2 Samuel 5:1-18 ▼

1 After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, |Look, we're your own flesh and blood!

2 Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle and bringing them back again. The LORD told you, 'You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief over Israel.'|

3 So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the LORD. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.

4 David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years.

5 He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem.

6 Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time and who had told David, |You're not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!| because they were thinking |David can't come here.|

7 Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as the City of David.

8 At that time, David had said, |Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David.| Therefore they say, |The blind and lame are never to come into the house.|

9 David occupied the fortress, naming it the City of David. He built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts inward.

10 David became more and more esteemed because the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

11 Later, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar logs, carpenters, and stone masons. They built a palace for David.

12 So David concluded that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom in order to benefit his people Israel.

13 But after arriving in Jerusalem after leaving Hebron, David took more wives and mistresses, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

14 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.

17 When the Philistines eventually learned that Israel had anointed David to be king over Israel, they marched out in search of him. But David heard about it and retreated to his stronghold.

18 Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley,