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David Captures Jerusalem

David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.[a] Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.[b]” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”[c]

So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces[d] and working inward. 10 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. 12 And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. 14 These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:8a Or Those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites hate me.
  2. 5:8b Or with scaling hooks. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 5:8c The meaning of this saying is uncertain.
  4. 5:9 Hebrew the millo. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Jerusalem is captured

The king and his troops marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who inhabited the territory. The Jebusites said to David, “You’ll never get us in here! Even the blind and the lame will beat you back!” “David will never enter here,” they said to each other.[a] But David did capture the fortress of Zion—which became David’s City. “On that day,” David said, “whoever attacks the Jebusites should strike the windpipe because David hates the lame and the blind.”[b] That is why people say, “The blind and the lame will not enter the temple.”[c] David occupied the fortress, so it was renamed David’s City. David built a city around it from the earthen terraces[d] inward.[e] 10 David grew increasingly powerful, and the Lord of heavenly forces was with him.

11 Tyre’s King Hiram sent messengers to David with cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build David a palace. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingship was held in great honor for the sake of his people Israel. 13 After he left Hebron, David married more secondary wives in Jerusalem and fathered more sons and daughters. 14 The names of his children in Jerusalem were as follows: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:6 Or they thought; Heb lacks to each other.
  2. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or take the water shaft against the lame and the blind who hate David; Heb uncertain
  3. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or palace
  4. 2 Samuel 5:9 Heb Millo
  5. 2 Samuel 5:9 DSS (4QSama); MT lacks city.