2 Samuel 5-8

New Life Version

David Becomes King over All Israel

5 Then all the families of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “See, we are your bone and your flesh. ² When Saul was our king, you were the one who led Israel out and in. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be a ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And there King David made an agreement with them before the Lord. Then they chose David to be the king of Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ⁵ He ruled over Judah seven years and six months at Hebron. Then he ruled in Jerusalem thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Takes Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people living in the land. They said to David, “You will not come here. Even those who cannot see or walk could stop you.” They thought that David could not come here. ⁷ But David took the strong place of Zion, that is, the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would kill the Jebusites, let him go up through the hole where the water flows, to those who cannot walk or see and who are hated by David’s soul.” So it is said, “Those who cannot see or walk will not come to the house.” ⁹ David lived in the strong place and called it the city of David. He built all around it from Millo toward the center. ¹⁰ David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of All was with him.

¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre sent men to David with cedar trees and men who build with wood and stone. And they built a house for David. ¹² David understood that the Lord had made him the king of Israel, and that the Lord had given honor to David’s rule because of His people Israel.

¹³ David took more wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ The names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle over the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been chosen to be king of Israel, all the Philistines went up to find him. When David heard of it, he went down to the strong place. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for it is sure that I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim and beat them there in battle. He said, “The Lord has broken through those who hate me like the breaking through of a flood.” So he gave that place the name Baal-perazim. ²¹ The Philistines left their false gods there, and David and his men carried them away.

²² The Philistines came up again, and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ David asked the Lord what he should do. And the Lord said, “Do not go up, but go around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then hurry to fight, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army.” ²⁵ David did just as the Lord told him. He killed the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

The Special Box Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 Again David gathered all the chosen men of Israel. There were 30,000. ² He got up and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah to bring from there the special box of God. It is called by the name of the Lord of All Who sits on His throne above the cherubim. ³ They carried the special box of God on a new wagon, and brought it out of the family of Abinadab which was on the hill. Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio were leading the new wagon. ⁴ They brought it with the special box of God from the family of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the special box. ⁵ And David and all those of the family of Israel sang and danced before the Lord with all their strength. They played songs with harps and timbrels.

⁶ But the cattle pulling the wagon almost made the special box of God fall when they came to the grain-floor of Nacon. So Uzzah put out his hand and took hold of the special box so it would not fall. ⁷ The anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah. God killed him there for his mistake. And he died there by the special box of God. ⁸ David became angry because the Lord had gone against Uzzah. So that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the special box of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to move the special box of the Lord into the city of David. But he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The special box of the Lord stayed in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months. And the Lord brought good to Obed-edom and all of his family.

¹² Now it was told to King David, “The Lord has brought good to the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the special box of God.” So David went and brought the special box of God from Obed-edom’s family into the city of David with joy. ¹³ When the men who carried the special box of the Lord had gone six steps, David killed and gave to the Lord a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴ He was dancing before the Lord with all his strength. And he was wearing a linen vest. ¹⁵ So David and all those of the family of Israel were bringing the special box of the Lord with a loud voice and the sound of the horn. ¹⁶ As the special box of the Lord came into the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window. She saw King David jumping and dancing before the Lord, and she hated him in her heart. ¹⁷ They brought in the special box of the Lord and put it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it. And David gave burnt gifts and peace gifts to the Lord. ¹⁸ When he had finished giving the burnt gifts and peace gifts, David prayed that good would come to the people in the name of the Lord of All. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a loaf of dates and a loaf of dried grapes to each man and woman of all the people of Israel. And all the people went home.

