5All of the tribes of Israel came to see David at Hebron. They said, “We are your own flesh and blood. ²In the past, Saul was our king. But you led the men of Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd over my people Israel. You will become their ruler.’ ”

³All of the elders of Israel came to see King David at Hebron. There the king made a covenant with them in the sight of the Lord. They anointed David as king over Israel.

⁴David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled for 40 years. ⁵In Hebron he ruled over Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled over all of Israel and Judah for 33 years.

David Captures Jerusalem

⁶The king and his men marched to Jerusalem. They went to attack the Jebusites who lived there.

The Jebusites said to David, “You won’t get in here. Even blind people and those who are disabled can keep you from coming in.” They thought, “David can’t get in here.”

⁷But David captured the fort of Zion. It became known as the City of David.

⁸On that day David said, “Anyone who wins the battle over the Jebusites will have to crawl through the water tunnel to get into the city. That’s the only way he can reach those ‘disabled and blind’ enemies of mine.” That’s why people say, “Those who are ‘blind and disabled’ won’t enter David’s palace.”

⁹David moved into the fort. He called it the City of David. He built up the area around the fort. He filled in the low places. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. ¹⁰David became more and more powerful. That’s because the Lord God who rules over all was with him.

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