2 Samuel 5 - 9 — Legacy Standard Bible

David Anointed King over All Israel

5^aThen all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and ¹said, “Behold, we are ^byour bone and your flesh. ²“Previously, when Saul was king over us, ^ayou were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and Yahweh said to you, ‘^bYou will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ^ca ruler over Israel.’” ³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^acut a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; then ^bthey anointed David king over Israel. ⁴Now David was ^athirty years old when he became king, and ^bhe reigned forty years. ⁵At Hebron ^ahe reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶^aThen the king and his men went to ^bJerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to ¹David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; ²thinking, “David cannot enter here.” ⁷Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, that is ^athe city of David. ⁸And 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.” ⁹Then David lived in the fortress and called it ^athe city of David. And David built all around from the ¹^,^bMillo and inward. ¹⁰^aAnd David became greater and greater, and Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

¹¹^aThen Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of wood and craftsmen of stone walls; and ^bthey built a house for David. ¹²Thus 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

¹³And ^aDavid took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴Now ^athese are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Goes Up Against the Philistines

¹⁷Then the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, so ^aall the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went down to the ^bfortress. ¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves out in ^athe valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹Then ^aDavid asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^bYahweh said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰So David came to ^aBaal-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 ¹Baal-perazim. ²¹And they forsook their idols there; so ^aDavid and his men carried them away.

²²Then ^athe Philistines yet again came up and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³So ^aDavid asked of Yahweh, and He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the ¹balsam trees. ²⁴“And it will be that when ^ayou hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ¹balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^bYahweh will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ²⁵Then David did so, just as Yahweh had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from ¹^,^aGeba ²as far as ^bGezer.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

6^aThen David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ²And David arose and went with all the people who were with him ¹from ²^,^aBaale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the ^bName, the very name of Yahweh of hosts who ^cis ³enthroned above the cherubim. ³And they ¹drove the ark of God on ^aa new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and ²Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. ⁴So ^athey 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. ⁵Now David and all the house of Israel ^awere celebrating before Yahweh ^bwith all kinds of instruments made of ¹fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶Then they came to the ^athreshing floor of Nacon. And ¹Uzzah ^breached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it. ⁷And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and ^aGod struck him down there for ¹his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸And David became angry because ¹of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzzah; and that place is called ²Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹So ^aDavid was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?” ¹⁰And 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 ^aObed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹Thus the ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and Yahweh ^ablessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹²Then 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 ^aDavid went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into ^bthe city of David with gladness. ¹³And so it happened, that when those ^awho were carrying the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ^box and a fatling. ¹⁴And ^aDavid was dancing before Yahweh with all his strength, and David was ^bgirded with a linen ephod. ¹⁵So 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

¹⁶Then it happened as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that ^aMichal 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.

¹⁷And they brought in the ark of Yahweh and placed it ^ain its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and ^bDavid offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. ¹⁸Then David completed offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. And ^ahe blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁹And 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.

²⁰But 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! ^aHe uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the ^bworthless ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹So David said to Michal, “^aIt 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.” ²³And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

7^aNow it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ²that the king said to ^aNathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit ^ba house of cedar, but the ark of God ^cinhabits tent curtains.” ³So Nathan said to the king, “^aGo, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.”

⁴Now it happened in the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying, ⁵“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^aAre you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit? ⁶“For ^aI have not inhabited a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been going about ^bin a tent, even in a ¹tabernacle. ⁷“^aWherever I have gone about with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^bwhich I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

David’s House Will Be Established Forever

⁸“So now, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^aI Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^bto be ruler over My people Israel. ⁹“^aAnd I have been with you wherever you have gone and ^bhave cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰“And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and ^awill plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; ^band the ¹unrighteous will not afflict them any more as formerly, ¹¹even ^afrom the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and ^bI will give you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh also declares to you that ^cYahweh will make a house for you. ¹²“^aWhen your days are fulfilled and you ^blie down with your fathers, ^cI will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from ¹your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³“^aHe shall build a house for My name, and ^bI will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴“^aI will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^bwhen he commits iniquity, I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men, ¹⁵but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him, ^aas I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶“^aAnd your house and your kingdom shall ¹endure before ²Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” ¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David Magnifies Yahweh’s Name