²⁰ David returned to pray that good would come to his family. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today! He took his clothes off today so that his servants’ young women would see him. He acted like one of the foolish ones taking his clothes off without shame!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord. He chose me over your father and all his family, and made me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will act with joy before the Lord. ²² I will be honored less than this. I will be without pride in my own eyes. But the young women you have spoken about will honor me.” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

God’s Agreement with David

7 King David lived in his house. The Lord had given him rest from all those around him who hated him. At this time, ² the king said to Nathan, the man who spoke for God, “See now, I live in a house of cedar wood. But the special box of God stays within tent curtains.” ³ Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your mind. For the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Are you the one who should build a house for Me to live in? ⁶ I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the people of Israel from Egypt to this day. But I have been moving about with a tent to live in. ⁷ In all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I say anything about this to any of the families of Israel which I told to shepherd My people? Did I say to any of them, ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar wood for Me?’”’ ⁸ So now tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of All says, “I took you from following the sheep in the field to be the ruler of My people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you in all the places you have gone. I have destroyed from in front of you all those who fought against you. I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ I will choose a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be troubled again. The sinful will not bring trouble to them any more, as they did before ¹¹ since the day I told special people to rule My people Israel. I will give you rest from all those who hate you. And the Lord makes known to you that He will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your son after you, who will be born from you. And I will build his nation. ¹³ He will build a house for My name, and I will build the throne of his nation to last forever. ¹⁴ I will be a Father to him and he will be a son to Me. When he sins, I will punish him with the stick of men. And I will let the sons of men hit him. ¹⁵ But My loving-kindness will not leave him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I took away from you. ¹⁶ Your house and your nation will be made sure before Me forever. Your throne will be built to last forever.”’” ¹⁷ Nathan said to David all these words of this special dream.

David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken of Your servant’s family in the future. And this is the way of man, O Lord God. ²⁰ What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God. ²¹ Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. ²² For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ What other nation on earth is like Your people Israel. God went to make them free to be His people and to make a name for Himself. You did a great thing for Yourself and great things for Your land. You did them before Your people whom You have made free from Egypt, from nations and their gods. ²⁴ For You have made for Yourself Your people Israel to be Your people forever. O Lord, You have become their God. ²⁵ Now, O Lord God, make sure forever the word which You have spoken about Your servant and his family. Do as You have said. ²⁶ And Your name will be honored forever. It will be said, ‘The Lord of All is God over Israel.’ May the family of Your servant David be made strong before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of All, the God of Israel, have shown this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So Your servant has found strength of heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, You are God. Your Words are truth. And You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ So now may it please You to bring good to the house of Your servant, that it may last forever before You. For You have spoken, O Lord God. May Your good come to the family of Your servant forever.”

David Wins Other Battles

8 After this David won the battle against the Philistines. And he took the most important city from the Philistines. ² He won the battle against Moab, and had them lie down on the ground in straight groups. Two groups were put to death, and one group was kept alive. The Moabites became servants to David and paid taxes to him.

³ Then David won the battle against Hadadezer the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to get his power again at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. He cut the legs of some of the war-wagon horses, but saved enough of them for 100 war-wagons. ⁵ When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ Then he put groups of soldiers in Damascus of Syria. The Syrians became servants to David and were made to pay taxes to him. The Lord helped David every place he went. ⁷ David took the coverings of gold which were carried by Hadadezer’s army, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And he took a very large amount of brass from Hadadezer’s cities, Betah and Berothai.

⁹ Now Toi king of Hamath heard that David had won the battle against the whole army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him and pray that good would come to him, because David had fought against Hadadezer and had won. Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him objects of silver, gold and brass. ¹¹ David set these apart to the Lord, together with the silver and gold he had set apart from all the nations he had taken in battle. ¹² He had taken silver and gold from Syria, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the things taken from Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ So David’s name was very respected when he returned from killing 18,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ And he put groups of soldiers in Edom. In all Edom he put soldiers, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The Lord helped David every place he went.

¹⁵ So David ruled all of Israel. He did what was right and good and fair for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab the son of Zeruiah was the head of the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud wrote down the important things of the nation. ¹⁷ Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were religious leaders. Seraiah was the writer. ¹⁸ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ruled the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons were the king’s helpers.