Beginning
Ish Bosheth is killed
4 When Ish Bosheth[a] the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened,[b] and all Israel was afraid. 2 Now Saul’s son[c] had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin, 3 for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.)[d]
4 Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but in her haste to get away, he fell and was injured.[e] Mephibosheth was his name.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite—Recab and Baanah—went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish Bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest. 6 They[f] entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat[g] and mortally wounded him[h] in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.
7 They had entered[i] the house while Ish Bosheth[j] was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him[k] and then cut off his head.[l] Taking his head,[m] they traveled on the way of the rift valley[n] all that night. 8 They brought the head of Ish Bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against[o] Saul and his descendants!”
9 David replied to Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity, 10 when someone told me that Saul was dead—even though he thought he was bringing good news[p]—I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the good news I gave to him! 11 Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept[q] in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove[r] you from the earth?”
12 So David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. Then they cut off their hands and feet and hung them[s] near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish Bosheth[t] and buried it in the tomb of Abner[u] in Hebron.[v]
David Is Anointed King Over Israel
5 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood![w] 2 In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.[x] The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”
3 When all the leaders[y] of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them[z] in Hebron before the Lord. They designated[aa] David as king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
David Occupies Jerusalem
6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites[ab] said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”
7 But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 8 David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies[ac] by going through the water tunnel.”[ad] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.”[ae]
9 So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards. 10 David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God[af] of Heaven’s Armies[ag] was with him.[ah]
11 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace[ai] for David. 12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Conflict with the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been designated[aj] king over Israel, they all[ak] went up to search for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the fortress. 18 Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed[al] hand the Philistines over to you.”
20 So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, “The Lord has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.[am] 21 The Philistines[an] abandoned their idols[ao] there, and David and his men picked them up.
22 The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 23 So David asked the Lord what he should do.[ap] This time[aq] the Lord[ar] said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.[as] 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army[at] of the Philistines.” 25 David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.[au]
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
6 David again assembled[av] all the best[aw] men in Israel, 30,000 in number. 2 David and all the men who were with him traveled[ax] to[ay] Baalah[az] in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name[ba] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. 3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. 4 They brought[bb] it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, 5 while David and all Israel[bc] were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing[bd] and playing various stringed instruments,[be] tambourines, rattles,[bf] and cymbals.
6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon,[bg] Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of[bh] the ark of God,[bi] because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,[bj] he[bk] killed him on the spot[bl] for his negligence.[bm] He died right there beside the ark of God.
8 David was angry because the Lord attacked[bn] Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah,[bo] which remains its name to this very day. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.[bp] 12 King David was told,[bq] “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. 13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David[br] sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.[bs] 15 David and all Israel[bt] were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.[bu]
16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.[bv] 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place[bw] in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,[bx] both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,[by] and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.[bz] 20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,[ca] Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.[cb] She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished[cc] himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool[cd] might do!”
21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family[ce] and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. 22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this.[cf] But with the slave girls whom you mentioned, let me be distinguished.” 23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.
The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David
7 The king settled into his palace,[cg] for the Lord gave him relief[ch] from all his enemies on all sides.[ci] 2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king, “You should go[cj] and do whatever you have in mind,[ck] for the Lord is with you.” 4 That night the Lord’s message came to Nathan, 5 “Go, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.[cl] 7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say[cm] to any of their leaders[cn] whom I appointed to care for[co] my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’
8 “So now, say this to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd[cp] to make you leader of my people Israel. 9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated[cq] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.[cr] 10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle[cs] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed[ct] anymore. Violent men[cu] will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief[cv] from all your enemies. The Lord declares[cw] to you that he himself[cx] will build a dynastic house[cy] for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die,[cz] I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you,[da] and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.[db] 14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me[dc] permanently; your dynasty[dd] will be permanent.’” 17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.[de]
David Offers a Prayer to God
18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family,[df] that you should have brought me to this point? 19 And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.[dg] Is this your usual way of dealing with men,[dh] O Sovereign Lord? 20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition,[di] O Sovereign Lord! 21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose[dj] you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.[dk] 22 Therefore you are great, O Sovereign Lord, for there is none like you. There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true.[dl] 23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation[dm] on the earth? Their God[dn] went[do] to claim[dp] a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land,[dq] before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.[dr] 24 You made Israel your very own people for all time.[ds] You, O Lord, became their God. 25 So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality.[dt] Do as you promised,[du] 26 so you may gain lasting fame,[dv] as people say,[dw] ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ The dynasty[dx] of your servant David will be established before you, 27 for you, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, have told[dy] your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’[dz] That is why your servant has had the courage[ea] to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, O Sovereign Lord, you are the true God.[eb] May your words prove to be true![ec] You have made this good promise to your servant.[ed] 29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty[ee] so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed from now on into the future!”[ef]
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