David Anointed King of Israel

¹Then all the tribes of Israel ucame to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, vwe are your bone and flesh. ²In times past, when Saul was king over us, wit was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, x‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince1 over Israel.’” ³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, yand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron zbefore the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ahe reigned forty years. ⁵aAt Hebron he reigned over Judah bseven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.2

⁶cAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem dagainst the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” ⁷Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, ethat is, the city of David. ⁸And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” ⁹And David lived in the stronghold and called it ethe city of David. And David built the city all around from the fMillo inward. ¹⁰And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

¹¹gAnd hHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. ¹²And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³And David took more iconcubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴jAnd these 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 Defeats the Philistines

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down kto the stronghold. ¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread out in lthe Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹And David minquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” nTherefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.3 ²¹And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

²²And the Philistines came up yet again oand spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³pAnd when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴And qwhen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, rfor then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” ²⁵And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba sto Gezer.