^(BO)foreknown before ^(BP)the foundation of the world, but has ^(BQ)appeared ^[s]in these last times ^(BR)for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him are ^(BS)believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and ^(BT)gave Him glory, so that your faith and ^(BU)hope are in God.

²² Since you have ^(BV)in obedience to the truth ^(BW)purified your souls for a ^[t](BX)sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from ^[u]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(BY)born again ^(BZ)not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring ^(CA)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(CD)the word which was ^[v]preached to you.