2 Samuel 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
David as King of Israel.[a] 1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said: “Listen to us. We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In former days, when Saul was our king, you were the one who led the Israelites on their campaigns and brought them back. Moreover, the Lord said to you: ‘You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel and be the ruler of Israel.’ ” 3 Then all the elders of Israel came to David, the king of Hebron, and David made a covenant with them there before the Lord. After this they anointed David as king of 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 then in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
Capture of Zion. 6 Then the king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who inhabited the land. These people said to David: “You will never come in here. Even the blind and the lame will stop you in your tracks.” In this way they showed their contempt for David and his forces.
7 [b]Despite their boast, David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as the City of David. 8 David had said on that day: “All those who are eager to attack the Jebusites must scale the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, the bitter enemies of David.” Therefore, it is said: “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”
9 David then took up residence in the stronghold and called it the City of David. After that, he constructed a wall around it from the Millo[c] inward. 10 David steadily continued to grow more powerful, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar wood, and he also supplied carpenters and stonemasons who built a palace for David. 12 Then David had no doubt at all that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 David’s Family in Jerusalem. After he departed from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.[d] 14 These are the names of those children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 Rout of the Philistines.[e] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they all went forth in search of him. When David learned of this, he sought refuge in the stronghold. 18 After the Philistines arrived and deployed their forces in the valley of Rephaim, 19 David inquired of the Lord: “Shall I go forth and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my power?” The Lord replied to David: “Go forth and attack them! I shall deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 Therefore, David went forth to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. Then he said: “The Lord has broken through the battle lines of my enemies as though they had been breached by the flood waters of a river.” That is why that place is called Baal-perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.
22 However, the Philistines made another invasion and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Then David once again consulted the Lord, who said: “Do not attack them from the front. Rather, encircle them from the rear and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the top of the balsam trees, advance immediately, for then you will know that the Lord has gone forth ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
25 David followed the instructions of the Lord, and he routed the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 5:1 Jerusalem, which had not belonged to either Judah or Israel, will be the sign of the nation’s political unity and, quite soon, of its religious unity as well; it will be the symbol of God’s presence in the midst of humanity. Both the Jewish and, later, the Christian traditions will meditate deeply on the mystery of Jerusalem; the Church will be seen as the new Jerusalem (Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22), the Jerusalem of the last times, which in turn prepares the way for the “Jerusalem that is to come” (see Rev 21).
- 2 Samuel 5:7 Stronghold of Zion: the name “Zion” continued in use and was extended to include the entire hill on which the temple would later be built (see 2 Sam 24:15-25; 2 Chr 3:1).
- 2 Samuel 5:9 Millo: a supporting terrace or embankment, the precise form of which we do not know, formed the southern extremity of the City of David (see 1 Ki 9:15; 2 Chr 32:5).
- 2 Samuel 5:13 David’s love for God seems to have been matched by his love for women. Unfortunately, his many children later caused many problems for him and for Israel.
- 2 Samuel 5:17 David had somewhat of an unholy alliance with the Philistines who turned against him when he was intent on uniting Israel. David’s reliance on the Lord and obedience in following his instructions in attacking the Philistines was rewarded once again.
撒母耳記下 5
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
大衛統治全以色列
5 以色列各支派都來希伯崙見大衛，對他說：「我們是你的骨肉同胞。 2 從前掃羅做王的時候，率領以色列人出征打仗的是你，耶和華也曾應許讓你做祂以色列子民的牧者和首領。」 3 以色列的長老都到希伯崙見大衛王，大衛與他們在耶和華面前立約，他們膏立大衛做以色列的王。 4 大衛三十歲登基，執政共四十年。 5 他在希伯崙統治猶大七年半，在耶路撒冷統治以色列和猶大三十三年。
6 大衛率領軍隊來到耶路撒冷，要攻打那裡的耶布斯人。耶布斯人對大衛說：「你攻不進來，就連我們這裡的瞎子、瘸子都可以把你趕走。」他們以為大衛攻不進去。 7 結果大衛的軍隊攻取了錫安的堡壘，即後來的大衛城。 8 那天，大衛下令軍隊從地下水道爬進城去，攻打那些「瞎子、瘸子」，他憎惡這些耶布斯人。後來便有一句俗語：「瞎子、瘸子不得進殿！」 9 大衛住在錫安的堡壘裡，並稱之為大衛城，他又從米羅興建環城圍牆。 10 大衛日漸強盛，因為萬軍之上帝耶和華與他同在。
11 泰爾王希蘭差遣使者帶著香柏木、木匠和石匠去為大衛建造宮殿。 12 那時，大衛知道耶和華已立他做以色列王，並因祂以色列子民的緣故而使他國家興旺。
13 大衛從希伯崙遷到耶路撒冷以後，又選立妃嬪，生了更多的兒女。 14 以下是他在耶路撒冷生的兒子：沙姆亞、朔罷、拿單、所羅門、 15 益轄、以利書亞、尼斐、雅非亞、 16 以利沙瑪、以利雅大和以利法列。
大衛戰勝非利士人
17 非利士人聽說大衛已被膏立為以色列王，就全軍出動，要搜尋大衛。大衛得到消息便退到堅城裡。 18 非利士人大軍壓境，散佈在利乏音谷。 19 大衛求問耶和華：「我可以去迎戰非利士人嗎？你會把他們交在我手裡嗎？」耶和華說：「去吧，我必把他們交在你手裡。」 20 大衛前往巴力·毗拉心，在那裡打敗了敵人。他說：「耶和華像洪水決堤一樣為我沖垮了仇敵。」於是他稱那地方為巴力·毗拉心[a]。 21 大衛和他的軍隊帶走了非利士人所丟棄的神像。
22 後來非利士人又捲土重來，散佈在利乏音谷。 23 大衛又求問耶和華，耶和華說：「你不要正面出擊，要繞到他們後面，從桑林對面攻打他們。 24 當你聽見桑樹梢上響起腳步聲時，就要快速進攻，因為那表示耶和華已在你前頭去攻擊非利士的軍隊了。」 25 大衛遵命而行，打敗非利士人，由迦巴一直殺到基色。
Footnotes
- 5·20 「巴力·毗拉心」意思是「沖垮之主」。
