David Becomes King Over Israel

5:1–3pp—1Ch 11:1–3

5 All the tribes of Israelo came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.p 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.q And the Lord saidr to you, ‘You will shepherds my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.t’ ”

3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenantu with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointedv David king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years oldw when he became king, and he reignedx fortyy years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,z and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David Conquers Jerusalem

5:6–10pp—1Ch 11:4–9
5:11–16pp—1Ch 3:5–9; 14:1–7

6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalema to attack the Jebusites,b who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zionc—which is the City of David.d

8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shafte to reach those ‘lame and blind’f who are David’s enemies.a” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terracesb g inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,h because the Lord God Almightyi was with him.j

11 Now Hiramk king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdoml for the sake of his people Israel.

13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wivesm in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there:n Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,o Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

5:17–25pp—1Ch 14:8–17

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.p 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;q 19 so David inquiredr of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.c s 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.t

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the soundu of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in frontv of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistinesw all the way from Gibeond x to Gezer.y

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6:1–11pp—1Ch 13:1–14
6:12–19pp—1Ch 15:25–16:3

6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 He and all his men went to Baalaha z in Judah to bring up from there the arka of God, which is called by the Name,b b the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthronedc between the cherubimd on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new carte and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.f Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it,c and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all Israel were celebratingg with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,d harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.h

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold ofi the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;j therefore God struck him down,k and he died there beside the ark of God.

8 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrathl had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.e m

9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “Hown can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edomo the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.p

12 Now King Davidq was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificedr a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod,s David was dancingt before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shoutsu and the sound of trumpets.v

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David,w Michalx daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it,y and David sacrificed burnt offeringsz and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificinga the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessedb the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisinsc to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.d And all the people went to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-nakede in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointedf me rulerg over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

God’s Promise to David

7:1–17pp—1Ch 17:1–15

7 After the king was settled in his palaceh and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemiesi around him,j 2 he said to Nathank the prophet, “Here I am, living in a housel of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”m

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,n go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are youo the one to build me a house to dwell in?p 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day.q I have been moving from place to place with a tentr as my dwelling.s 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites,t did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherdu my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a housev of cedar?w” ’

8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,x and appointed you rulery over my people Israel.z 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone,a and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.b Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.c 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plantd them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.e Wickedf people will not oppress them anymore,g as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leadersa h over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.i

“ ‘The Lord declaresj to you that the Lord himself will establishk a housel for you: 12 When your days are over and you restm with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood,n and I will establish his kingdom.o 13 He is the one who will build a housep for my Name,q and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.r 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.s When he does wrong, I will punish himt with a rodu wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him,v as I took it away from Saul,w whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before meb; your thronex will be establishedy forever.z’ ”

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer

7:18–29pp—1Ch 17:16–27

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I,a Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree,b Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!c

20 “What more can David sayc to you? For you knowd your servant,e Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

22 “How greatf you are,g Sovereign Lord! There is no one likeh you, and there is no Godi but you, as we have heard with our own ears.j 23 And who is like your people Israelk—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a namel for himself, and to perform great and awesome wondersm by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemedn from Egypt?d 24 You have established your people Israel as your very owno forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.p

25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promiseq you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your namer will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be establisheds in your sight.

27 “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,t and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessingu the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

David’s Victories

8:1–14pp—1Ch 18:1–13

8 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistinesv and subduedw them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

2 David also defeated the Moabites.x He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.y

3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezerz son of Rehob, king of Zobah,a when he went to restore his monument ata the Euphratesb River. 4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteersb and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrungc all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5 When the Arameans of Damascusd came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisonse in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subjectf to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.g

7 David took the gold shieldsh that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebahc and Berothai,i towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

9 When Toud king of Hamathj heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,k 10 he sent his son Jorame to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.

11 King David dedicatedl these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12 Edomf m and Moab,n the Ammoniteso and the Philistines,p and Amalek.q He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David became famousr after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomitesg in the Valley of Salt.s

14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomitest became subject to David.u The Lord gave David victoryv wherever he went.w

David’s Officials

8:15–18pp—1Ch 18:14–17

15 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and rightx for all his people. 16 Joaby son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphatz son of Ahilud was recorder;a 17 Zadokb son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiatharc were priests; Seraiah was secretary;d 18 Benaiahe son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethitesf and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.h

David and Mephibosheth

9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”g

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.h They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;i he is lamej in both feet.”

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makirk son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.l

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.m I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.n”

8 Mephiboshetho bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dogp like me?”

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandsonq may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’sa table like one of the king’s sons.r

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.s 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.