Historical

Assassination of Ish-bosheth

4 Now when Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage sank, and all the Israelites were disturbed. ² Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of raiding bands: the name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin, ³ though the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and live there as outsiders to this day).

⁴ (Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose legs were crippled. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. It came about, as she was hurrying to flee, that he fell and was crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

⁵ Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came to the house of Ish-bosheth at the heat of the day, as he was taking his midday nap. ⁶ When they came within the house, as though to get wheat, they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. ⁷ When they had gotten within the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they stabbed him and killed him, then beheaded him and took his head, and traveled by the way of the Arabah all night. ⁸ Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, your enemy, who sought your life. Today Adonai has avenged my lord the king of Saul and his offspring.”

⁹ Then David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, saying to them, “As Adonai lives, who redeemed my soul out of all distress, ¹⁰ when someone informed me saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead!’ thinking he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, instead of rewarding him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house and on his bed! Should I not now require his blood from your hands and rid the earth of you?” ¹² Then David commanded the young men, and they slew them, cut off their hands and their legs, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

All Israel Anoints David King

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke saying, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. ² Even before, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and back. Also Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them at Hebron before Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

Securing Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his soldiers marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the region. But they said to David, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and the lame could ward you off,” thinking, “David can’t get in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David did capture the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸ On that day David said, “Whoever would conquer the Jebusites must strike through the water shaft to those ‘lame and blind’ whom David’s soul despises.” That is why they used to say, “The blind or lame couldn’t get into the house.” ⁹ So David occupied the stronghold and renamed it the City of David. Then David fortified it all round from the Millo inward. ¹⁰ David continued to grow stronger, for Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot was with him.

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, carpenters and masons; and they built a palace for David. ¹² David then realized that Adonai had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ Then David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Now 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.

Master of Breakthroughs

¹⁷ Now when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines marched up searching for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?”

Adonai answered David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines over into your hand.”

²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim^[a] and David struck them down there. So he said, “Adonai has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters!” That is why he named that place Baal-perazim. ²¹ They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men removed them.

²² But the Philistines marched up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim again. ²³ When David inquired of Adonai, He said, “Do not go up; instead circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ Now it will be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you must act, for then Adonai will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. ²⁵ David did just as Adonai had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

Ark Comes Into Jerusalem

6 Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. ² Then David and all the people who were with him arose and set out from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name^[b], the very Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot who is enthroned between the cheruvim. ³ So they loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, drove the new cart ⁴ as they brought it from the house of Abinadab (which was on the hill) with the ark of God, and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

⁵ Meanwhile David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before Adonai with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, lyres, tambourines, three-stringed instruments and cymbals^[c]. ⁶ But when they reached the threshing floor of Nahon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Uzzah. God struck him down there for his irreverence, so that he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ David was upset because of Adonai’s outburst against Uzzah. That place is called Perez-uzzah^[d] to this day.

⁹ So David was frightened of Adonai that day. Then he said, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” ¹⁰ David was unwilling to move the ark of Adonai to him, to the City of David; instead, David diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ So the ark of Adonai remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; meanwhile Adonai blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

¹² Then it was reported to King David saying, “Adonai has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. ¹³ Now when the bearers of the ark of Adonai had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ Meanwhile, David was dancing before Adonai with all his might while he was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and with the sound of the shofar. ¹⁶ But as the ark of Adonai entered the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Adonai, so she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of Adonai and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Adonai. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offering and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people—to the whole multitude of Israel, men and women alike—to everyone a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his home.

²⁰ David returned to bless his own household. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today, when he uncovered himself today in the eyes of the slave girls of his subjects, as any vulgar fellow would shamelessly uncover himself!”

²¹ “It was before Adonai,” David said to Michal, “who chose me instead of your father and all his household, appointing me ruler over the people of Adonai, over Israel! So I danced Before Adonai, ²² and will dishonor myself even more than this, and will be low in my own eyes. Yet in the eyes of the slave girls whom you mentioned, I will be honored.” ²³ So Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day of her death.