to them, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 when someone told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ thinking that he brought good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, and rid the earth of you?” 12 David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
5
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and in. The LORD said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be prince over Israel.’ ” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here,” thinking, “David can’t come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. This is David’s city. 8 David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up to the watercourse and strike those lame and blind, who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame can’t come into the house.”
9 David lived in the stronghold, and called it David’s city. David built around from Millo and inward. 10 David grew greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of Hosts, was with him. 11 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, with cedar trees, carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. 12 David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.
13 David took more concubines and wives for himself out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; 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 heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 19 David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?”
The LORD said to David, “Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
20 David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there. Then he said, “The LORD has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.† 21 They left their images there, and David and his men took them away.
22 The Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then stir yourself up; for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
25 David did so, as the LORD commanded him, and struck the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.
6
1 David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah, to bring up from there God’s ark, which is called by the Name, even the name of the LORD of Hosts who sits above the cherubim. 3 They set God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house that was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 They brought it out of Abinadab’s house which was in the hill, with God’s ark; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, with stringed instruments, with tambourines, with castanets, and with cymbals.
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for God’s ark and took hold of it, for the cattle stumbled. 7 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark. 8 David was displeased because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah† to this day. 9 David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How could the LORD’s ark come to me?” 10 So David would not move the LORD’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house. 11 The LORD’s ark remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his house. 12 King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.”
So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy. 13 When those who bore the LORD’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. 14 David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the LORD’s ark with shouting and with the sound of the shofar.
16 As the LORD’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought in the LORD’s ark, and set it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts. 19 He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed, each to his own house.
20 Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will be yet more undignified than this, and will be worthless in my own sight. But the maids of whom you have spoken will honor me.”
23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
7
1 When the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but God’s ark dwells within curtains.”
3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”
4 That same night, the LORD’s word came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘The LORD says, “Should you build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 For I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt, even to this day, but have moved around in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all places in which I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I say a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ 8 Now therefore tell my servant David this: ‘The LORD of Hosts says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. 10