¹⁸Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh, and he said, “^aWho am I, O Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹“And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord Yahweh, ^afor You have spoken also of the house of Your slave concerning the distant future. And ^bthis is the law of man, O Lord Yahweh. ²⁰“And again what more can David say to You? And ^aYou know Your slave, O Lord Yahweh! ²¹“^aFor the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your slave know. ²²“For this reason ^aYou are great, O Lord Yahweh; for ^bthere is none like You, and there is no God besides You, ^caccording to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³“And ^awhat one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and ^bto do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before ^cYour people whom ^dYou have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? ²⁴“Yet ^aYou have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and ^bYou, O Yahweh, have become their God. ²⁵“So now, O Yahweh God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your slave and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as You have spoken, ²⁶^athat Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of Your ¹servant David shall be established before You. ²⁷“For You, O Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed in the hearing of Your slave, saying, ‘^aI will build you a house’; therefore Your slave has found courage in his heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸“So now, O Lord Yahweh, You are God, and ^aYour words are truth, and You have ¹promised this good thing to Your slave. ²⁹“So now, be pleased and bless the house of Your slave, that it may be forever before You. For You, O Lord Yahweh, have spoken; and ^awith Your blessing may the house of Your slave be blessed forever.”

David Strikes Down Nations

8^aNow it happened afterwards, that David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took ¹control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.

²^aHe also struck ^bMoab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And ^cthe Moabites became servants to David, ^dbringing tribute.

³Then David struck ^aHadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as ^bhe went to restore his ¹power at the ²River. ⁴And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David ^ahamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for 100 chariots. ⁵Then ^athe Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah. And David struck down 22,000 Arameans. ⁶Then David placed garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and ^athe Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And ^bYahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went. ⁷And David took the small shields of gold which were ¹carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸Also from ¹Betah and from ^aBerothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.

⁹Then Toi king of ^aHamath heard that David had struck down all the military force of Hadadezer, ¹⁰so Toi sent ¹Joram his son to King David to ²greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down; for Hadadezer ³had been at war with Toi. And in ⁴Joram’s hand were articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. ¹¹King David also ^aset these apart as holy to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he had set apart as holy from all the nations which he had subdued: ¹²from ¹Aram, ^aMoab, ^bthe sons of Ammon, ^cthe Philistines, ^dAmalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³So ^aDavid made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 ¹Arameans in ^bthe Valley of Salt. ¹⁴Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and ^aall the Edomites became servants to David. And ^bYahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.

¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel; and David was doing justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶^aNow Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and ^bJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was ^crecorder; ¹⁷^aand Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were ^bpriests, and Seraiah was ^cscribe; ¹⁸^aand Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ¹was over the ^bCherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were ²^,^cpriests.

David’s Lovingkindness to Mephibosheth

9Then David said, “Is there yet ¹anyone left of the house of Saul, ^athat I may show him lovingkindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you ^aZiba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ³And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the ^alovingkindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “^bThere is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” ⁴So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is ^ain the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.” ⁵Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. ⁶^aSo Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and ^bfell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” ⁷And David said to him, “Do not fear, for ^aI will surely show lovingkindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and ^bwill restore to you all the ¹land of your ²grandfather Saul; and ^cyou shall ³eat at my table continually.” ⁸So he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard ^aa dead dog like me?”

⁹Then the king called Saul’s young man Ziba and said to him, “^aAll that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s ¹grandson. ¹⁰“And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food and eat of it; nevertheless ^aMephibosheth your master’s grandson ^bshall ¹eat at my table continually.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “According ^ato all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at ¹David’s table as one of the king’s sons. ¹²Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^ahe ate at the king’s table continually. Now ^bhe was lame in both feet.