2 Samuel 5-8

1Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.

2Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.

4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.”

7Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).

8On that day he said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the palace.”

9So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.

10And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.

11Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

12And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

13After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

14These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went down to the stronghold.

18Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

19So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

20So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.

21There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.

22Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

23So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

24As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”

25So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

1David again assembled the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand in all.

2And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name— the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.

3They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,

4bringing with it the ark of God. And Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

5David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled.

7And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.

8Then David became angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

9That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”

10So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.

12Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

13When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

14And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,

15while he and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sounding of the ram’s horn.

16As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.

17So they brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

18When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.

19Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each to his own home.

20When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

21But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD,

22and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”

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

1After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

2he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

3And Nathan replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

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

5“Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in?

6For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling.

7In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

8Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.

9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like that of the greatest in the land.

10And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning

11and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that He Himself will establish a house for you.

12And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

15But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

16Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”

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

18Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

19And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your custom with man, O Lord GOD?

20What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD.

21For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed it to Your servant.

22How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.

23And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.

24For You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

25And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised,

26so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts is God over Israel.’ And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.

27For You, O LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant when You said, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore Your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to You.

28And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

29Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”

1Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.

4David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

7And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

8And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

9When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

10he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,

11and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—

12from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

15Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:

16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;

18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.